Here’s our pick of the best events coming next month across the destinations and attractions we work with. Most events require booking in advance. As ever, please check individual websites for the latest updates.
HULL
Hull Minster Beer Festival
13 – 14 Aug 2021
Tickets: £5
https://bit.ly/2U8xtyo
For a heavenly treat, Hull Minster will once again play host to a major beer festival, when local breweries join with musical talent and food vendors to showcase Hull’s thriving beer and music scenes. The Hull Minster Beer Festival will go ahead 13 – 14 Aug after the annual real ale and cider fixture at the venue was called off because of coronavirus. Featuring local brewing favourites Atom Beers, Bone Machine and Great Newsome, among others, there will also be entertainment from a host of local bands and artists, and food provided by vendors from the neighbouring historic Trinity Market. Organisers Vittles & Company, a micro-brewery, bar and bottle shop based in Trinity Market, aims to make the festival a celebration of all the great local beer, food and music that people have missed out on during the past year. Hull Minster is at the heart of the historic Old Town and has been a part of the city’s footprint since the late 13th century, and renowned for its carved oak pews, stone pillars and ornate roof. It stands in Trinity Square, a sandstone paved public space with water features that form reflective pools.
Pride In Our City
Ferens Art Gallery
14 Aug – 30 Sep 2021
Free
https://bit.ly/2URdxzW
Ferens Art Gallery will host a new exhibition this summer celebrating Hull’s LGBTQ+ history and documenting people’s experiences of being part of LGBTQ+ communities in the city. The exhibition will build upon an online exhibition that launched during lockdown and is still available to view on the Humber Museums Partnership website. Pride in Our City is an ongoing project which aims to actively increase LGBTQ+ inclusion and representation across all of Hull Museums and the Ferens Art Gallery. The long-term project will be developed authentically with local communities with the view to offering new experiences and perspectives, and to encourage discussion and self-expression. People can keep updated on the project by listening to Pride in Our City – The Podcast. Host Dan Vo will be chatting with project curators, artists, and community members about their involvement in the exhibition. The podcast goes behind the scenes and will reveal some exciting updates about the upcoming exhibition.
Freedom Festival
City wide
20 Aug – 5 Sep 2021
www.freedomfestival.co.uk
Hull’s flagship cultural event, the Freedom Festival, will return to the city’s streets this summer with an extended 16-day programme. After going virtual in 2020, Hull will come alive with events and shows for the whole family, weaving together theatre, music, and dance – plus a chance to see a giant Earth surrounded by trees, all under the roof of Hull Minster. Back for its 14th year, this year’s Freedom Festival will run from Friday 20 August until Sunday 5 September and take place in galleries, museums, theatres, empty shops, and public spaces across the city. While the full line-up is yet to be revealed, organisers are promising a full programme of music, performance, visual arts, and talks, including special commissions and events. And among highlights already announced is the return of international artist, Luke Jerram, who was at Freedom Festival with the hugely popular Museum of the Moon in 2018. This year he is back with another of his acclaimed installations, GAIA, a stunning replica of the planet, created using 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface. Showcasing at Hull Minster, GAIA will be surrounded by trees (thanks to The Woodland Trust) and have a bespoke soundscape. During the Festival there will be a series of special events underneath GAIA including an especially commissioned performance by The Broken Orchestra, and a project based around climate change in association with a local school.
EAST YORKSHIRE
Live On The Lawn
Burton Constable Hall
From 13th August 2021
Various ticket prices
https://bit.ly/2USzteg
Home to the Constable family for over 700 years. Burton Constable is one of the most fascinating English country houses to survive complete with its historic collections.This summer, get ready for a relentless series of summer shows live from its North Garden! Prepare yourself for pantomime, comedy, music and more as the outdoor production brings back some favourites as well as a range of exciting new acts and performances. Among highlights is following Alice down the rabbit hole and entering a world of pure imagination in Alice in Wonderland, and enjoying an adventure to Neverland with the Lost Boys & the infamous Captain James Hook with Peter Pan plus ‘How to Draw Stuff with Calvin Innes’ featuring live and interactive cartoon creations. And not forgetting mayhem and madness in this not-so-traditional telling of the Teddy Bear’s Picnic in ‘Jeddy Bear & Gary’s Picnic’.
