Animal welfare campaigners have hit out at the fact that the Festival of Hounds continues to be held in Peterborough.

On Wednesday (July 16), the event returns to the East of England Showground despite the East of England Agricultural Society closing the site as an events space ahead of a development of over 1,500 new homes and a leisure village.

The event- formerly known as the Festival of Hunting- showcases various packs of hounds and celebrates hundreds of years of pedigrees, as well as celebrate equestrian activity, which includes inter-hunt relays, according to organisers.

The League Against Cruel Sports has, however, criticised the event as a “lame PR exercise covering up the savage reality of fox hunting in 2025.”

Festival of Hunting at the East of England showground.

placeholder image — Festival of Hunting at the East of England showground.

Campaigners will be present in Peterborough city centre on Wednesday to ‘encourage’ residents to engage with the government’s forthcoming consultation to ban trail hunting.

Emily Lawrence, campaigns manager at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “The Festival of Hounds is a lame PR exercise covering up the savage reality of fox hunting in 2025 where foxes are still being chased and killed by hounds despite the ban.

“Only last week, a former member of the Cambridgeshire Fitzwilliam Hunt, which often features in the Festival of Hounds, was convicted at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court of fox hunting.

“Campaigners from the League will be meeting the public in Peterborough city centre next Wednesday to encourage them to pledge to take part in the Government’s forthcoming consultation to ban so called ‘trail’ hunting, the smokescreen used by hunts.

“The Peterborough public will no doubt be horrified to hear that fox hunting is still taking place in their local countryside whilst at the same time festival organisers attempt to conceal from them the grim truth of what fox hunting really means for our wildlife.”

Polly Portwin, Director of the Campaign for Hunting at the Countryside Alliance said: "The Festival of Hounds – incorporating the 137th running of the prestigious Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show – is one of the highlights of the summer calendar for those who are interested in hounds. As well as showcasing the very best examples of the different types of hounds - including foxhounds, harriers, beagles and basset hounds - the event provides an opportunity to recognise the devotion and dedication of those who manage packs of hounds and who ensure high standards of animal welfare at all times.

“Everybody is welcome attend to see the hounds competing in various showing competitions throughout the day. For those unfamiliar with what happens, the finest hounds from different packs across the country descend upon the East of England Showground each year where they compete against each other to claim championship honours. The judges – who are highly experienced in their field – assess each hound on a combination of factors, including their conformation and movement, identifying their overall working suitability.

“There are also other competitions and activities going on throughout the day, including an exciting inter-hunt team relay jumping event, as well as plenty of shopping opportunities for those wishing to browse the trade stands.

“Despite facing the prospect of a hostile government - which has a manifesto commitment to ban lawful trail hunting activities – the Festival provides an opportunity to bring together a group of like-minded people who will continue to fight to protect their hounds, their hunts and their community.”

A spokesperson for East of England Agricultural Society said: "The Festival of Hounds has been running for many years and the society has historically supported the festival. The event is in a transition period and the 2025 event will be the last one to be held on the current site. The event is using a relatively small area of the site which is not affected by the ongoing development plans.

"The East of England Agricultural Society have previously confirmed that it would no longer organise or host major events at the showground moving forward and this remains the case. We look forward to updating the community in due course with plans for the wider site."