Huge festival of celebration and thanks to be held in Peterborough

More than 12,000 people are expected to attend the Peterborough Celebrates Festival, which will be held in Ferry Meadows beginning on May 13 this year.

About 200 performers, artists and stall holders will take part in the free-to-attend festival, which it is hoped could take place each year.

The family-orientated event is being put together by Nene Park Trust and organisers have already been in touch with community organisations, networks and other groups to gauge support for the event.

The details were unveiled at an Opportunity Peterborough networking event where businesses were urged to support the festival with companies able to take out sponsorship packages with prices starting at £500 and rising to £10,000.

The aim of the festival is to celebrate and thank the people who have supported their communities during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A Nene Park Trust spokesperson told the meeting: “This is the perfect year to have an event that is about bringing Peterborough together, after the difficult two years with Covid-19.

“We have been isolated as a community and want to bring everyone back together and celebrate this fantastic city and getting through the pandemic.”

The focal point for the event will be a Festival Village site with a stage, circus tent, food and drink zone and stalls for local organisations and much more.

There will be performers from the circus, music, theatre, dance and the spoken word.

Festival goers will be able to enjoy three, four or five events at any one time.

Before the weekend itself, the festival will be supported by several community engagements that will include preparations for a kite-making pageant and an event called Peterborough Royalty, where people can draw a pin-up of someone they want to thank and which will then be turned into an image for one of many huge flags that will adorn the festival site.