Leicester’s Riverside Festival returns on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June, bringing the city’s largest free festival back to the River Soar and nearby city-centre sites.
The event is free to attend and no booking is required. It is aimed at the general public and families, with arts, music, performance, family activities, funfair rides, boat trips and heritage attractions across several locations.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | Riverside Festival |
| Dates | Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June |
| End time | Sunday at 8pm |
| Main locations | River Soar’s Mile Straight, Bede Park, De Montfort University campus, Castle Street, The Newarke and Castle Gardens |
| Cost | Free |
| Entry | No booking required |
| Best for | Families, local residents and visitors looking for a free city-centre festival |
A separate Riverside Festival guide also sets out the main venues and family attractions for the weekend.
Music, food and family activities across the riverside
The programme spreads across the River Soar’s Mile Straight and surrounding festival sites, rather than being fixed in one single venue. That means visitors can move between Bede Park, the De Montfort University campus, Castle Street, The Newarke and Castle Gardens during the weekend.
Leicester City Council says the festival will include a broad mix of arts, music and performance, alongside family-friendly activities, funfair rides, boat trips and heritage attractions.
Across the festival area, visitors can expect international street food, licensed bars, craft markets and stalls, plus walkabout entertainers. The layout makes the event a city-centre trail as much as a single festival ground, with activity stretching along the riverside and through nearby streets and open spaces.
Road closures and the best ways to arrive
Traffic restrictions will be in place on some roads from 7am on Saturday until 8pm on Sunday so the festival can operate safely.
Roads listed for closure to traffic include Western Boulevard, Mill Lane, The Newarke, Castle View, The Gateway, Newarke Close, Grasmere Street and Eastern Boulevard.
Visitors walking in can use the scenic route along the River Soar. For those arriving by bike, free secure bike parking will be available at Bede Park, Western Boulevard and the DMU campus. The bike parks will be marked with large Ride Leicester flags.
Anyone arriving by bike can also get free cycle hub membership for the year, which normally costs £10. That membership allows free bike parking at the Town Hall bike park and St Margaret’s cycle hub.
Car parking close to the festival area is expected to be limited, so drivers are advised to use city centre car parks instead. For taxi passengers, suggested drop-off points are Western Boulevard, The Gateway or Castle Street, depending on whether they are heading for Bede Park, the DMU campus or Castle Gardens.
Accessibility support at the festival sites
Organisers say they are committed to making Riverside Festival accessible for visitors.
A calm space will be available throughout the festival at Kimberlin Library on the DMU campus. It will include ear defenders and fidget toys, as well as an accessible toilet.
Other accessible toilets will be available across the festival, and a Changing Places space will be available at Jewry Wall Museum. Selected activities at Castle Gardens will include British Sign Language interpretation.
Local charity Mosaic will offer trips on Sunbeam II, its fully accessible narrowboat, with ramp access. Leicester Wheels for All will be based on The Newarke, showcasing adaptable bikes suitable for all ages and abilities, including wheelchair users.
The group will also run a bike taxi service for anyone needing extra help moving between festival sites. Wayfinders and large print maps will be available around the area, and festival staff in yellow hi-vis jackets will be on hand to help visitors.
Council says Riverside Festival is built for families
Cllr Vi Dempster, Leicester’s assistant city mayor for culture, said: “Riverside Festival is for everyone, and we look forward to welcoming thousands of people to the city centre to enjoy a huge range of music, art and activities.”
She added that the free festival showcases Leicester and is the result of collaboration between organisations and partners.
The festival runs across Leicester city centre on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June, with traffic restrictions in place from 7am Saturday until 8pm Sunday.
Source: Leicester City Council
Source check Source trail
This article is based on Leicester City Council’s published Riverside Festival notice and keeps practical details to the stated dates, locations, access and travel information.
- Confirmed the event dates as Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June.
- Checked the listed festival locations across the River Soar, Bede Park, DMU campus, Castle...
- Matched the travel advice to the stated road restrictions, bike parking and taxi drop-off...
- Kept accessibility details to the calm space, toilets, BSL interpretation, accessible narr...
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- Leicester City Council
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- Leicester
- Updated
- 2026-06-05 02:42
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