Tribfest 2021
Sledmere House
20 – 22 Aug 2021
From £60
www.tribfest.co.uk
Tribfest bills itself as the summer’s biggest tribute band music festival in the world! Now in its 14th year, Tribfest aims to give families an affordable, fantastic, fun weekend away. Held in the surroundings of Sledmere House – East Yorkshire’s finest country house that has captivated visitors for over 200 years – it features music and comedy across six stages. With the world’s best tribute bands, Tribfest is the ultimate fantasy festival line-up, chosen to cover a wide range of genres and age groups. As well as entertainment, there is a range of retail and catering outlets across the site, too.
Sing-along outdoor cinema
Sewerby Hall
28 & 29 August
From £14.50
https://bit.ly/3z5P3lm
This summer enjoy an outdoor cinema experience at Sewerby Hall and Gardens with plenty of songs to sing along to. Offering spectacular views of the sea and countryside from its unique clifftop position, this Grade I-listed Georgian country house has stood since the 18th century. Boasting acres of parkland, as well as a zoo featuring monkeys, raccoon dogs, micro pigs and more, this is a truly magical spot for a cinematic retreat. Sing-A-Long screenings of The Greatest Showman and Grease will be held in front of the hall.
Spurn Night-time Safari
Spurn National Nature Reserve
Friday 27 August 2021
Tickets: Adults £22. Children £10.
https://bit.ly/2U9ojBX
Join the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust as the sun goes down at Spurn for a special safari to experience the night-time wildlife. Hop onto the unique ex-military unimog vehicle for this special trip to discover the wildlife of Spurn after dark. The event times are 7:30pm – 11:30pm.
DERBY
Derby Beer Festival
Derby Market Place
4-8 August 2021
bit.ly/3gyjZ64
For real ale fans, there can be only one place to be this summer. Travel gurus at Lonely Planet described Derby as the “best place to drink real ale in the world”, and following on from last year’s successful Beer Sessions, held within the new-look Derby Market Place, the Derby Beer Festival returns 4-8 August. Taking place in the covered ‘Derby Loves You’ venue within Derby Market Place, with outside tables for alfresco drinking, the Festival will offer a selection of the best real ales from microbreweries in the local area – including some new flavours. There will also be cider, gin, wine and prosecco, and the option to upgrade to a chalet for up to six people.
Cinema in the Valley
4 August – 4 September
Tickets: £15 adult, £10 child
https://bit.ly/3z3OTLh
Summer Nights Film Festival 2021 have teamed up with Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site to offer an extra-special programme, Cinema in the Valley. Head to the spectacular surroundings of the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the East Midlands, the Derwent Valley Mills, Derbyshire, for an unforgettable evening under the stars. 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the Derwent Valley Mills being given World Heritage status.
Historic Derby Walk
18th August 2021
Tickets: £7.50 adults. Booking essential
https://bit.ly/3rgC2Tf
Join local historian Maxwell Craven for an easy 70-90 minute stroll through the best of historic Derby. The walk will take in numerous Civic Society blue plaques, part of Friar Gate, Grade I listed masterpieces: the Bridge Chapel, St. Helen’s House, the Shire Hall and Cathedral, our historic Market Place and numerous places associated with Derby’s 18th Century Enlightenment figures like Joseph Wright, John Whitehurst, William Strutt, and anti-slavery campaigner Thomas Gisborne amongst others.
