Contents

Music, food and family activities across the riverside
Road closures and bike parking for visitors
Accessibility support at the festival

Leicester’s Riverside Festival returns on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June, bringing two days of free arts, music, performance, family activities, food, boat trips and heritage attractions to the city centre.

The festival is free to attend and no booking is required. Activities will be spread along the River Soar’s Mile Straight, Bede Park, the De Montfort University campus, Castle Street, The Newarke and Castle Gardens. Leicester City Council says traffic restrictions will run from 7am on Saturday until 8pm on Sunday, so visitors are being urged to plan how they get in and around the area.

Detail	Information
Event	Riverside Festival
Dates	Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June
Location	River Soar’s Mile Straight, Bede Park, DMU campus, Castle Street, The Newarke and Castle Gardens
Cost	Free
Booking	No booking required
Best for	General visitors and families
Organiser	Leicester City Council

Music, food and family activities across the riverside

Riverside Festival is billed by the council as Leicester’s largest free festival, with a programme spread across several city-centre locations rather than one single site.

Visitors can expect arts, music and performance, family-friendly activities, funfair rides, boat trips and heritage attractions. Across the festival area there will also be international street food, licensed bars, craft markets and stalls, plus walkabout entertainers.

The main festival footprint follows the River Soar’s Mile Straight and extends through Bede Park, the De Montfort University campus, Castle Street, The Newarke and Castle Gardens. That spread means the event is likely to suit visitors who want to move between music, food, family activities and riverside attractions through the day.

For a wider planning note on the same weekend event, see this Leicester Riverside Festival travel guide.

Road closures and bike parking for visitors

Traffic restrictions will be in place on some roads from 7am on Saturday until 8pm on Sunday to allow the festival to take place.

Roads listed for closure include Western Boulevard, Mill Lane, The Newarke, Castle View, The Gateway, Newarke Close, Grasmere Street and Eastern Boulevard.

People arriving on foot can use the River Soar as a scenic route into the festival area. 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 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 in the immediate area is described as very limited, so drivers are advised to use city centre car parks. For taxi passengers, suggested drop-off points are Western Boulevard, The Gateway or Castle Street, depending on whether visitors want access to Bede Park, the DMU campus or Castle Gardens.

Accessibility support at the festival

Organisers say they are aiming to make Riverside Festival accessible for visitors across the weekend.

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 site, and a Changing Places space is 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, showing 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 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.

Source: Leicester City Council

Source check Source trail

This article is based on Leicester City Council’s event notice and keeps to the published dates, locations, access and travel details.

Checks

Confirmed the event dates as Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June.
Checked that entry is listed as free with no booking required.
Matched the festival locations to the River Soar’s Mile Straight, Bede Park, DMU campus, C...
Used only the published transport, road closure and accessibility details.

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