Peterborough Celebrates: Lots to see and do over three days

​The festival kicks off on Friday, May 19, with an uplifting Singing Schools workshop in the afternoon, followed by a performance for friends and family of participating school children.

The public launch of the festival will be at 5.30pm with drumming from Punjabi Roots, community performances and fairground rides, with food and drink available on the festival site.

The Big Top will open its sides to cinema ticket-holders at 6.00pm for the sold out sing-a-long screening of The Greatest Showman starting at 6.30pm, complete with ringmaster and BSL signer.

The Saturday offers a packed schedule of performances, sights, sounds and activities to excite all festival-goers.

Starting at 11am and running until 8pm, highlights include the spectacular dance-circus group Motionhouse, performing their breathtaking show WILD on a purpose-built stage; Autin Dance Theatre with their show Out of the Deep Blue, complete with giant sea puppet; Ensonglopedia, a family show with songs; Eastern Angles performing their Medieval Miracles; Q Productions taking over the Big Top with their Family Vox cabaret show; and Xidius Pain, the rap performance artist, on the main festival stage.

Alongside these professional groups, enjoy performances from community groups such as Bharat Hindu Samaj, East Timorese Association, local young pianist Susnato Mallick and students from Peterborough College.

The Sunday festival programme runs from 10am until 4pm, beginning with Rise and Shine yoga on the main stage and followed by music from local groups such as Abbey Ukes, Peterborough Flute Choir and soprano Gabriella Pineda-Rodrigues, bringing her ever-popular repertoire of Disney songs.

Motionhouse will be performing WILD again and dance group Vanhulle bring their show Dovetail to delight the festival crowd.

Alongside the wide range of performances there is so much more to discover across the festival site throughout the weekend. Take part in have-a-go sporting activities in the ‘Be Active’ zone, explore the community Colour Cubes, admire the thousands of flowers that have been created by schools and community groups across the city in the ‘Field of Colour’.

Parking for the festival will be available onsite at Ferry Meadows this year (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.

The festival is being staged by Nene Park Trust, with the support of key organisations across Peterborough and an enthusiastic team of volunteers bringing it to life. The festival is FREE to attend thanks to generous funding from Arts Council England as well as sponsorship from Cross Keys Homes, Perkins, Greenwoods, Savills, Hegarty Solicitors, We Love Peterborough, Term Times family magazine, The Peterborough School and Bellway Homes.