Ram Trail
Throughout August
Free
https://derbyramtrail.org
This new public art trail features 30 uniquely decorated ram sculptures and will be in place until 22 August 2021. A flock of five-foot high ram sculptures – celebrating the close association between the city and an ancient mythical beast – will create a new free, walkable art sculpture trail. A new smartphone ‘quest-like’ app will also allow visitors to digitally ‘collect’ and interact with the Rams.
LINCOLNSHIRE
More time for history in Lincoln
Throughout August
For more details about Lincoln Castle see www.lincolncastle.com and for the Collection Museum, visit www.thecollectionmuseum.com
Visitors to Lincoln Castle are set for a summertime treat this August – an extra three hours a day to enjoy the castle grounds and spectacular views across the city. For one month only, a new trial will see evening opening at the Castle, which was built by William the Conqueror in 1068 on a site occupied since Roman times. Usually during the summer season Lincoln Castle closes at 5pm, but for August it will stay open until 8pm – while the city’s Collection Museum, a five-minute walk away, will also be open later every Friday, as well to give its visitors the chance to see the world-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, which runs from July until 19 September 2021. Booking is strongly advised.
Salute to the 40s
International Bomber Command Centre, near Lincoln
13-15 August
Free entry, but pre-booking essential
https://bit.ly/3riW5Az
A weekend celebrating all that is 1940s with a free family event at The International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC), which features a memorial spire, walls, peace gardens, and visitor centre, marking the service and sacrifice of World War II aircrew, ground crew and support staff who lost their lives whilst serving with Bomber Command. The weekend event starts a day early with stands open from 2pm on Friday 13th August, including Re-Enactors and period displays, Vintage Vehicles Display Area, 1940s Fete Games and 40s Memorabilia Display. The weekend also includes a Friday evening BBQ, Saturday evening Blackout Blitz Ball – a chance to don your 40s finery (optional) to dance till you drop to a 20-piece swing band and a 40s dance team – and Sunday Vintage Afternoon Tea with music and full traditional afternoon tea served on vintage china.
Vintage on Sea
Sutton on Sea
7-8 August
Free entry
https://bit.ly/2VQb2P5
Visit this quaint seaside village as it steps back in time to the 1940s & 50s, with a weekend full of family entertainment with live music and dance, classic vehicle displays, street theatre and traditional fairground rides. Stop off in the local cafes for afternoon tea or relax with a drink in one of the pubs as the entertainment fills the village.
Get impish in Lincoln
Lincoln Imp Trail
Throughout August
Free trail
https://lincolnimptrail.co.uk
Hidden in the upper reaches of Lincoln Cathedral you’ll find a symbol of the city surrounded by myth and legend: the Lincoln Imp. But this summer, you’ll have no trouble discovering the impish little fellow, thanks to a new trail of colourful sculptures throughout the city, designed by local and national artists. The free, family-friendly trail celebrating Lincoln, its art, culture, and heritage, will encourage visitors to enjoy not only the famous sights, but some of the city’s hidden gems too. Thirty individually designed and hand painted Imps will be on display in Lincoln, with one taking up residence at the seaside in Skegness, while five ‘Roaming Imps’ will move among shops and businesses, peeping out from window displays.
STAFFORDSHIRE
Summer Proms at the Arboretum
National Memorial Arboretum
7 & 8 August 2021
Tickets from £24
https://bit.ly/3wKsVve
Back for 2021, Summer Proms returns to the National Memorial Arboretum. Featuring toe-tapping performances from the Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and soprano Emily Haig, the ever-popular evening event will return on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 August. Each evening will feature a full repertoire of traditional proms favourites and will close with a firework finale.
Outdoor theatre
Biddulph Grange Garden
7 &13 August
Tickets from £12 + Booking fee
https://folksytheatre.co.uk
Folksy Theatre are a rural touring theatre company who tour the UK performing top quality open-air and indoor theatre productions. On 7 August Folksy Theatre presents family musical ‘Little Red & the Big Bad Wolf’, filled with live music, colourful characters and puppetry, while 13 August Folksy’s production of Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ brings enchantment and a little touch of magic. Owned by the National Trust, this amazing Victorian garden was created by James Bateman for his collection of plants from around the world. A visit takes you on a global journey from Italy to the pyramids of Egypt, a Victorian vision of China and a re-creation of a Himalayan glen.
