Encounter Festival in Preston
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
This September, Preston City Centre will be transformed for Encounter Festival, a free 2-day festival packed with inspirational, top-notch arts and culture. Expect a joyous weekend loaded with outdoor performances, live music, hands-on family events, and of course, Preston’s signature Torchlight Procession and firework display.
Since its inception in 2015, Encounter Festival has become a cornerstone in Preston’s cultural calendar. With an emphasis on local talent and community involvement, the 2024 edition of Encounter Festival is as bright and eclectic as ever. Offering intimate experiences alongside large-scale spectacles, we love that the festival connects local communities with world-class art and performances.
The 2024 edition of Encounter sees two brand-new commissions for the people of Preston. The award-winning Lancashire-based theatre company, imitating the dog present Ribble of Dreams, a magical trail of lights and stories dotted throughout the city’s shop windows. And youth-led charity Blaze Arts bring Same but Different, an accessible silent disco set to intrigue and delight.
On Saturday night, the fabulous Torchlight Procession and Firework Finale will take centre stage and illuminate Preston’s streets. See the city burst to life with music and dancing when almost 500 professional artists, performers and community participants create a spectacle of light and celebration in the city centre.
There’s so much happening across the whole weekend. Try your luck at Wild Rumpus’ Giant Marble Run, strut your stuff at Ghetto Fabulous’ Family Catwalk Extravaganza or take part in a Bollywood Dance Workshop. There’s a myriad of outdoor performance, live music and family-friendly events taking place too. Our top performance picks include WILD, the daring dance-circus production from Motionhouse; Raggle Taggle Arts’ Betty Brown Bags, an interactive musical folk play for all ages and street-theatre sensation, The Invisible Man.
With shows and interactive workshops taking place across the Bus Station and the Flag Market on Saturday, and Winckley Square on Sunday, there’s lots for all ages to get involved in. Do check out the full programme.
Whether you choose to plan carefully or simply stumble across intriguing and out-of-the-ordinary happenings, Encounter Festival is a brilliant outdoor autumn adventure.
