Leicester’s Riverside Festival returns this weekend as the city’s largest free festival, with arts, music, performance, family activities, funfair rides, boat trips and heritage attractions spread across the city centre.
The festival takes place on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June. Entry is free and no booking is required. A start time was not listed in the source information, but traffic restrictions linked to the event will run from 7am on Saturday until 8pm on Sunday.
The main festival area covers River Soar’s Mile Straight, Bede Park, the De Montfort University campus, Castle Street, The Newarke and Castle Gardens. It is aimed at the general public and families, with food, markets and accessibility support planned across the sites.
Readers planning a wider weekend can also compare details with our earlier guide to free Riverside Festival activities in Leicester.
Riverside Festival dates, venues and cost
| Detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Event | Riverside Festival |
| Dates | Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June |
| Location | River Soar’s Mile Straight, Bede Park, De Montfort University campus, Castle Street, The Newarke and Castle Gardens |
| Cost | Free |
| Booking | No booking required |
| Best for | Families, festival visitors and the general public |
The festival layout means visitors should expect to move between several nearby areas rather than arrive at one single entrance. Activities will be set along the River Soar and through nearby city centre spaces, so walking routes and access points will matter, especially for families, cyclists and anyone using accessible facilities.
Leicester City Council says the weekend programme includes a large mix of arts, music and performance, alongside family-friendly activities, funfair rides, boat trips and heritage attractions.
Food, music, markets and family activities
Across the festival locations, visitors can expect international street food, licensed bars, craft markets and stalls. Walkabout entertainers will also be part of the weekend programme.
The festival is designed around a spread-out city centre route, with activity around Bede Park, the DMU campus, Castle Street, The Newarke and Castle Gardens. That gives the event a different feel from a single-stage park festival: visitors can build a route around food, music and family activities, markets, heritage stops and riverside walking.
Boat trips are also part of the offer. Local charity Mosaic will run trips on Sunbeam II, described by organisers as a fully accessible narrowboat with ramp access.
Leicester Wheels for All will be based on The Newarke, showcasing adaptable bikes for all ages and abilities, including wheelchair users. The group will also run a bike taxi service for visitors who need extra help getting around the festival sites.
Roads, cycling and taxi drop-off points
Traffic restrictions will be in place from 7am on Saturday until 8pm on Sunday so the festival can operate safely.
Roads due to be closed to traffic include Western Boulevard, Mill Lane, The Newarke, Castle View, The Gateway, Newarke Close, Grasmere Street and Eastern Boulevard.
Walkers can use a scenic route along the River Soar to reach the festival. For cyclists, free secure bike parking will be available at Bede Park, Western Boulevard and the DMU campus. Visitors should look for the large Ride Leicester flags.
Anyone arriving by bike can also get free cycle hub membership for the whole year, usually priced at £10. That allows free bike parking at the Town Hall bike park and St Margaret’s cycle hub.
Parking in the immediate area is expected to be very limited, so drivers are advised to use city centre car parks. For taxis, suggested drop-off points are Western Boulevard for Bede Park, The Gateway for the DMU campus and Castle Street for Castle Gardens.
Accessibility support across the festival
Organisers say Riverside Festival is being planned to be as accessible as possible for visitors.
A calm space will be available throughout the festival at Kimberlin Library on the DMU campus. It will include ear defenders, fidget toys and an accessible toilet.
Other accessible toilets will be available across the festival area, and a Changing Places space is available at Jewry Wall Museum. Selected activities at Castle Gardens will include British Sign Language interpretation.
Wayfinders and large print maps will be available around the site. Festival staff in yellow hi-vis jackets will also be present to help visitors find their way.
Cllr Vi Dempster, Leicester’s assistant city mayor for culture, said Riverside Festival is “for everyone” and that the city looks forward to welcoming thousands of people for music, art and activities.
The key planning detail remains simple: arrive expecting road closures, limited nearby parking and a festival spread across several riverside and city centre locations from Saturday 6 June to Sunday 7 June.
Source: Leicester City Council
Source check Source trail
This preview is based on the published Leicester City Council notice and keeps timings, access details and travel advice to confirmed information.
- Confirmed the event dates as Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June.
- Checked that entry is free and no booking requirement was listed.
- Matched the listed festival areas to River Soar’s Mile Straight, Bede Park, DMU campus, Ca...
- Kept transport and accessibility details limited to the council notice.
- Source
- Leicester City Council
- Scope
- Leicester
- Updated
- 2026-06-05 02:50
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