Arts and Cultural Festivals
The UK has many Arts and Cultural Festivals taking place throughout the year - large and small. We have listed some of these below so you can bear them in mind when planning dates and locations for your trip.
Thames Festival - London
Early September, Entry Free
Launched in 1997, The Mayor's Thames Festival has grown to become London's largest free open-air arts festival. Many Thames Festival activities are based on public participation. The festival commissions new work, and transforms unusual spaces on and around the River Thames with a mixture of street arts, performance, carnival, pyrotechnics, illuminations, art installations, exhibitions, river events, massed choirs, circus, music and dance, food and feasting.
St Ives Festival - St Ives, Cornwall
Early September, Entry Free - £24
With music, visual arts, poetry, literature, theatre and cinema, this festival usually opens with a ceilidh on Saturday night, followed by tribute band nights and a Youth night (Wednesday) culminating in a Festival Ball on the last Saturday of the festival.
Lincoln Book Festival - Lincoln
Mid May, Entry unknown
The annual Lincoln Book Festival attracts writers and artists from around the world and provides the community of Lincoln with a wide range of poetry, comedy, music, film and performances in addition to creative writing workshops and outreach programmes.
Harrogate International Festival - Harrogate
July and August, Entry varies
They say everyone has one great novel in them. Find out if yours is a crime novel by heading to the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate. This festival is part of the larger Harrogate International Festival and includes performing arts, street theatre, and music events.
Cheltenham Literature Festival - Cheltenham
Mid October, Entry varies
One of the oldest literature festivals in the world, the Cheltenham Book Festival brings in top talent from around England and beyond for lectures, poetry readings, storytelling, writing workshops, education projects and a host of children’s events throughout the nine-day festival which receives over 100,000 visitors to over 440 events each year.
Edinburgh Fringe Festival - Edinburgh
August, Entry varies
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is widely acknowledged to be the biggest arts festival in the world and takes place every August for three weeks in Scotland’s capital city. Every year thousands of performers take to a multitude of stages all over Edinburgh to present shows for every taste. From big names in the world of entertainment to unknown artists looking to build their careers, the festival caters for everyone and includes theatre, comedy, dance, physical theatre, musicals, operas, music, exhibitions and events.
