Colourful celebrations on River Welland for glorious Deepings Raft Race

Hundreds of people lined the banks of the river as they took advantage of the glorious summer sunshine.

This year's theme, Marvellous Musicals, inspired an incredible display of creativity, with rafts and costumes celebrating some of the world's best-loved productions. Spectators were treated to floating performances inspired by The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Mean Girls, Mary Poppins, Grease, The Lion King and many more.

These pictures from photographer Rob Walker show the incredible effort put in by all the teams to put on a show for the spectators.

The event attracted the biggest number of raft entries seen for many years, with teams taking to the river across a range of race categories. Following its successful debut last year, the Craft & Raft competition returned, challenging teams to build their rafts on the riverbank before racing them down the River Welland.

Kevin Barber, chairman of the Deepings Raft Race committee, said: “What an incredible day. The sunshine certainly helped, but it was the fantastic atmosphere created by the hundreds of people who came along to support the event that made it so special.

"Every year we're amazed by the creativity, enthusiasm and effort that goes into the rafts and costumes, and this year was no exception.

"The Raft Race just keeps getting bigger and better, and it was brilliant to see the Craft & Raft event return so successfully, along with such strong competition across every race category.”

The Deepings Raft Race committee would like to thank everyone who helped make the day such a success, including all the rafters, the spectators who came out to cheer them on, the fantastic volunteers who gave their time, and of course the event's amazing sponsors.

Once the total raised from the event has been calculated, the committee will once again invite local charities and community groups to apply for a donation. The aim is to spread the funds raised across a wide range of organisations making a positive difference in the Deepings and surrounding villages.

"Keep an eye on our social media channels for details of how and when to apply," said Kevin. "We're looking forward to supporting as many local groups as possible with the money raised from another fantastic community event."

Next year's Deepings Raft Race will take place on Sunday 1 August 2027.