First festival acts annouced

Programme taking shape as exciting first acts announced for Peterborough Celebrates Festival 2026

Planning is well underway for Peterborough Celebrates Festival, the region’s biggest free, family-friendly community festival at Ferry Meadows, with the first wave of performances now confirmed. 

Highlights across the weekend of 16–17 May 2026 include acrobats, a professional ballet dancer challenging gender stereotypes, giant slinky walkabouts, a feel-good singalong covers band, a disco DJ set and an interactive Robin Hood trail. 

We are pleased to welcome acclaimed acrobatic troupe The Black Eagles, who will showcase their gravity-defying balance and skills; Kadeem EnPoint, a professional male ballet dancer bringing a powerful and contemporary take on classical ballet; DJ Eddie Nash with a disco set to get audiences dancing; and local band The Guards, who will close Saturday evening with a set of crowd-pleasing indie covers. 

The festival’s storytelling theme will weave through the weekend with different authors reading, talking about their books and holding engaging events. Local author Ellie Sandall will run a children’s workshop on mythical creatures and Raw Theatre Productions will introduce a Robin Hood themed interactive family show and trail on the Sunday afternoon. The Festival will come to a close at 4pm on Sunday with the ever-popular Holi ceremony, which has become a colourful festival favourite over the last couple of years.

Community dance groups, local choirs and talented musicians from across the area will add even more variety to the programme, with many familiar favourites returning to the stage. 

The bar tent will be hosted by Blind Tiger Tap Room and Kitchen, who will also be programming a line-up of local musicians across the weekend. Inspire Education will present a creative programme of student-led workshops and performances, while the Nene Park Trust Your Community Greenspace Project will deliver storytelling, drag performances, author talks and hands-on creative workshops throughout the festival. 

Alongside the music, drama and dance performances, the festival will also offer a wide range of activities to take part in throughout the weekend. From arts and crafts, sport and adventure, to local organisations showcasing the work they do across the city, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. The full line-up will be announced soon.

Schools, community groups, care homes and individuals from across the city are busy writing and drawing their ‘Page in Peterborough’s Story’, this year’s Community Art Project, which will come together as an eye-catching display on the festival site. There’s still time to get involved, whether individually or as part of a group, just contact festivals@neneparktrust.org.uk to find out more. 

This year’s festival is all about celebrating the many communities in Peterborough and hearing their story. If you would like to get involved further by having a stall to talk about what you do, performing, sponsoring or volunteering at the event, the festival team at Nene Park Trust would love to hear from you. 

Steph Peachey, Head of Visitor Engagement at Nene Park Trust, said:

“We are really excited to share our first confirmed performers, with more announcements to come as we finalise the programme. With just over six weeks to go, we can’t wait to bring Peterborough together at Ferry Meadows to celebrate our city, our communities and our collective story.”