August bank holiday 2022: big UK events, festivals, carnivals

Notting Hill Carnival returns from 27-29 August

(Image credit: Stephen Chung/Alamy Live News)

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1. International Beatleweek
2. Creamfields North
3. Gone Wild Festival
4. Lost Village
5. All Points East
6. 10th Rye International Jazz & Blues Festival
7. Great Dorset Steam Fair
8. White Cliffs Walking Festival
9. Hereford River Carnival
10. Wannasee Festival Penrith
11. The Classic at Silverstone
12. Telford Balloon Fiesta
13. Reading and Leeds Festivals
14. The Big Feastival
15. Victorious Festival
16. Manchester Pride
17. Greenwich+Docklands International Festival
18. Kynren – An Epic Tale of England
19. African and Caribbean Food Festival
20. Pride Cymru
21. Sandwell and Birmingham Mela
22. Hereford Indie Food
23. Notting Hill Carnival
24. Royal Armouries Museum jousting tournament
25. Geronimo Festival
26. Malton Food Lovers Festival
27. Ryde Carnival, Isle of Wight
28. The Closing Concert at Edinburgh International Festival
29. Fork to Fork Food and Drink Festival
30. Harvest Seasonal Market at Raby Castle
31. Leeds West Indian Carnival
32. David Walliams Awful Auntie Outdoor Theatre

By The Week Staff

published 23 August 2022

1. International Beatleweek

24-30 August: Liverpool

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Nature Valley Gone Wild returns to Powderham Castle in Devon. Created in partnership with Bear Grylls, the festival offers live music from The Script, All Saints and Sophie Ellis-Bextor and talks from famous explorers such as Ranulph Fiennes. Exciting outdoor activities include an obstacle course, stand-up paddle boarding and bushcraft skill workshops. The festival raises money for RMA – The Royal Marines Charity, proudly supporting serving and former Royal Marines and their families.

Held in a beautiful forest, set amongst the Lincolnshire countryside, Lost Village is a four-day festival featuring music, food, wellness, comedy and adventure. Musical highlights include artists such as Bonobo, Jamie XX, Tom Misch, Kojey Radical, Horse Meat Disco, Honey Dijon, Daphni, Jayda G and many more. As well as the musical offering, there will also be a big foodie focus at Lost Village. Fine dining experiences within the woods will be offered by KOL, Da Terra and Roberta Hall. Chefs such as Melissa Hemsley and Tim Siadatan (Padella and Trullo) will serve up forest banquets and there’s also a Hawksmoor Sunday Feast.

With a stellar line-up featuring jazz and blues artists from around the world, this year the Rye International Jazz Festival celebrates its tenth anniversary. Artists such as Curtis Stigers, Stanley Jordan, Imelda May and the Roberto Fonseca Trio will grace the stages at venues around the town, and there will also be a host of free music and fringe events taking place. A variety of ticketed and non-ticketed events are on offer throughout the weekend.

The Great Dorset Steam Fair is said to be the world’s largest heritage event showcasing Britain’s industrial, agricultural and leisure history. Catch a glimpse of age-old steaming giants being put through their paces, watch authentic Victorian variety shows, admire the fabulous showman’s steam engine line-up and explore the largest travelling fairground of its type in the UK, where many of the rides are powered by show-stopping steam engines.

Explore the historical treasures of towns and villages in Kent over the bank holiday weekend. There’s a variety of walks to suit interests and abilities, from a gentle countryside stroll with an ice cream pit stop to an informative walk taking in the history and archaeology of Dover. Most of the walks are free to join, but booking is essential to ensure there are no more than 40 people per walk.

Hereford River Carnival has grown to become Herefordshire’s biggest community event – and it remains entirely free for the public. The event typically attracts 20,000 people to sing, dance, make masks and carnival costumes, eat great local food and have fun on the Wye. This year’s theme is Make Waves with the aim to bring the seaside to Hereford through music, dance, sport, arts, crafts and old-fashioned games.

