Events galore for the year ahead...
2020 is set to be a bumper year of events for Nottinghamshire.
From the return of beloved festival favourites and family-friendly events to a set of brand-new calendar highlights, there’s sure to be something for everyone in 2020, so read on to see Visit Nottinghamshire’s top picks.
Robin Hood Live (previously the Robin Hood Pageant) will take place at Newstead Abbey on April 4-5 after being postponed due to poor weather conditions in 2019. This exciting and immersive event will transport visitors back to medieval Nottingham to meet Robin Hood, the Sheriff of Nottingham and a host of colourful historical characters and experience a range of medieval demonstrations and activities.
The Nottingham Poetry Festival returns for its fifth birthday from May 8-17. The festival will offer a packed schedule with many events across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire that will feature a great range of local and national poets.
The Nottingham Puppet Festival (May 15–June 14) will see local, national and international puppet artists bring their talents to the city, with a medley of free street theatre, shows, workshops and music and plenty more spectacular sights and sounds across a variety of venues.
The Magnificent Spiegeltent will be arriving in Nottingham’s Old Market Square from April 30–May 16 – a beautiful, century-old travelling dance hall hosting a variety of exciting events for all ages.
Since starting in Nottingham in 2005, Dot to Dot Festival has established itself as the UK’s premier festival for unearthing the hottest new talent around, alongside established acts from all over the globe. Previous acts include Mumford and Sons, Florence + The Machine, Ed Sheeran and The xx. This year’s festival takes place on May 24.
Splendour, Nottingham’s largest family friendly festival, returns to Nottingham’s historic Wollaton Park on July 18.
The popular Nottingham Beach will be returning to Old Market Square from July 10 to August 30. This free to visit beach also hosts a number of events, including live music performances and entertainers.
The Riverside Festival is Nottingham’s biggest free festival weekend taking place in August, with three jampacked days of family entertainment including street theatre, live music, steam engines, a fun fair plus street food and drink stalls. This unique and fun festival stretches the banks of the River Trent, with one of the highlights being a spectacular firework display on Saturday evening.
The Robin Hood Festival returns to Sherwood Forest from August 3-9 – a fantastic free festival offering visitors the chance to meet Nottingham’s famous outlaw with plenty of fun activities, all in the stunning forest surroundings.
Visitors can experience the excitement of the Nottingham Carnival at the Victoria Embankment on August 23, with a wealth of colourful costumes in the parade as well as live music, great food and a fun fair to celebrate Nottingham’s Caribbean heritage.
The Festival of Food & Drink returns on September 19-20.
Nottingham’s Goose Fair will return to thrill and delight city residents and visitors at the Forest Recreation Ground on September 30 until October 4.
The Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival returns to Motorpoint Arena for its third year on October 7-10 due to the ongoing renovation project at the castle.
Old Market Square will once again play host to the Halloween festival ‘Old Market Scare’ from October 24-31, with an ever-changing array of spooktacular rides and attractions, horrifying Halloween entertainment and Nottingham’s scariest bar.
Each November Nottingham’s Old Market Square is transformed into Winter Wonderland, the biggest Christmas market in the East Midlands.
With numerous other event announcements coming soon, there’s sure to be plenty of wonderful experiences to be had across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire in 2020. Please visit www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk for the official What’s On guide.