About the Festival 

What is it all about?

Peterborough Celebrates Festival is a free-to-attend family-focused festival organised by Nene Park Trust. The event will grow ambitions for art and heritage, celebrate the diversity of Peterborough and bring people together in a safe space.

Where will the Festival be located?

The Festival site will be on an area of Coney Meadow, behind the Visitor Centre area at Ferry Meadows, Peterborough (PE2 5UU).

Is there an entry fee? 

Entry to the Festival is FREE.

The majority of the activities are FREE but there will be a charge for the climbing wall, pay and play water sports activities and fun fair rides. You will also need to pay for food and drink.

What are the timings for the festival? 

Friday 19 May 17.30-20.30  

Saturday 20 May 11.00-20.00 

Sunday 21 May 11.00-16.00 (note: Rise and Shine yoga will be 10-11am)

Are there running times for performances during the festival? 

 A full programme of performances can be viewed on our detailed line up page. 

*Please note: times may be subject to change on the day. 

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What's happening on Friday 19th May?

We are holding a Singing Schools workshop in the afternoon in the Big Top, followed by a performance 4-4.45pm for friends, family and staff of the participating schools. 

Following this will be our public launch of the festival with music, performers and welcome speeches.

At 6.30pm our ticketed sing-along screening of The Greatest Showman will be shown in the Big Top, which will finish by 8.30pm.

Food will be available to purchase on the Festival site throughout the evening. 

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Activities 

What will there be for children to do? 

There will be activities throughout the day including Nene Outdoors climbing wall, children's fun fair rides, art and craft workshops, theatre performances, music and more. On Sunday there will be have-a-go sporting activities and a mass participation activity! Please see the full line up here.  

What will there be for teenagers to do? 

There will be activities throughout the day including Nene Outdoors climbing wall, pay and play water sports activities on Gunwade Lake, art workshops suitable for all ages and theatre and music performances.

What activities will I need to pay for? 

Many of the activities are FREE, but there will be charges for the children's fun fair, Nene Outdoors climbing wall and pay and play water sports activities.   

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Travel and Parking 

How can I get to the festival? 

The Festival site will be on an area of Coney Meadow, behind the Visitor Centre area at Ferry Meadows, Peterborough (PE2 5UU).

We encourage visitors to travel by foot, bike, or bus if possible. 

Bus route from Queensgate in Peterborough city centre: No. 1 – runs throughout the day every 15 minutes on Saturday and every 20 minutes on Sunday. Get off the bus at Orton Wistow and walk 15 minutes to the Festival site. To download a bus timetable, go to: Live Bus Times & Timetables | Stagecoach (stagecoachbus.com) 

Taxis can drop off visitors at the entrance to the Park.

Travel on the Nene Valley Railway from the city centre NVR station to Overton Station in Ferry Meadows throughout Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st May. Tickets cost £2 per person. A train timetable for the weekend is available here

Parking

There will be car parking onsite at Ferry Meadows all weekend. NOTE: Parking charges apply

There will be a designated parking area for blue badge holders near the Visitor Centre in Ferry Meadows. Parking charges apply.

FREE parking will be available at Railworld Wildlife Haven (PE2 9NR) - then travel by shuttle train on the Nene Valley Railway from there to Ferry Meadows on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st May.  A train timetable is available here.

How much will it cost to park? 

Parking charges apply at car parks in Ferry Meadows. Please see our parking page for details.

There will be FREE car parking on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st May at Railworld Wildlife Haven (PE2 9NR). 

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Food and Drink 

What food and drink will be available onsite? 

We will have a range of food and drink available all weekend on the festival site. Lakeside Kitchen & Bar and Ferry Meadows café at Ferry Meadows will be open as usual. There will be a bar serving alcoholic drinks but please drink responsibly. This is a family-focused festival.

Can I bring my own food and drink with me? 

Ferry Meadows is the perfect location for a picnic. Visitors are welcome to bring along a picnic and their own refreshments. 

Can I bring a barbecue? 

Barbecues will not be permitted in the Festival site. Visitors are welcome to bring their own barbecues to Ferry Meadows to set up away from the Festival site, although please note that gas barbecues are not permitted. 

There are a number of permanent barbecue stands around the Park available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please see our BBQs and picnics leaflet for further information. 

Visit our onsite Visitor Centre and Farm Shop to discover our range of picnic items and snacks, catering for families and visitors who wish to extend their visit at the Park. You can even pick up charcoal in store! 

All barbecues brought to the Park must be raised off the ground and never placed on picnic tables or benches; many of our picnic tables feature metal pull-out trays for disposable barbecues. 

All litter must be taken away or placed in the bins provided, and hot ash and disposable barbecues must be sufficiently cooled with water before disposal. 

Should I bring chairs or a rug? 

