Festivals in Leicestershire

Dates and details are subject to change without warning, please check with festival organisers and in the local press before attending.

Leicester Comedy Festival
Date: Throughout Febraury
Venues: Various.
Website: www.comedy-festival.co.uk

None known at present

Darbar South Asian Music Festival 2008
Date: Early April
Venue: Secular Hall, 75, Humberstone Gate, Leicester.
Details: A music festival aiming to increase the accessibility of south Asian arts, culture and heritage to the UK population.
Website: www.darbar.org.uk

Community Choirs Festival
Date: Mid April
Venue: Secular Hall, 75, Humberstone Gate, Leicester.
Details: Learning songs in a massed choir made up of community choirs from across the Midlands.
Website: www.communitychoirsfestival.co.uk

Glastonbudget
Date: Late May
Venue: Wymeswold.
Details: Glastonbudget is a weekend music festival that combines new acts with tribute acts.
Website: www.glastonbudget.net

Loughborough Canal & Boat Festival
Date: Late May
Venue: Loughborough

Snibston Transport Festival
Date: Mid May
Venue: Snibston, Coalville
Details: A celebration of transport through the ages with a range of exhibits and activities to keep the whole family entertained. Plus a craft fayre, food stalls and entertainment.
Website: www.snibston.com

Streets Alive Festival (part of the Three Cities Festival)
Date: Late May.
Venue: Loughborough Market Place and surrounding streets.
Details: Many activities including printing and brass rubbing. Staff will show visitors how to make Nature Prints using special photosensitive paper to create silhouette images from natural materials. There is also a selection of historic artefacts for the public to handle and information about educational activities and children’s holiday workshops held at the Museum.
Website: www.goleicestershire.com

Meacham Heart of the Forest Festival
Date: Late June
Venue: Grounds of Meacham Leisure Centre
Details: The event included a parade of floats and walkers including Scottish pipers, a jazz band, stilt walkers, jugglers, fire eaters, four schools from the area, Brownie and Guide groups as well as the Donisthorpe Scout Band and an open-topped bus.
Website: www.heartoftheforest.co.uk

Moira Canal Festival
Venue: Moira Furnace, with a wide range of water-based events being held in the Ashby Canal Bath Yard Basin.
Details: There are boats of all types, ranging from medieval coracle races, steam boats, and narrow boats, bar, woodland crafts, bands, Morris dancing, children’s entertainment, live steam, refreshments.
Website: www.ashbycanaltrust.co.uk/festival.html

Blaby and Oadby and Wigston Arts Festival
Date: Early June
Venue: Various in Blaby, Oadby and Wigston
Website: www.goleicestershire.com

Old Dalby Church Flower Festival
Date: Mid June
Venue: St. John the Baptist Church, Church Lane, Old Dalby, Melton Mowbray.
Details: Flower displays and arrangements, plus stalls and refreshments.
Website: www.goleicestershire.com

Stapleford Steam Festival
Date: Mid June
Venue: Stapleford Park, Stapleford, Melton Mowbray.
Details: One of only 2 annual openings of the Stapleford Miniature Railway, featuring Steam Engines, Vintage Vehicles, Vintage Tractors, Trade & Craft Stalls, Licensed Bar and Refreshments.
Website: www.fsmr.org.uk

Leicestershire Walking Week
Date: Early July
Venue: Throughout Leicestershire
Details: A campaign and festival to help people get fit, save money, have fun and help the environment.
Website: www.leics.gov.uk/walkingweek

National Forest Folk Club and Festival
Date: Early July
Venue: Conkers - an attraction in the heart of the National Forest,
Website: www.affc.demon.co.uk

Arts in Education Summer Festival
Date: July
Venue: De Montfort Hall
Details: Hundreds of young people from the County and City perform at De Montfort Hall to mark the Arts in Education’s spectacular annual Summer Festival. The shows will include singing, dancing and music by many local school children.

