Here is your Outdoor Arts roundup – find out what’s happening over the next few weeks…
Bristol | Until 22 Oct | Circus City: The Outsider Edition is a new three-week international festival of contemporary circus. Performances, workshops, talks, films and industry events will explore a common thread of human-object relations, transformation and interventions into the way people, bodies and situations can be seen and navigated. Outdoor arts shows include Tess by Ockham’s Razor, Books! by Tit For Tat Circus, The Shape of Belonging by Whispering Woods & the Murmuration Choir.
London | Until 22 Oct | Bloomsbury Festival is an annual celebration of the area’s creativity, presenting an inspiring programme of culture, arts, science, literature, performance, discussion and debate – and this year’s theme is GROW. The programme includes an exciting mix of contemporary arts, music, performance, theatre, science displays, talks, walks and community events.
Hastings & St Leonards | Until 22 Oct | Hastings Storytelling Festival is full of spoken word, dance, puppetry, carnival, theatre, conversation or digital media: diverse artists in exciting and accessible venues. There’ll be a colourful parade with contributions from Notting Hill Carnival on Children’s Day as well as appearances from Ben Watson, Gary & Pel, Murmuration Arts, Circo Rum Ba Ba, Ella Mesma, Richard Storybeard, Xena Flame, Open Door Drummers and Get Lost and Found.
Glasgow | Until 28 Oct | Take Me Somewhere is an international, biennial festival and year-round sector support organisation that exists to position Scotland as the place to create and experience radical performance. The festival – which has innovative performance at its core – acts as a connector between people, work and ideas, and is inspired by the talent, energy and voracity of the city’s arts community.
Blackpool | Until 28 Oct | Lightpool Festival showcases six miles of traditional festoons and tableaux along Blackpool Promenade – no wonder it’s commonly known as the greatest free light show on Earth! With a spectacular mix of extraordinary light installations, live performance and 3D projection shows, the programme includes Micro by Hotaru Visual Guerrilla, Odyssey by Jack Irving, Down the Rabbit Hole by The Macula, Invasion by Designs in Air, A Daily Performance of Home by LeftCoast, a Carnival Magic event with Global Grooves and lots more!
Ipswich | Until 29 Oct | SPILL is an international festival of live art, activism and performance presenting the work of exceptional artists from around the globe. With Monumental Constructions by Olivier Grossetete + The Battises Soeurs and Mega Bunny + Friends by Bruce Asbestos.
Inverclyde | Until 30 Oct | Galoshans Festival is A celebration of creativity with community at its heart! Inverclyde’s annual festival is ready to enchant and entertain the community with a spellbinding blend of art, culture, and Halloween fun. This year’s festival promises to deliver an unforgettable experience for locals and visitors alike, showcasing the rich heritage and vibrant spirit of Inverclyde. There’s a street parade and party by Rig Arts and a programme of events by Feral, including Rhyze To Morph by Nomoss, Chimaera by Adrenalism, Wheel See by Aya Kobayashi and Monika Smekot.
U.S. | Until 5 Nov | The Walk (Little Amal)is going on tour to more than 100 free and open-to-the-public Events of Welcome as she journeys joyously across the United States. more than 1000 artists and arts organizations of every kind will come together to create a travelling festival of art and hope, sharing Amal’s urgent message to the world: ‘Don’t forget about us…’
Pooley Bridge | 21 Oct | Ullswater Droving ‘Welcoming the Wolf’ will be a spectacular start to the Droving season, offering a unique opportunity to participate in creating a magical artwork in the landscape using Geolights by Green Space Dark Skies and a procession with Spark! by Worldbeaters. Brought to you by Eden Arts in collaboration with Walk the Plank.
Accrington | 21 Oct | BLAST by Les Commandos Percu has never been seen before in the UK! Get ready for a spookily exciting full day and evening of live shows, scary films and creativity as Accrington welcomes this exciting live outdoor show.
St Helens | 21 Oct | As The World Tipped by Wired Aerial Theatre Combining dramatic film and visuals with breathtaking aerial performance, this ambitious and extraordinary piece of aerial theatre tells a powerful tale of an ecological crisis. Written and directed by Nigel Jamieson, the 45-minute family-friendly show is part of St Helens Borough of Culture 2023 celebrations.
Hounslow | 21 Oct | Arcadia at Bell Square London is a performance by Teatr KTO, one of Poland’s legendary outdoor theatre companies. The show is a dream-like theatre piece without words which looks at life – its big moments, its memories – as a simple, innocent, poignant reflection of everything that is most cruel and beautiful.
Milton Keynes | 21 Oct-25 Feb | Land of Lights South takes place in Milton Keynes, with 12 incredible worlds inspired by legendary fairytales and iconic characters. From Peter Pan to Gulliver’s Travels, light up your imagination this winter with spectacular lantern displays.
