Derby Feste

We’re so excited to announce that Derby Festé is back for 2025! The city’s free outdoor arts festival returns on Saturday 27 September.

This vibrant event is proudly presented by Derby City Council with project grant support from Arts Council England National Lottery funding. Festé is delivered in partnership with FABRIC, the Midlands strategic dance development organisation, with additional support from Derby Museums and QUAD.

After a brief hiatus last year, the festival is back with a bang, promising an exciting and unforgettable experience for all.

Expect the unexpected as the streets burst into life with a spectacular mix of dance, theatre, circus, parkour, and aerial performance. It’s a full-on sensory adventure designed to spark your imagination and stir your soul.

This year’s programme is a tale for our times—celebrating the wonder of nature, confronting the challenges it faces, and exploring how we can come together to create change. From the magical and moving to the bold and hilarious, Derby Festé will once again captivate and delight audiences of all ages.

See it. Feel it. Be part of it. Join artist and cartoonist Scott Walker in a giant street-style doodle art piece, or take a trip to the beach under a giant spinning parasol! Keep an eye out for the mischievous Slinkies as Big Mob rolls through—audience participation optional (but encouraged!).

With plenty of family-friendly performances, many of which are non-verbal, Derby Festé is accessible to deaf audiences and those who don’t use English as a first language.

The festival will feature performances by a host of local artists, including Derby-based Maison Foo and Hubbub Theatre. The city’s cultural partners will also be creating a programme of fringe events, meaning the Festé fun will be going on into the evening!