Basingstoke Festival returns – bigger, bolder and celebrating 15 years

Basingstoke Festival is back next week, marking 15 years of showcasing art, culture, heritage and outdoor performance across the borough.

Throughout the festival, delivered by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, the town centre will come alive every Saturday with a full day of free performances. Visitors can pick up a programme or explore the schedule online to plan their day.

On Sundays, the festival goes Out and About, taking selected acts into communities across the borough — a great chance to discover something new.

Opening Weekend Highlights

• Mr Wilson’s Second Liners bringing high‑energy music to London Street and Cross Street

• Tit for Tat Circus – Disorder of Knights at Festival Place amphitheatre, and again in Tadley on Sunday

• Apples and Snakes poetry performances in Cross Street

• Go Grandad, Go! – an intergenerational hip hop show by Company DHW

• PeaPea La Plume – a dazzling robot‑disco‑drag peacock outside Wote Street Club

• Dare to Dream – a speech‑free performance exploring imagination and possibility

• The Hide in Eastrop Park – a unique live birdwatching experience

• Pumpkin Pantos performing Alice in Wonderland at Bishops Green Village Hall (Sunday)

• The Proteans presenting The Canterbury Tales at Down Grange Walled Garden (ticketed)

New for 2026

Two interactive experiences will pop up in Festival Place during the first two weekends:

• The Light Lab & Play Space – an immersive exhibition created with children and families from The Safe, featuring light, art and hands‑on creative activities

• The Studio of New – virtual‑reality fashion design workshops for young creatives (pre‑book via festival@basingstoke.gov.uk)

All VR creations will later appear in an online virtual fashion show.

A message from the council

Cllr Kerry Morrow, Cabinet Member for Sports, Leisure and Culture, said: “This year’s festival is bigger, bolder and more creative than ever. With performances in Basingstoke, Tadley and Bishops Green, there truly is something for everyone. Whether you want to watch, take part or simply enjoy the atmosphere, we hope to see you there.”

Find out more

Full programme details are available at www.BasingstokeFestival.co.uk Follow the festival on social media:

• Facebook: @BasingstokeFestival

• Instagram: @BstokeFestival

Basingstoke Festival 2026 is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and is part of the Without Walls network of outdoor arts organisations.