Godiva in the City will bring a two-day programme of music, culture and family activities to Coventry city centre on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July.
The Coventry City Council-run festival takes place from 12pm to 8pm each day, with activity centred around Millennium Place, Gosford Street Car Park and other city centre locations. Most of the event is free to access, but tickets are required for the dedicated music stages at Millennium Place and Gosford Street Car Park.
Tickets for those stage areas are due to become available from 10am on Tuesday 23 June. The event is aimed at the general public and families, with headline performances, local artists and child-friendly activities all included in the programme.
At a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | Godiva in the City |
| Dates | Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July |
| Times | 12pm to 8pm each day |
| Location | Coventry city centre |
| Main stage areas | Millennium Place and Gosford Street Car Park |
| Cost | Free, with ticketed areas for music stages |
| Tickets | Available from 10am on Tuesday 23 June |
Headliners bring reggae, Two Tone and UK rap to the city centre
The music programme will be led by David Rodigan, The Selecter and Chip, placing national names alongside Coventry-linked performers and emerging local talent.
Rodigan brings a reggae name recognised well beyond the city, while The Selecter connect the weekend directly to Coventry’s Two Tone heritage. Chip adds a UK rap headliner to a bill designed to mix established artists with newer performers.
The weekend will also include local artists and this year’s Godiva Calling winners. Coventry City Council says the event is intended to showcase the city’s grassroots music scene as well as artists and organisations with local connections.
Music performances will take place across the two dedicated stages at Millennium Place and Gosford Street Car Park. These are the ticketed parts of the weekend; the wider programme across the city centre remains freely accessible.
Family activities at the Cathedral Ruins and city centre sites
Away from the music stages, the Cathedral Ruins will become a Secret Garden, with a storybook-style journey, characters, dance, shows and hands-on activities.
Coventry organisations Fabularium, Ego Theatre, Ascension Dance and Highly Sprung are all listed as part of the programme, with each delivering a bespoke performance for the event.
One of the main non-music highlights will be Unity, a large-scale circus spectacle featuring high-wire walking, dance-trapeze and aerial stunts. The performance will be set to a piece from former Poet Laureate John Bernard.
Councillor John McNicholas, Coventry City Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for events, said the weekend would put Coventry talent centre stage while bringing nationally recognised artists into the heart of the city.
How tickets work for the music stages
Tickets are required only for access to the stages at Millennium Place and Gosford Street Car Park. All other areas of Godiva in the City are accessible without tickets.
Each person can book a maximum of six tickets: two adult tickets and four under-18 tickets. All under-18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult, with a maximum of two under-18s per adult.
The council says full ticket details, including restrictions and terms and conditions, are available through the Godiva in the City website. The wider line-up is listed on the Godiva Festival website.
Godiva in the City sits within Coventry’s wider summer events programme, which has already included We Are Back: Live and Windrush Festival. Readers following the city’s summer cultural calendar may also want to compare it with Coventry’s free live music in War Memorial Park and the city’s first Windrush Festival programme.
Tickets for the Millennium Place and Gosford Street Car Park music stages are due to be available from 10am on Tuesday 23 June.
Source: Coventry City Council
Source check Source trail
This preview is based on the published Coventry City Council event notice and keeps ticketing, timing and venue details to the stated information.
- Confirmed the event dates as Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July.
- Confirmed the daily running time as 12pm to 8pm.
- Checked that only the Millennium Place and Gosford Street Car Park music stages are ticket...
- Checked the stated ticket limit of two adult and four under-18 tickets per person.
- Source
- Coventry City Council
- Scope
- Coventry
- Updated
- 2026-06-22 17:55
Source check
Report a trust issue
Send a clear signal to community moderation if the source, facts or context need review.
Comments