Festival of Thrift, Billingham
Sep 23, 2023 - Sep 24, 2023

Update from Festival of Thrift: Second day of Festival of Thrift 2023 cancelled due to forecast of high winds 

Following local weather warnings of high winds on Sunday 24 September the organisers of the Festival of Thrift event taking place at Billingham, Tees Valley this weekend have announced they are unable to open the site for the second day of this year’s event.  The weather conditions forecast will make it impossible to manage the site safely so the event has been cancelled on Sunday 24 September. The festival will still be open and welcoming visitors on Saturday 23 September from 10am – 5pm.

Emma Whitenstall, Festival of Thrift’s Executive Director said: “We are so disappointed to have to cut the festival short but the safety of our visitors, participants and staff is our top priority. We cannot take any risks in the very challenging weather conditions that are forecast for Sunday. 

“On Saturday the weather forecast is fine so please come along and enjoy our amazing event then, we’d love to see you. Otherwise we look forward to welcoming you when we return to Billingham for Festival of Thrift 2024 on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September.”  

The full Festival of Thrift programme will run on Saturday 23 September from 10am – 5pm. The event takes place in Billingham town centre and John Whitehead Park. Entry is free.

Festival of Thrift will return to Billingham, Tees Valley on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September 2024. 


his year’s nationally recognised event championing sustainable living is taking place on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 September 2023 and has relocated to a new location. The latest Tees Valley town to host the hugely popular festival is Billingham in Stockton-on-Tees, where the town centre and adjacent John Whitehead Park will be transformed for the Festival of Thrift’s unique and distinctive free weekend of arts, culture and celebration.

The festival team are busy finalising the programme for this year’s event, which will once again offer the thousands of visitors a fun, free weekend packed full of entertainment and inspirational ways to be creative everyday life. As well as the annual celebration, the team are working on some exciting year-round activities that will have the same playful joy people have come to expect from the festival while still imagining a better future together.