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Festival dates: 1 January 2023 - 31 December 2023
This year experience the city of Leeds like never before with an exciting programme of curated events designed to let culture loose. LEEDS 2023 is working with local, national and international artists and communities to create a celebration that’s for Leeds, with Leeds and inspired by Leeds.
Festival dates: 10 June 2023
WOW Rotherham 2023
WOW Rotherham is a vibrant, colourful, bold, fun, and fearless festival celebration of women, girls, trans and non-binary communities, connecting Rotherham to other women and girls across the globe as part of the WOW – Women of the World family. There will be a different line-up of talks, performances, panel discussions, debates, music, comedy and more.
Festival dates: 23 June 2023 - 9 July 2023
Basingstoke Festival is produced by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. It is an annual arts festival designed to showcase the best of the arts locally, nationally and internationally. From music to dance, visual art to theatre, the festival aims to bring the very best arts to audiences and those wishing to take part, by presenting experiences in the most unusual places.
Festival dates: 30 June 2023 - 1 July 2023
Hat Fair is Britain’s longest running festival of street theatre and outdoor arts – taking place in Winchester in July every year.
Hat Fair, named after the tradition of throwing donations into performance hats, first burst onto the Winchester scene in 1974 as a busker’s festival.
It has developed a strong reputation and following, providing a weekend filled with hundreds of colourful and exciting performances.
Festival dates: 7 July 2023 - 9 July 2023
Timber Festival is an immersive and revitalising weekend festival in the heart of the National Forest celebrating our relationship with trees and forests through music, art and ideas.
For three days in July, new thinkers, activists, makers, artists, musicians and writers gather to play, provoke and inspire as we explore our complex and rewarding relationship with the natural world. A joyous, reflective festival, Timber gives you the chance to recharge and reconnect with your family, friends, nature and, most importantly, yourself.
Festival dates: 14 July 2023 - 16 July 2023
Barnsley’s Big Weekend – Fri 14 to Sun 16 July 2023
The town centre’s summer celebration of outdoors art, sport and entertainment – including Mayor’s Day street theatre shows and walkabouts, Pride Barnsley, sports activities and new Brassed On music festival of brass bands featuring the world-renowned Grimethorpe Colliery Band.
Festival dates: 23 July 2023
An Indian Summer, Leicester (Inspirate) – 21 – 23 July 2023
An Indian Summer was born to share the sights, sounds and wonders of South Asia
in the heart of Britain!
Their mission is to celebrate the shared culture between the Indian subcontinent and the UK – nurturing exciting artistic collaborations and educating people from all walks of life about the past, present and future of our global community. Established in 2011, their festival has constantly pushed the boundaries of what a contemporary South Asian Mela should be.
Festival dates: 25 July 2023 - 28 July 2023
Rochdale Feel Good Family Picnic is one of several new programmes in development to begin delivering against these strategic objectives. The festival design builds on the success of the family zone previously programmed as part of Rochdale Feel Good Festival, but creates space for the ambition to grow with a dedicated programme that features world-class touring work as well as co-created work with local groups and partners, embedded participation activity and collaboration with partners across the borough.
Rochdale Feel Good Family Picnic will provide a compelling offer for family audiences, with pilot activity delivered in 2020/21 demonstrating the demand and opportunities for engagement that exist. The festival will be delivered in all four townships across the borough, transforming spaces for one day in each location and providing a family-friendly cultural offer that celebrates creativity in beautiful green spaces.
Festival dates: 3 August 2023 - 6 August 2023
Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF) is an annual free outdoor arts and street theatre festival in Stockton-on-Tees.
Taking place over in early August, it attracts international artists performing to thousands of spectators each year.
It showcases outstanding international street theatre, dance, circus and music acts with a packed programme of shows for all the family.
Festival dates: 18 August 2023 - 20 August 2023
The Just So Festival is an annual weekend-long camping festival for children and their families. The festival provides a magical experience where art, music and literature entwined with a beautiful and wondrous landscape. They offer a broad range of musical, theatrical, and visual performances, workshops and installations within a safe, natural and magical setting.
Every clearing and glade holds a new way to unleash creativity. Families discover and delight in the spectacular within the woodland environment during this weekend camping event.
Festival dates: 2 September 2023
First Art will inspire more people from Ashfield, Bolsover, Mansfield and North East Derbyshire to shape and experience great art.
The one-day Festival is free and open to everyone. Along with knock-your-socks-off performances, the Festival features street theatre, workshops, live music and more.
Festival dates: 9 September 2023 - 10 September 2023
Theatre Orchard’s flagship festival, Whirligig in Weston-super-Mare, is a vibrant, one-day event in the heart of the town that presents a mix of local, national and international outdoor arts. Theatre Orchard also involves local organisations such as XR, Weston Pride and Weston College in associated creative activity on the Festival site in order to embed Whirligig firmly in the heart of the community.
The festival is playful and family-friendly, and Theatre Orchard look for content that challenges, surprises, inspires and entertains. They proactively programme work that encourages people to think about social issues experienced through a creative lens. They also proactively programme work that demonstrates cultural diversity.
Festival dates: 15 September 2023 - 17 September 2023
Lancashire Encounter is a headline event in Preston’s cultural calendar bringing the finest outdoor arts and music to the city centre alongside our key commissions and iconic torchlight procession.
2023 will see 60,000 people visit Lancashire’s central city as audiences, participants and artists.
Festival dates: 23 September 2023 - 24 September 2023
Festival of Thrift (FoT) is the UK national festival of sustainable living, positioning artists as inspirers to action and encouraging change through workshops, exhibitions and performances, giving families the confidence to create while having fun on a budget.
Reaching new audiences from all over the UK year on year, the focus has always been on how we as individuals can make those small changes, the shift to thrift, that will add up to a big difference for the future of our planet, and encouraging others to join in.
FoT having just celebrated 10 years, continues to grow from strength to strength both in numbers of visitors and position on the cultural calendar.
The climate crisis is growing and combined with a cost of living crisis there has never been a more relevant time for this message. Be part of the solution not part of the pollution!
Festival dates: 29 September 2023 - 1 October 2023
The Arts by the Sea festival is an annual celebration of culture, people and place, bringing an intriguing, exciting and carnivalesque mix of the arts to the beautiful outdoor spaces of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Arts by the Sea is managed and produced by BCP Council, and funded by BCP Council and Arts Council England. The festival is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and 2023 will be its 13th year.
The festival supports local talent development, celebrates our diverse communities, and promotes sustainability. BCP Council aims to increase opportunities for people for participate in the arts and enhance a sense of community while showcasing work which makes a real impact on the audience and on the area.