There will be some seating provided in the central covered area but visitors are encouraged to bring their own chairs and rugs and enjoy the Festival site. If you do bring your own chair for a performance please sit at the edge of the audience area, being mindful not to block the views of people sitting on the ground.  

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Accessibility 

What facilities are available for visitors with access needs?  

Key access highlights are below but for more detailed accessibility information on the Festival, please see the Festival Access Guide. 

• Designated parking for blue badge holders is available at Ferry Meadows main Visitor Centre car park, next to the Festival site. Note: Parking charges apply.
• Accessible toilets and changing facility 
• Members of staff and volunteer team will be on hand to provide assistance and support.  
• Information will be available at the Nene Park Welcome stand or the Visitor Centre. 
• Mobility scooters and All terrain manual wheelchairs are available for hire throughout the festival. 

I am a wheelchair user; can I get around the site? 

The Festival is taking place on Coney Meadow. Whilst the area is reasonably level the grass meadow is a natural landscape which may be uneven in places. All terrain manual wheelchairs can be hired free of charge from Ferry Meadows Visitor Centre. 

Please refer to the Festival map for the location of the event activities, the Ferry Meadows map for more detail of the path network including steep and unsurfaced sections or contact us for more information. 

I am a blue badge holder, where can I park? 

Designated parking for blue badge holders is available at Ferry Meadows main car park, next to the Festival site. Note: Parking charges apply.

Will there be accessible toilets on site? 

Accessible toilets will be available on the Festival site, at Ferry Meadows public toilets, Ferry Meadows Cafe and Lakeside car park. The nearest accessible changing room, with hoist and height adjustable changing bench is at Nene Outdoors Watersports and Activity Centre at Lakeside. Users are required to provide their own slings. Nene Outdoors is approximately 1.1km from the festival site using the footpaths, however an alternative car park is adjacent to the building. The facility is available during the centre's opening hours which are 11:00-17:00 on Friday, 10:00-17:00 on Saturday and 11:00-17:00 on Sunday. For more information on using this facility, please get in touch with the Nene Outdoors team on 01733 234193. 

Please refer to the Festival map and the Ferry Meadows map for details of the locations, routes and distances between the facilities.  

For a more detailed Access Guide to Peterborough Celebrates Festival, please go to Festival Access Guide. 

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Health and Safety

First Aid 

First Aid is being provided by AMS UK (Event Medics and Training); the first aid point is located next to the stage. Please contact a member of staff for assistance. In case of an emergency dial 999. 

Lost Children or Vulnerable Adults 

Nene Park Trust has a safeguarding policy in place which all festival partners are required to follow.  If you have concerns regarding a lost child or Vulnerable Adult while at the Festival, please contact a member of festival staff at the Welcome tent or the Visitor Centre, Gift and Farm Shop. 

Key dos and don'ts

• No smoking in Festival marquees/gazebos/Big Top
• No glass permitted on the Festival site
• Keep dogs on leads at all times
• Please drink responsibly
• Respect other festival visitors - Peterborough Celebrates Festival is for all.

Baby Changing  

Baby changing facilities are available on the Festival site and also at Ferry Meadows public toilets, Ferry Meadows Cafe and Lakeside car park. 

Dogs 

Dogs are very welcome to the Festival, but must be kept on a lead on the Festival site at all times. Whilst assistance dogs are welcome throughout the Festival site other dogs may not be permitted in some of the indoor performance areas.   

Dog drinking bowls are provided outside the Visitor Centre, Ferry Meadows Café and Lakeside Kitchen & Bar. 

Our Park Code contains some useful information on bringing dogs to Nene Park. 

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Sustainability  

We aim to make Peterborough Celebrates Festival as green and sustainable as possible: 

• We encourage visitors to arrive on foot, bike or by bus if possible and we are supporting and promoting sustainable travel options with our Park and Ride option detailed above 
• We are committed to minimising the use of single-use plastics at the Festival. Our drinking cups are washable and reusable. Please pay a deposit for your cup when you buy a drink which you can claim back when you return your cup.  
• We will work across all aspects of the festival’s activities to limit our carbon footprint; monitoring the environmental impact of the festival, offsetting carbon and making sustainable choices wherever possible. 
• Please dispose of your litter responsibly, recycling where you can in the bins provided.

Filming and Photography 

There will be professional photographers and drone operators at the Festival taking photos and videos of the Festival activities for publicity purposes. Please be assured that you or your children’s photos will not be taken unless you give consent. 

If you would like to share your own photos of the Festival over the weekend on social media, please use the hashtag #PeterboroughCelebratesFestival and tag in @PboroCelFest (Twitter), @PeterboroughCelebratesFestival (Facebook) and @pborocelebratesfest (Instagram). Thank you.