Warrington Arts Festival

A host of vibrant, accessible, community-focused events set to take place over nine days.

The summer festival, hosted by Culture Warrington, will see an ambitious series of performances and installations coming to a variety of venues and pop-up spaces.

Highlights include a Family Garden Party at Queens Gardens packed with live music, performances and hands-on activities over two days, including Everywhere’s A Beach, a circus theatre show that takes place on a revolving parasol, magical entertainment within a giant golden ‘Birdcage Stage’ and the chance to meet the stilt-walking Birds of Paradise.

Elsewhere, Gorilla Circus’s largescale aerial spectacular Unity is swooping into Bank Park, featuring wire walking, dance trapeze, hair hanging and hydraulics.

An Edinburgh Fringe Festival prize-winner is even coming to Warrington – No Dragon, No Lion by Hong Kong’s TS Crew will combine classical lion dance and Chinese opera with pulse pounding beats and the dynamic athleticism of martial arts and parkour.

For young audiences, there is Move Manchester’s Lilo Lost It – a dance performance exploring identity and acceptance, or for more chilled out vibes head to Golden Square’s Sky Garden, grab a beanbag, lie back and watch the sky as Gobbledegook Theatre present Cloudscapes.

A host of Warrington creatives will also be unveiling new work after receiving funding and support as part of the festival’s development.

Artist Leanne Van will create colourful mural portraits inspired by Warrington’s communities, Amy Nic will develop her work-in-progress The Business of Love in collaboration with women from the area, and Hayley Reid will bring history to life with an imaginative programme of activity dedicated to Warrington’s Old Billy – the longest living horse on record.