Silverstone is all set to see the summer out in sensational style with The Classic – a massive fun-fuelled festival combining the very best of historic motor sport with a jam-packed feast of activities for the whole family. Major attractions include a display of cars from the latest James Bond blockbuster No Time To Die and all seven of Lewis Hamilton’s world championship-winning Formula 1 cars.

The balloon fiesta returns to Telford Town Park and QE11 Arena for three days of free fun. Celebrations kick off on Friday with a warm-up evening featuring live music. Saturday brings more live music and entertainment as well as the popular Night Glow, and Sunday offers a day of family entertainment and have-a-go activities including crafts and circus performances. People all over Telford and further afield will be able to see hot air balloons travelling around the county throughout the weekend.

Victorious Festival returns to Southsea seafront this summer with a phenomenal line up of acts. Stereophonics, James and afternoon special guests Primal Scream headline on Friday, while on the Saturday it’s Paolo Nutini, Bastille, The Wombats, Declan McKenna, and afternoon special guests Sugababes. Sam Fender, Anne-Marie, Nothing But Thieves, Suede, and special guests The Libertines play on the Sunday.

Join a loud and proud celebration of LGBTQ+ people, culture and expression at Manchester Pride. There will be a variety of events – some free and some ticketed. Choose from the lively outdoor Gay Village Party, family-friendly festivities centred around fun, wellness and learning and a candlelit vigil to honour those who have been lost to HIV and AIDs. The highlight of the weekend is The Parade, a colourful procession of thousands of people marching together for equality.

GDIF is London’s free theatre and performing arts festival that tells compelling stories in spectacular style. This year’s highlights include Charon, a monumental 32ft high rotating zoetrope originally from the world-renowned Burning Man festival; a tidal wave of multi-coloured foam at Greenwich Peninsula; and a Royal Ballet collaboration with disabled dancer Joe Powell-Main. The programme will include a total of 25 premieres by a record number of international artists.

In the heart of Hereford city, Indie Food is an indulgent weekend to close summer. The event brings street food, creative cocktails and local ciders with chilled music by day and world-class DJs by night. Add in stalls with local crafts people (such as knife makers, ceramicists) and producers (cheese, bread, coffee) in this cool corner of the city and you have all the ingredients for a great weekend. Tickets cost £18.

One of the world’s biggest celebrations, Notting Hill Carnival returns to the streets of west London for the first time since 2019. For two years, festivities have been strictly virtual, but now it’s time to be back on the road to see the colourful world of Mas, Soca, Calypso, sound systems and so much more in splendid real life. During “Carnival”, as it’s known by locals, the streets of Notting Hill come alive with music, outrageous floats and jaw-dropping costumes.

The Royal Armouries Museum will bring live-action jousting to the heart of Yorkshire. The museum’s impressive jousting arena in Leeds will resound to the cheers of crowds and the clash of lances on armour, as knights battle it out in an authentic Elizabethan-themed tournament. The twice-daily shows will feature knights and horses, plus plenty of pomp and pageantry fit for Queen Elizabeth I herself, who will be in attendance with her courtiers when our brave knights do battle for trophies and honours. Tickets priced from £5 to £20.

The UK’s oldest carnival, dating back to 1887, Ryde Carnival is an all-inclusive and joyous parade of colour and light marking the end of summer. Three parades will take place across the week, with the main carnival on 1 September, the illuminated carnival on 3 September and a children’s carnival day on 27 August, which will include various activities and culminate in a children’s parade along Ryde’s high street.

Raby is without doubt one of the most impressive intact castles in the north of England. Built in the 14th century by the Nevill family, it has a long history and makes for a wonderful day out in the Durham Dales. Over the August bank holiday, the castle is hosting its popular Harvest Seasonal Market. This is a free event with a range of local suppliers including food, drinks, jewellery, ceramics and homeware.

Awful Auntie by David Walliams, adapted for the outdoor stage by Heartbreak Productions, is a truly thrilling tale. Owls, ghosts, chases, escapes, motorcycle rides and tiddlywinks all fill Stella’s days as she evades her menacing aunt and saves the family home. Make sure to bring a blanket or chair to sit on, weather-appropriate gear, and a picnic, as the tale could take some time to tell, and storytelling can be hungry work! Tickets cost £13 per person.

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