Vibrant and diverse music, art, food and family entertainment promised over August Bank Holiday weekend in Newark Festival’s new format

A vibrant and diverse spread of music, art, food and family entertainment is promised to fill the streets and venues of Newark over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

This year’s Newark Festival kicks off on Friday, August 26, with a family-focused day of free events including a main stage in the market place featuring the best young performers from across the county.

Fairground games, circus skills, street performers, interactive workshops and samba parades will also be included in the programme ensuring a fun day out for all the family.

The Saturday sees a free entry multi genre music festival over ten stages in venues such as The Navigation, The Duck and The Organ Grinder with street art, food, and entertainment galore throughout the town.

On the Sunday evening enjoy an intimate concert featuring the fabulous vocal harmony group The Overtones in the spectacular setting of Newark Castle grounds.

Monday, also in the castle grounds, sees more free family entertainment alongside the annual Brass Explosion concert with Pleasley Colliery Welfare Band, Newstead Brass, Newark Town Band and Newark & Sherwood Concert Band taking over the stage.

The evening will conclude with a spectacular fireworks finale.

Newark Festival returns in an entirely different format to previous years, which have seen concerts by the likes of Madness, Scouting for Girls and Human League and McFly perform at the Riverside Park.

The weekend is a collaboration between Newark Town Council, The Liz Hobbs Group and The Hustle Collective and has also been part-commissioned as an initiative of the Cultural Heart of Newark project, which is aimed at increasing footfall, dwell time and retail spend in the town.

The Cultural Heart of Newark, the longevity of the town centre, being one of the nine priorities identified by the Newark Town Funds Board in a successful £25m bid to government under the Towns Fund.

The full programme will be released at the start of August via www.newarkfestival.co.uk

If you would like to get involved in the festival as a performer, business, volunteer, or you would like further information, contact [email protected]

Tickets are on sale now. To purchase tickets for The Overtones performing at the Newark Castle head over to www.ticketmaster.co.uk or pick them up from selected town shops.

Accessible tickets are also available directly from Ticketmaster.