Freedom Festival 2026: Everything you need to know

With the city's annual Freedom Festival a few days away, Hull is gearing up for five days of celebrations marking freedom, culture, connection and heritage.

It will be held in the city from 3 to 6 September, but free events will also be staged in Grimsby, Goole, Tadcaster and Bridlington between 31 August and 4 September.

This year a family-friendly guide has been created, which lists events such as a quadracycle performance, a puppet show and a circus display which focuses on what the future could look like with artificial intelligence.

Katie Atkins, engagement producer, said: "What makes it so special is that Hull becomes like a giant stage. You can spend a whole weekend wandering through the city and constantly discover something unexpected."

It is a unique celebration of Hull and its people, liberty, art in public spaces and creative expression. The festival was set up in 2007 to acknowledge Hull's historic links with anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce. It is the fourth time that events will be sent out on tour to nearby towns.

This year's theme is peace. The city has been split into three zones; Zone 1 - Ferensway to Queens Gardens, Zone 2 - Old Town and Zone 3 - Fruit Market, where there will be more than 130 events. Atkins said the "vast majority of the programme is free", but some events do require a booking fee or a donation to attend.

Some of the family-friendly activities include:

• Bring Me Sunshine by Bluebeany

• Dream Deliveries: Peace Mail by Hocus Pocus Theatre

• Kismat Walla by Thingumajig Theatre

• RHINOS by Zum-Zum Teatre

• Lilliput by Tombs Creatius

• The World Wanderer by Compagnie With Balls

• Tom, Tom and Tom by RAV ART

• Big Dog Buddy by Wild Giant Arts

• Chess Fest! by Hull & East Riding Chess Association

• Spinsane by Racehorse Company

• RO-TES–រទេះ by Stopgap Dance Company

Some of the events which are heading on tour to nearby towns include:

• People's Park, Grimsby, 31 August, 11:00 to 17:00 BST, featuring Senescence, the World Wanderer, Otempodiz, Lilliput

• West Park, Goole, 1 September, 11:00 to 17:00, featuring Spinsane, Senescence, the World Wanderer, Otempodiz, Lilliput

• The Barn, Tadcaster, 3 September, 11:00 to 17:00, featuring RO-TES, Senescence, Acrobot, Otempodiz, Lilliput

• The Spa, Bridlington, 4 September, 11:00 to 17:00, featuring Spinsane, Acrobot, the World Wanderer, Beyond, Lilliput

Full details of the main festival in Hull, including information about accessibility, can be found on the Freedom Festival website.

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