Drive in movies
Tamworth Castle grounds
6 & 7 August
£30 a car
www.tamworthartsandevents.co.uk
This year’s drive-in cinema viewing in the Castle Grounds will feature Back to the Future and Jaws.
The Great Exhibition
Lichfield Cathedral
19 – 30 August
Ticket prices: £7.50 adults, £6 children (Age 3 and over)
https://bit.ly/3xKpIgt
The Great Exhibition – in which the whole Cathedral will be immersed in light and sound – explores the wonders of our world through the eyes of scientists. The Great Exhibition returns with ‘SCIENCE,’ a stunning visual spectacle inspired by the evolution of science; exploring how it has shaped our past and the role it will play in our future. Be transported through monumental immersive light and sound installations, as you encounter a brief history of science as never seen before. Created by the award-winning artistic collaboration, Luxmuralis, the exhibition features internal Son-et-Lumiere, artworks, and sound and light installations that transform the internal space of the Cathedral.
STOKE-ON-TRENT
Moonlight Movies
Trentham Gardens
27-29 August
£14.50 per adult, £10 per child (3-15)
https://bit.ly/3zalq2B
Moonlight Movies are set to return to one of England’s most popular paid-for garden attractions this summer with open air screenings in a spectacular lakeside setting. The Trentham Estate – on the edge of Stoke-on-Trent – will be the setting for a night-time film fest featuring three nights of classic movies, all with a musical theme, over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The amphitheatre beside the mile-long Capability Brown designed lake within the award-winning gardens will once again be transformed into an outdoor cinema. And this year the line-up – chosen by Trentham visitors – has a distinctly dance and music theme: The Greatest Showman, Dirty Dancing and Grease.
Summer concerts
Trentham Gardens
Weekend dates in August
Tickets £18, plus booking fee
https://bit.ly/2VE5ruX
The Trentham Summer Concerts are back for 2021. Summer is set to be hotter than ever at Staffordshire’s Trentham Gardens, thanks to the return of its popular lakeside concerts – and this year, the party has been extended. The stage will sit against the backdrop of the lake on Trentham Estate’s manmade amphitheatre within the award-winning gardens. Concertgoers will be able to dance the night away to everything from Queen tributes to 80s Mania.
HAMPSHIRE
The Hundred at The Ageas Bowl
Southampton
7, 11, 16 August 2021
Tickets from £14
https://bit.ly/3pBMF2q
Fittingly for a county that lay claim to being the ‘cradle’ of cricket, Hampshire will be one of the hosts of The Hundred, a new sports competition this summer, fusing blockbuster entertainment with world-class cricket. Combining a new short, fast format of cricket, with each game lasting less than three hours, and incredible entertainment beyond sport, The Hundred will make cricket more accessible to reach a broader audience. It’s simple: 100 balls per team, most runs wins, so every ball counts.
Victorious Festival 2021
Southsea Common, Portsmouth
27 – 29 August 2021
Tickets from £35
www.victoriousfestival.co.uk
Once again, the biggest names in music head to Southsea Common for an August Bank Holiday celebration. Victorious is a family friendly festival for music lovers, a stone’s throw from the sea. It’s a day festival located on the picturesque Southsea Seafront and takes place over August Bank Holiday Weekend. Friday night headliners Madness will bring the party to Portsmouth with a set full of crowd-pleasing hits from Our House to Baggy Trousers. Headlining Saturday are The Streets who changed the UK rap scene forever in 2002 with debut album Original Pirate Material. Brighton power duo Royal Blood also debut as headliners with their high-energy brand of alt-rock on Sunday night.
