A free and family friendly summer in the South West
With more daylight hours to fill, we’ve highlighted some of the brilliant activities and events to inspire you to get out and about – better yet, they’re all free!
Read on for a selection of family friendly carnivals, fairs and festivals running June - October, supported by Arts Council England through our National Portfolio funding programme and National Lottery Project Grants.
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JUNE
BEAF Festival
16 – 25 June, Bournemouth
BEAF brings 10 days of exhibitions, performances, workshops and events to Boscombe, including a free family friendly pop-up Arts Pavilion for workshops. BEAF commission and co-create work for a mixture of free and ticketed events, with highlights including exhibitions by artist Harold Offeh and photographer Brendan Barry; and dance circus performance from Joli Vyann.
Winchester Hat Fair - Play to the Crowd
30 June – 1 July, Winchester
The Hat Fair is a family-friendly festival of Street Performance and Outdoor Arts across historic Winchester. Theatre, music, dance and circus performances take place across the city’s landmarks, featuring national and international acts, local talent, schools and community groups. This year’s theme is ‘Shout About It!’.
Saltash Songs & Shanties Festival
18 – 25 June, Cornwall
This local festival celebrates the culture and heritage of Cornwall and the Tamar Valley. The week-long programme presents jazz, folk, classical and pop live music events and workshops in the area’s historic venues, for children, young people and families.
Ports Fest
28 June - 2 July, Portsmouth
Ports Fest is a multi-arts programme that responds to the city’s identity and cultural history. Their mix of free and ticketed events offer a chance to connect with all lives in places and spaces from the everyday to the unusual. Highlights include Ignite The Phoenix, a series of events with local artists including migrant artists, musicians, singers, poets, story tellers street dancers.
JULY
St Pauls Carnival
1 July, Bristol
St Pauls Carnival Day brings Afro Caribbean culture to the streets of Bristol. The fusion of Carnival culture and heritage includes a procession, performers, food, music and dance, suitable for all ages. This year’s theme is ‘Learning From Legends’.
Hi! Street Fest
1 July - 22 September, Various locations across the UK including Gloucester and Gosport
This series of free events offer dance, music and performance, with an aim of encouraging people of all ages to visit and engage with their high streets. Hi!Street Fest will visit a number of locations, including Gloucester on 1 July and Gosport on 22 July, coordinated by Hampshire Culture Trust. Look out for Farrah, a large mechanical puppet of a curious fox, who will be appearing at each location!
Isle of Wight Mardi Gras - New Carnival Company
8-16 July, Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight Mardi Gras is the New Carnival Company’s flagship event. It brings together children, young people and community groups in Ryde for a showcase of creativity and performance. The theme for 2023 is ‘Year of the Coast’, teaming up with The National Children’s Carnival week.
Jungle Book Summer Tour (UK wide) - Jellyfish Theatre
Until 3 September
Thanks to National Lottery players, Jellyfish Theatre is touring two of their family shows to town centres, community spaces, and parks - with free live performances to underserved communities.
Hidden Station - Seed Sedgemoor
Until March 2024
Supported through our Creative People and Places programme, Seed Sedgemoor presents a new augmented reality experience at Bridgwater Station in Somerset! With artworks by artists Jayde Perkin and David McMillan brought to life using accessible technology.
Ventnor Fringe – Ventnor Exchange
21 – 30 July, Isle of Wight
This creative fringe festival features over 100 events from more than 300 artists, taking place in pop-ups and boutique venues. There’s plenty to experience in the free areas (visit the Free Fringe line up on their website), along with ticketed workshops and shows.
The Frome Children’s Festival - Purple Elephant
26 July, Frome
The Children’s Festival is a free community event offering around 40 different activities for children and families to enjoy. The day has all sorts of activities including forest school, storytelling, arts and crafts, music, sports, magic, fun science, theatre, a sensory tent and more! Many of the events are suitable for children with additional needs.
Exmouth Festival
28 - 31 July, Exmouth
Explore film, music, literature, performance and craft at this festival of the arts in Exmouth. This community celebration of the arts runs for four days with a variety of creative experiences and activities to join in various locations across the seaside town.
AUGUST
Bonded - Strike A Light
Saturday 6 August (2.30pm and 4.30pm), Gloucester Park
A free, one-of-a-kind performance in a giant perspex box, by twin sisters telling a story of sisterhood through performance art.
Summer Fun Day – Libraries Unlimited
26 August, 9am - 5pm, Paignton Library
As part of Libraries Unlimited’s ‘Get Creative!’ programme of free activities and events across Devon and Torbay, enjoy a celebration of the Summer Reading Challenge with numerous activities for children.
SEPTEMBER
Whirligig - Culture Weston
8 & 9 September, Weston-Super-Mare
Culture Weston’s flagship event returns to the Italian Gardens and across the town this September. This free programme of outdoor arts will include high-flying subversive thrills, spectacular crowd pleasers, fun family acts and reflective moments and community events including Weston’s very own Climate Carnival.
Inside Out Dorset – Activate Performing Arts
15 – 24 September, Dorset
Inside Out is a 10 day festival of free and ticketed events, installations and performance at various locations in Dorset. Their programme this year includes outdoor aerial dance, interactive street theatre and immersive audio walks, to name a few!
LookUp Portsmouth – Portsmouth Creates
9 & 10 September, Portsmouth
The street art festival in Portsmouth, featuring international and local street artists such as My Dog Sighs, Phlegm, Hera, Gary Stranger and other emerging artists! Enjoy the vibrant outdoor festival with large-sale artworks, free for all.
b-side Festival
7 – 10 September, Isle of Portland, Dorset
This internationally recognised community festival takes over the Isle of Portland for 4 days in September. b-side shares stories about the island’s heritage and environment through a mixture of visual arts, live art, performance and arts education. Keep your eyes on the website for the line up announcement.
