A community festival for Peterborough at Ferry Meadows: 18th to 19th May 2024.
Back for its third year, this free to attend weekend festival promises to be another fabulous celebration of our city and all the reasons we love it – our culture, our music, our diversity and our talented communities – bringing the city together in a love letter to Peterborough.
The festival weekend will be filled with a wide range of performances and experiences for all the family. From music and theatre, food and drink, dance and culture, arts and crafts, poetry and literature, health and wellbeing and sports and activities, there will be a packed and diverse schedule of entertainment across the weekend.
Find out what’s happening at Peterborough Celebrates Festival, and when, so you don’t miss a thing! Scroll down for all the details.
As well as our staged performances, discover our:
Silent Disco: throughout Saturday in the Big Top (11am-12pm, 1pm-2pm and 4.30pm-8pm). Grab a pair of silent disco headphones and get grooving!
Buskers Stage: throughout the weekend in the bar area, we will have a small stage & PA and invite local musicians and performers to sign up for up to a 15 minute slot to share their skills.
Wide range of different activities, workshops, art installations and local community groups located in different zones around the festival.
I This symbol represents British Sign Language interpreted performances.
Saturday 18 May – 11am to 8pm
| Time | Performance | Location |
| All Day | Host Kev Lawrence Host Amir Suleman | Main Stage Big Top |
| 11am | Peterborough Rock Choir I | Main Stage |
| 11.45am | Thomas Deacon Academy – a selection of drama, dance & music performances by students | Main Stage |
| 12pm | Mandinga Arts – A Peterborough Presents event | Peterborough Presents Creative Dome |
| 12pm | Sandy Wardrop: Inflator-poets – Poets Sandy & Kat will be creating new poems on balloons with unsuspecting members of the public | Walkabout Act |
| 12pm | Pif-Paf: SEED – a story of pulsating plants, flying soil and water and a giant tree | Big Top |
| 12.30pm | Ola Adelaja I – powerful gospel music by local musicians | Main Stage |
| 1pm | Peterborough Diwali Festival & Peterborough Telugu Sangam – Bollywood & Indian classical dance and music by the local community | Main Stage |
| 1pm | MegaBeast: Treemendous – look out for our treemendous tree people who will be wandering round – great for selfies | Walkabout Act |
| 1pm | Mimbre: Weight(less) – amazing female acrobats tell a funny and moving tale | Hay Bale Stage |
| 1.30pm | Mandinga Arts – A Peterborough Presents event | Peterborough Presents Creative Dome |
| 1.45pm | UCP / Peterborough College – drama and dance students present an excerpt from their recent show the Addams Family | Big Top |
| 1.45pm | Wansford Ukelele Folk – these local ukelele favourites return to give us their versions of well-known favourites | Main Stage |
| 2pm | Sandy Wardrop: Beat the Poet – Sandy & friends will be creating new poems with unsuspecting members of the public | Walkabout Act |
| 2.15pm | U3A I – poetry, music and drama by Peterborough’s active University of the Third Age | Big Top |
| 2.15pm | Peterborough Centre for Young Musicians – a showcase of amazing young local talent | Main Stage |
| 2.30pm | Dizzy O’Dare: Kevin Tickle’s Dogs – a dog show like no other… no dogs for a start! | Hay Bale Stage |
| 2.45pm | Ritu Ranga – beautiful traditional costumes, music and dance | Main Stage |
| 3pm | Mandinga Arts – A Peterborough Presents event | Peterborough Presents Creative Dome |
| 3pm | MegaBeast: Treemendous – treemendous tree people will be wandering around | Walkabout Act |
| 3.15pm | Willow Singers – a range of songs from this brilliant local community choir | Big Top |
| 3.15pm | UCP / Peterborough College – three new up and coming bands share the stage with energy and raw talent! | Main Stage |
