One of the biggest festivals on the city calendar will be taking place this weekend, as the Peterborough Celebrates Festival gets underway for the fourth year.
The colourful celebration takes place at Ferry Meadows, and there is an incredible line up booked in for the weekend, and a range of activities for all the family.
The first event actually takes place on Friday evening (May 16) with a silent disco in the big top. Grab your multi-channel headphones and hit the dance floor as three live DJs spin the tunes. There will be a family session 5pm-6.30pm for age 4+ or a later session 7.30pm-9.30pm for 12+. Tickets cost £6 for the first session, and £7.50 for the second session.
However, the festival ‘proper’ gets underway on Saturday, with four performances spaces - the Big Top, the Community Stage, The Hay Bale Stage and the Centre Stage in The Bar Tent.
There is bound to be something for all tastes, with the action getting under way at 11am on Saturday, and 10am on Sunday.
There will be music ranging from RnB, gospel, classical, pop – and even a Filipino Folk Dance Group – from professional acts, community groups and schools throughout the day on the various stages – as well as circus acts, drama performances.
On Sunday , the festival begins at 10am with Rise and Shine Yoga on the Community Stage and then the day is filled with everything from feel good family favourites and sing a long moments to interactive performance poetry and an incredible all-women dance group, Feet off the Ground, with their show Turning Point on a rotating stage.
At 3.50pm, following the success of last year, the festival finale will be marked with a traditional Hindu Holi Colour ceremony where the public will be invited to throw coloured paints and streamers in joyful celebration – a fitting end to a weekend of celebrating our city.
Along with the performances, there are a range of activities on offer – from fairground rides, ‘have a go’ sporting activities including football, rugby and martial arts – and the incredible ‘‘Flutter of Butterflies’’ installation – thousands of decorated butterflies that have been created by schools and community groups across the city in our community, sponsored by Allison Homes
Parking for the festival will be available onsite at Ferry Meadows (parking charges apply) with free parking offered at Railworld Wildlife Haven in the city centre. Festival-goers parking at Railworld will be able to catch a shuttle train with the Nene Valley Railway for £2 per person, with trains running throughout Saturday and Sunday.
For full details – including a set list for each day – visit https://www.nenepark.org.uk/Listing/Category/peterborough-celebrates-festival
To get you in the mood we’ve taken a look back to last year’s festival and picked some of the best pictures from a great weekend!
1. Peterborough Celebrates Festival 2024
Peterborough Diiwali dancers Photo: David Lowndes
