What’s on

‍Midsummer Festival returns for its third year on Sunday 21 June, bringing a day of free, high-quality entertainment for all ages to the heart of Milton Keynes. Set along Midsummer Boulevard, this magical celebration of the summer solstice is packed with joyful, creative and memorable experiences – the perfect way to spend Father’s Day together.

Expect a jam-packed programme of performances, installations, workshops and activities, designed to delight children, families and curious minds alike.

Free entry | Family-friendly | 10am–8pm

Free face-painting throughout the day!

Explore this year’s festival

Spectacle & Performance

Interactive Art & Installations

Stories, Folklore & Imagination

Get Hands-On

What’s on

Following the success of its first Midsummer Festival last year, Milton Keynes City Council is holding its second family-friendly free Midsummer Festival.
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On Sunday 22 June from 10am–10.30pm, Midsummer Boulevard East will be transformed into Festival central for a free event inspired by midsummer themes of fantasy, folklore and fairy tales.
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Music, street theatre, and summer solstice-inspired art will take place alongside free making workshops. Fantastic pop-up street food curated by Sophie etc will be available throughout the day and into the evening. Find out more

Explore this year’s festival

Spectacle & Performance

Interactive Art & Installations

Stories, Folklore & Imagination

Get Hands-On

FAQs

Any questions?
Smiling person wearing colorful fabric strips and holding blue fans at a festive outdoor event.
A web of coloured string with two children playing in it.

Handmade Productions

A web of coloured string with two children playing in it.

The Wandering Oracles

Two people in large white rabbit costumes walk with a child and adults on a wooded path.

Moon Hares by Alice Boland-Rhodes

Colorful maypole with red, purple ribbons and three yellow baskets with green and red streamers.

The Wound and Woven Maypole – Jenny Steele

SPECTACLE & PERFORMANCE

Midsummer Boulevard | From 10am–7pm

This year we welcome acclaimed creative company Handmade Productions, whose magnificent larger-than-life puppets will parade through the city in two spectacular processions – combining dance, music and masterful puppetry to mark the longest day of the year. Look out too for returning favourites and roaming characters bringing mischief and magic throughout the day, including The Wandering Oracles and the playful Moon Hares.

‍The Mud Plant Rave by Institute of Thrifty Ideas
‍A joyful, immersive performance inviting audiences to reconnect with nature through movement, ritual, music and shared experience.

A web of coloured string with two children playing in it.

CANOPY by Lorna Rees Company

A pile of colorful tarot cards featuring various suits and the Ace of Pentacles card on top.

The Oracle of Milton Keynes by Aminah Alhamdu

Group wearing headphones dancing outdoors with colorful costumes and natural props in a forest setting.

The Mud Plant Rave – Institute of Thrifty Ideas

Colorful maypole with red, purple ribbons and three yellow baskets with green and red streamers.

The Wound and Woven Maypole – Jenny Steele

Two hands using small gardening tools to dig soil in a marked rectangular plot outdoors.

Time Team Milton Keynes by Mark Wyman & Suzy Round

Two people outdoors, one pouring water from a pottery jug into the hands of the other.

A Space to Rest by Lesley Asare & Katie Fields

People outdoors at a table crafting with yarn and circular wooden tools on a sunny day.

Clayground Collective

INTERACTIVE ART & INSTALLATIONS

Midsummer Boulevard | From 10am–7pm

CANOPY by Lorna Rees Company
Step into an enchanting sound world exploring our connection with trees. Wander between 24 suspended sonic pods filled with music, stories and ideas gathered from over 500 contributors. Collect a trail sheet, explore at your own pace, and share your own thoughts with the CANOPY Caretaker.

The Oracle of Milton Keynes by Aminah Alhamdu.
Help create a unique, collaborative oracle card deck inspired by the city – a playful, creative take on myth-making and fortune-telling.

The Wound and Woven Maypole by Jenny Steele
‍A vibrant, interactive sculpture at the heart of the festival. Help create this evolving artwork through weaving and tassel making across the day.

Time Team Milton Keynes by Mark Wyman & Suzy Round
‍Join a playful ‘archaeological dig’ uncovering the imagined hidden history of Milton Keynes beneath your feet.

A Space to Rest by Lesley Asare & Katie Fields
‍Pause and recharge in a calm, multi-sensory environment, surrounded by plants grown and foraged by local communities.

Clayground Collective invites you to explore a mythological ‘underworld’ of Milton Keynes through clay – a chance for all ages to get creative and make something by hand.

Person reading from a paper to a group standing on a forest path surrounded by green leafy trees.

House of Stories curated by MK Literary Festival

Three detailed faerie marionette puppets posed outdoors with a stone building and trees behind.

The Five Fae on the Longest Day by Alice Boland Rhodes

Stories, Folklore & Imagination

The Pavilion of the Hopeful Sun | From 10am–7pm

House of Stories, curated by MK Literary Festival. Enjoy family storytelling, readings and open mic sessions, plus appearances from special guests including Steph Lay, Terrie Howie and Owen Stanton exploring folklore, history and identity.

The Five Fae on the Longest Day by Alice Boland Rhodes. A charming marionette puppet show for children and families, where five woodland fae must save their Midsummer celebration – whimsical storytelling for all ages.

Group of people crafting with yarn, sticks, and sunflowers at a light-filled workshop table.

Flower crown making with Branch-out MK

Four corn dollies made from braided wheat tied with colored ribbons on a yellow tablecloth.

Corn dolly workshops with Milton Keynes Arts Centre

Children engaged in arts and crafts with colorful strings and face paint at a lively workshop.

Positive Affirmation Badges led by MK Gallery. Artwork by Our Studio member Frankie.

Get Hands-On

Workshop Tent | From 10am–6.30pm
Flower crown making with Branch-out MK

More information coming soon

Corn dolly workshops with Milton Keynes Arts Centre

More information coming soon

Positive Affirmation Badges with MK Gallery

Join Sarah Hunt and young artists from MK Gallery’s inclusive Our Studio programme for an afternoon of positive affirmations! Design your own badges and craft your own flags, celebrating all things Midsummer and wonder of you.

White triangle pointing upward overlapping a large yellow circle on a black background.
‘The Orbitza’ is a co-commission with Croydon Council
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With thanks to Destination Milton Keynes, My Milton Keynes and MK Gallery for promotional support.