| 3.45pm | Pif-Paf: SEED I – a story of pulsating plants, live music and a giant tree | Big Top |
| 4pm | Sandy Wardrop: Beat the Poet – Sandy & friends will be creating new poems with unsuspecting members of the public | Walkabout Act |
| 4.15pm | Peterborough Ukrainian Community – traditional and contemporary music | Main Stage |
| 4.30pm | Mimbre: Weight(less) – amazing female acrobats tell a funny and moving tale | Hay Bale Stage |
| 4.45pm | Bharat Hindu Samaj – a selection of music and dance from Peterborough’s Hindu temple | Main Stage |
| 5pm | MegaBeast: Treemendous – treemendous tree people will be wandering around | Walkabout Act |
| 5.15pm | Thomas Dunleavy – local singer-songwriter and guitarist | Main Stage |
| 5.30pm | Folk Dance remixed – DJ Ceilidh Jam – a magical collision of traditional and hip hop dance and music. come and join in! | Big Top |
| 5.45pm | BBC Introducing – Tommy Philpott and Lounge Lizards | Main Stage |
| 6pm | Dizzy O’Dare: Kevin Tickle’s Dogs I – a dog show like no other… no dogs for a start! | Hay Bale Stage |
| 7pm | Xidus Pain: Classes of the Gifted – rap and new artist showcase | Main Stage |
Sunday 19 May – 10.30am to 4pm
| Time | Performance | Location |
| All Day | Host Kev Lawrence Host Amir Suleman | Main Stage Big Top |
| 10.30am | Rise and Shine – free community yoga session | In front of the main stage |
| 11am | Red Letter Crew – an amazing fusion of Afro Jazz and poetry | Big Top |
| 11.30am | East Timorese Association – a colourful celebration of dance, music and culture | Main Stage |
| 11.30am | Dizzy O’Dare: The Giant Balloon Show – expect balloon sculptures and high energy comic performances | Hay Bale Stage |
| 12pm | Dance No End – a short showcase of different dance styles | Big Top |
| 12pm | Peterborough Opera – live opera music | Main Stage |
| 12.15pm | Encore Dance Academy – a short showcase of different dance styles | Big Top |
| 12.30pm | Gabriella Pineda Rodrigues: Family Concert I – well loved songs and Disney classics | Main Stage |
| 12.30pm | Musafir | Big Top |
| 12.45pm | Starlight Twirlettes – impressive moves, costumes and twirling batons | Big Top |
| 12.30pm | Vanhulle Dance: Olive Branch – a beautiful, funny and feel-good dance duet | Hay Bale Stage |
| 1pm | Autin DT: Brimstone the Dragon – a wandering dragon from the team who brought the giant Eko last year | Walkabout Act |
| 1.30pm | Kastinitis: Latvian Children’s Dance Group – amazing dancing and costumes | Main Stage |
| 1.30pm | Peterborough Cubs and Scouts – Gang Show excerpt (TBC) | Big Top |
| 1.30pm | Dizzy O’Dare: The Giant Balloon Show – expect balloon sculptures and high energy comic performances | Hay Bale Stage |
| 2pm | Peterborough Pride – a high energy variety show | Big Top |
| 2pm | Polish Music School – a range of performances from young musicians (TBC) | Main Stage |
| 2pm | Autin DT: Brimstone the Dragon – a wandering dragon from the team who brought the giant Eko last year | Walkabout Act |
| 2.15pm | Susnato Mallick – brilliant young pianist | Main Stage |
| 2.30pm | Lucy’s Pop Choir I – a vibrant and uplifting celebration of song and community | Main Stage |
| 2.30pm | Vanhulle Dance: Olive Branch – a beautiful, funny and feel-good dance duet | Hay Bale Stage |
| 3pm | Peterborough Citadel Salvation Army Band – well-known tunes and much-loved hymns | Big Top |
| 3pm | Shiamak Bollywood Dance – a community sharing of Bollywood dancing by local communities, organised by Jumped Up Theatre | Main Stage |
| 3pm | Autin DT: Brimstone the Dragon – a wandering dragon from the team who brought the giant Eko last year | Walkabout Act |
| 3.45pm | Holi Colour Celebration – come and celebrate the end of the festival with a traditional Hindu celebration where coloured paints and streamers are thrown | Main Stage |
To find out how to get to Ferry Meadows, and other essential visitor information, please click here. We look forward to seeing you there!