Market Bosworth Rail Ale Festival
Date: Mid July
Venue: Market Bosworth and Shakerstone Station
Details: Hinckley & Bosworth CAMRA, in conjunction with the Battlefield Line, present a weekend of Real Ales & Steam Trains.
Website: www.hinckleyandbosworthcamra.org.uk/BeerFestivals.html

Rempstone Steam & Country Show
Date: Mid July
Venue: Turnpost Farm, Back Lane, Wymeswold.
Details: Working Steam Engines, Vintage Cars, Traditional Crafts, Fairground, Children's Entertainment, Trader's Market, Companion Dog Show; hundreds of exhibits.
Website: www.rempstonesteam.org

Ashby Arts Festival
Date: Late July
Venue: Ashby-de-la-Zouche
Details: Ashby Arts Festival celebrates art, drama, songwriting, writing and crafts in Ashby de la Zouch and the surrounding areas.
Website: www.ashbyartsfestival.co.uk

Goddess Camp
Date: Early August
Venue:Barrow upon Soar.
Details: A celebration of dance, music and art. Workshops and performances include Tai chi, Belly Dancing, Yoga, Samba, Holistic Therapies, Children's Activities and Arts & Crafts.
Website: www.goddess-camp.com

Summer Medieval Festival
Date: Mid August
Venue: Bosworth Battlefield
Details: Watch jousting and medieval battle recreations and falconry displays throughout the day. There’s something for all the family at the festival with a host of games and entertainment in the medieval mayhem children’s arena, including face painting, mini-jousting and bill drills. People can take a stroll through the medieval market, enjoy a refreshing pint in the ale-house or sit back and take in the medieval fashion show in the courtyard. Entry to the new interactive exhibition, which opened in February 2008, will be half price over the Summer Medieval Festival weekend.
Website: www.bosworthbattlefield.com

The Scarecrow Festival
Date: Late August
Venue: Heather, Leicestershire
Details: Family fun including a judged Scarecrow fancy dress competition with stalls, entertainment and food, and all money raised goes to charity.
What a great way to entertain the family – scare them to death in Heather.
Website: www.goleicestershire.com

Heather Annual Music Festival
Date: Late July/Early August
Venue: Various in Heather, Leicestershire.
Website: http://www.myspace.com/heathermusicfestival

Woodstock in Whitwick
Date: Early September.
Venue: Constitutional Club, Silver Street, Whitwick, Coalville.
Details: A free music festival featuring live music, charity auction, BBQ, cake stall and various other attractions.
Website: www.goleicestershire.com

Thringstone Heritage Festival
Date: Early September.
Venue: Thringstone Community Centre, The Green, Thringstone.
Details: A family event with games, entertainment, food and drink and children's activities.
Website: www.friends-of-thringstone.org.uk

Shackerstone Family Festival
Date: Early September.
Venue: Shackerston Village.
Details: A Steam and Canal Festival run by the villagers of Shackerstone, the Shackerstone Railway Society and the Ashby Canal Association.
Website: www.shackerstonefestival.co.uk

Arts Fresco
Date: Mid September.
Venue: Market Harborough Town Centre
Details: A street arts festival, held throughout Market Harborough, featuring street performers, theatre, stalls and activities for all the family.
Website: www.artsfresco.com

Hinckley CAMRA Beer Festival
Date: Mid September.
Venue: The Atkins Building, Lower Bond St., Hinckley
Description: Hinckley & Bosworth CAMRA present the annual beer festival each September. Find real ale, wines and juices, plus hot and cold food and entertainment.
Website: www.hinckleyandbosworthcamra.org.uk

The Melton Mowbray Food & Drink Festival
Date: Early October.
Venue: The Exhibition Hall, Melton Mowbray Cattle Market, Melton Mowbray.
Website : www.eastmidlandsfoodfestival.co.uk

Is a Leicestershire festival missing from this list? Please use the contact details on the left to let us know about it!