Grimsby | 21-27 Oct | Our Future Starts Here aims to explore issues of our time, enable new cultural experiences for North East Lincolnshire residents and highlight Grimsby’s place in the world now. Produced by The Culture House in partnership with Projekt Renewables, this event presents future-facing, thought-provoking, quality and fun performances from Mimbre, Circo Rum Ba Ba, Daryl J Carrington, SAY, Inverted Theatre, Pif-Paf Theatre, Linden Dance and more!
Canterbury | 21 Oct-4 Nov | Canterbury Festival for a two-week extravaganza of music, performance, talks, family events, science and more in the heart of Kent.
Rotherham | 24-25 Oct | Echoes of Glass by Pif-Paf Theatre is a free sound and light installation at Catcliffe Cone where families can drop in between 1-7pm.
Paisley | 26-28 Oct | Paisley Halloween Festival transforms the town into a Halloween playground, set against the spectacular backdrop of Paisley’s historic Abbey. Expect street theatrics from festival-favourites Spark! by Worldbeaters, Flying Vampires by All or Nothing Aerial Dance Theatre, plus sword-swallowing, stilt-walkers, community music and dance performances.
Lincoln | 26-29 Oct | Frequency Festival, produced by Threshold Studios, is an international festival of digital creativity – an imaginative fusion of art, heritage, media and culture, giving everyone the chance to discover a world of digital art. Don’t miss Volo: Dreams of Flight by Studio Go Go, The Fabuloso Organ by Dave Cranmer, The Dangerous Times by Proto-type, The Care Takers by Liminal Creative, Revontulet by Howard Hannah, Ode To… by Graham Elstone, Inflatable Monsters by Designs in Air, Digital Graffiti by Different Light Collective, and Coexistence by Beccy McCray.
Bradford | 27 Oct | Witness the magical sight of Lister Park Lantern Parade by Cecil Green Arts where beautiful lanterns will light up the night sky! Enjoy an evening filled with a lively performance, music & an awesome fire finale!
Medway | 27-29 Oct | Electric Medway takes place in public spaces where you can take part in a VR cinema, and see street projections, an augmented reality history trail, live electronic music, 3D model scanning and more.
Liverpool | 27 Oct-5 Nov | River of Light is an outdoor illuminated gallery on Liverpool Waterfront, a 2KM loop, featuring light and sound from local, national and international artists. There will be 11 artworks created by artists from all over the world, including This Is Loop, Atelier Sisu, Amigo & Amigo, Studio Vertigo and more!
Southend | 28 Oct | Southend Halloween Parade is a frightfully fun (and free!) evening of music, dancing, amazing costumes and huge light-up puppets at our spooktacular Halloween parade. Don’t miss the fireworks finale at 7:30pm!
Penrith | 28 Oct | The Winter Droving is a magical celebration of rural life, food, fun, masquerade, and fire produced by Eden Arts. A magical torchlight procession will round off a day of music, masquerade and magical carnivalesque goings on – with performances from Matrix Circus, Other Half, Nula Hula, Able Mable, Punjabi Roots, Darryl J Carrington, Felicity Footloose, and more!
Derry | 28-31 Oct | Derry Halloween is Europe’s LARGEST Halloween Festival welcoming the spirit of Samhain through its historic gates for a festival like no other! Worlds of past and present collide to bring you a dazzling street celebration of all things spooky through illumination, aerial performance, pyrotechnics and music, including performances from Worldbeaters, Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company, Roar Roar Dinosaur, Borris and Ricardo, and a parade by North West Carnival Initiative.
Lancaster | 2-4 Nov | Light Up Lancaster is a free family festival of light and art. This year’s theme of ‘The Art of Words’, invites you to journey through a vivid light festival and discover playful illuminations, vibrant artworks and plenty of interactive experiences, all of which shine a light on complex subject material. Brought to you by Light Up The North, with work from Illuminos, imitating the dog, Stephane Masson, Stevie Thompson & Custom Fiber and more!
Bradford | 3-4 Nov | BD Is LIT returns again to bathe the district in a series of beautiful light shows. The city centre will come alive with unique light and sound installations, celebrating the work of local, national and international artists, such as The Colour Project, Picto Facto, Jim Mitcham & Geoff Kendal, Atelier Sisu, Deepa Mann-Kler, Nikki & JD and Lost Dog Dance, Whispered Tales, The Kazimier, Summat Creative, Tom Biddulph, Axolotl Creative, Nutkhut, Mez Galaria, Cecil Green Arts, Sarah Blackburn and more!
Lincoln | 3 Nov | Autumn Lights is a night of entertainment including music, a family funfair, delicious street food and Lincoln’s biggest firework display. There’ll also be performances from Worldbeaters, fire performers and illuminated walkabout.
