Eastleigh | A weekend of free live pop-up performances for families awaits you this weekend at Unwrapped Festival, at Leigh Road Recreation Ground on Saturday and Hedge End, Greta Park on Sunday. Don’t miss performances from LAStheatre, Levantes Dance Theatre, Calf2Cow, Cat & Mouse Theatre, and Farm Yard Circus, plus creative activities, an arts and craft market and food stalls.
Blackburn | This weekend is the National Festival of Making in Blackburn, presenting a programme of work that combines art, manufacturing, making and communities. See Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, Pif Paf, Eternal Taal, Dan Fox’s Boom Bikes, Ri Ri’s Dance Academy, and more.
Wandsworth | Wandsworth Arts Fringe is taking over parks, theatres, pubs and streets for a neighbourhood party with a global reach from today until 26 Jun. On Sunday at Furzedown Recreation Ground it’s the WAF Family Fun Day. Join in the making of a unique collective painting with Sol Golden Sato’s Happy Feet, make beautiful ephemeral artwork using natural resources by Parents for the Future, or help David Allen enact his unique brand of interactive story-telling.
Dorset, Norfolk & Suffolk | Green Space Dark Skies, led by Walk the Plank, heads to Dorset AONB tomorrow, and the Broads National Park on 15 Jun. 20,000 people will become Lumenators, each carrying a low impact light into the landscape, making patterns on mountains, lakes and moorland.
Salford | Commissioned by Quays Culture in partnership with Cirque Bijou, Way Above the Houses is a unique arts project, inspired by the people of Salford. Taking place tomorrow, this spectacular event will start outside The Lowry with a performance by local dancers, led by choreographer Lizzie Klotz, creating a kaleidoscope of moving lights using illuminated umbrellas. Then audience and performers will travel to Media City Piazza for an extraordinary display of aerial acts, community performances and local voices.
Carlow | This weekend head to Carlow Arts Festival for music, circus, dance, theatre, visual arts, free performances and workshops for families presented in the grounds of Carlow College and across Carlow town.
Thurrock | The 8th year of the T100 festival is upon us, taking place until 25 Jun, and this year T100 People will feature events, walks, talks and community celebrations along the Thames Estuary.
London | Summer by the River has returned to London Bridge City, running until 2 Sep. This year’s festival is bringing 1930s Miami vibes to the banks of the Thames over three locations- The Scoop, Hay’s Galleria and The Pier, for three months of free entertainment. The programme includes Gospeloke- a karaoke night backed by a live Gospel Choir, Dabbers Bingo- the much loved game injected with music and performers, Hip Hop Weekender with interactive workshops and dance battles between world-renowned artists, BBC Introducing, Folk and Roots Stage, and much more.
Lockerbie | Set in the stunning Raehills Meadows, Eden Festival runs this weekend, hosting 10 different stages, kids arena, circus tent, drive in cinema, comedy, cabaret and workshops, as well as a feast of performers, artworks, games and much more!
Birmingham | The UK’s largest dance festival, Birmingham International Dance Festival is back from 17 Jun- 3 Jul with an amazing programme of dance in the city’s theatres and a take-over of Birmingham’s public spaces with three free family-friendly outdoor weekends. See Compagnie Dyptik, Critical Mass, Deaf Rave, Foco alAire, Folk Dance Remixed, Fatt Projects, JayJay Revlon, Tentacle Tribe, Joli Vyann, Extended Play, Patrick Ziza Dance, Jeanefer Jean Charles, Sonia Sabri Company, Just Us Dance Theatre, Urja Desai Thakore & Hetain Patel, Company Chameleon, Alleyne Dance, SAY, Daryl Beeton Productions & Mimbre, Crying Out Loud, Cia Moveo, Ascension Dance Company, 2Faced Dance Company, and loads more!
Edinburgh | Hidden Door Festival 2022 is bringing the old Royal High School on Calton Hill to life for a ten day festival of live music, visual art, dance, theatre and spoken word from 9-18 Jun.
Cardiff | Hijinx’s Unity Festival heads to Cardiff from 16-26 Jun, with theatre, a film festival, comedy night, and loads of exciting free street theatre including Hijinx, About Face Theatre Company, Humans Move, Taking Flight Theatre Company and LAStheatre, Danza Mobile, tanzbar_breman, Stopgap Dance Company, Mind the Gap, and Kitsch & Sync.
Northampton | It’s Carnival time! Head to Racecourse Park tomorrow for Northampton Carnival 2022, with this year’s theme ‘Summer of Jubilation’, chosen to give hope and the opportunity for everyone to come together and celebrate!
Cork | There’s loads of exciting things going on at Cork Midsummer Festival from 15-26 Jun, from beatboxing and hip hop celebrations, to city explorations after dark; warehouse dance and harbour cruises to intimate theatre and doorstep performances. Featuring brand new work with 25 world premieres, new commissions and projects, as well as some of the most exciting Irish and international artists.
Birmingham | Birmingham Hippodrome’s B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival returns from 11-19 Jun, celebrating all things Hip-Hop and bringing together extraordinary artists and acts from across all four elements of Hip-Hop: breakin’, graffiti, DJ’ing and MC’ing.
Ashbourne | From 17 Jun- 3 Jul Ashbourne Festival takes place in the small market town also known as ‘The Gateway to the Peak District’, with street theatre, musicians, comedians, artists and writers. On 18-19 Jun there’s the International Streetfest 2022 with free family entertainment throughout the town, including The Dado Show, Victor Rubilar, Pedro Tochas, Fanzini, Sara Twister, Fraser Hooper, The Wardens, Byron Bertram, Pete Anderson, and Able Mable.
Hounslow | Head to Bell Square in Hounslow on 18 Jun for two free performances of Seeta Patel’s Rite of Spring. Taking the South Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam with it’s intricate rhythmic footwork and geometric, dynamic movements, Seeta has created a compelling and visually breathtaking interpretation of the iconic Rite of Spring with 6 dancers.
London | LIFT, London’s biennial international festival of theatre, brings joyful, daring and unforgettable theatre from around the world to London from 23 Jun-10 Jul.
Manchester | On 19 Jun the Manchester Day Parade will weave its way through the city centre in a riot of colour, sound and spectacle. This year’s parade will feature a very special guest in the form of Little Amal, a 3.5 metre puppet. Little Amal is a Syrian refugee who arrived in the city last year after a 8,000km walk from Turkey through 65 European cities, towns and villages. Amal will then take part in The Walk: World Refugee Week, visiting 10 towns and cities across England meeting old friends and making new ones.
Holmfirth | Holmfirth Arts Festival Weekend runs 17-19 Jun with lots to see and do, including the Myth and History Family Circular walk, Bee Cart by Pif Paf, Leave the Light on for Me by Mind the Gap, and CastAway by Highly Sprung Performance Company.
Somerset | Heading to Glastonbury Festival 22-26 Jun? In the Theatre and Circus area you’ll find three fields full of wonder, filled with dazzling entertainment and spectacle. Featuring The Show Globe, Vou Fiji Dance Theatre, Umami Dance Theatre, Bootworks Theatre, Worldroots Acappella, Cirque Du Vulgar, and many more.
