Coventry Hosts First Windrush Festival: Five Days of Free Events

Coventry is set to host its inaugural Windrush Festival this summer, a five-day series of events dedicated to honouring the legacy of the Windrush Generation. Running from June 18 to June 22, 2026, the festival offers residents a chance to engage with the history, culture, and ongoing contributions of the Caribbean community that helped rebuild the city following the Second World War.

Event Details at a Glance

• Dates: June 18 – June 22, 2026
• Cost: Free admission to all events
• Venues: Various locations including the LBT Showrooms, the Caribbean Centre, Coventry Cathedral, the Council House, and the Albany Theatre
• Audience: Open to the public, with a focus on community engagement across all ages

This city-wide initiative is a collaborative effort between Coventry City Council, the Windrush Community, Septimius Severus Community Action Coventry, Arawak Community Trust, and Coventry University. Supported by £22,500 in government funding, the festival aims to transition from a one-off celebration into an annual fixture in Coventry’s cultural calendar.

Festival Programme Highlights

The festival schedule balances reflection with celebration, featuring a diverse range of activities designed to educate and inspire:

• June 18: The programme opens at the LBT Showrooms with a screening of Barrel Children: The Families Windrush Left Behind, followed by a Q&A session with filmmaker Nadine White.
• June 19: Dr Martin Glynn presents Reggae Theatrics: Dub Poetry, Words, Sound, Power and Resistance, a public lecture hosted at the Caribbean Centre.
• June 20: The city centre comes alive with Roots in Motion, an outdoor festival showcasing music, dance, and the influence of sound system culture.
• June 21: A formal commemorative Windrush Service will be held at Coventry Cathedral, with a specific focus on the experiences of Windrush Men.
• June 22: The festival concludes on Windrush Day with a civic flag-raising ceremony at the Council House, followed by the Windrush Arawaks Awards Ceremony at the Albany Theatre.

Establishing a Lasting Legacy

A cornerstone of this year’s festival is the launch of the Windrush Cultural Archive. This permanent, public-facing collection will be housed at Coventry University, serving as a repository for the photographs, personal stories, and lived experiences of those who arrived from the Caribbean.

Councillor John McNicholas, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Cohesion, emphasised that the festival is about more than just a single week of events. By involving young people in the documentation and production of the programme, organisers hope to embed the history of the Windrush Generation into the city’s identity. The initiative serves as a tribute to the resilience of those who arrived 78 years ago, whose contributions continue to shape Coventry as a multicultural City of Peace and Reconciliation.

Source: Coventry City Council