Scarborough is set to host its largest programme of arts, culture and sporting events to date, with the return of The Scarborough Fair — a three-month series of five festivals taking place across the town and beyond.
From mid-May to early August, more than 260 events will unfold in 74 locations across Scarborough, Filey and Hunmanby. The aim is to both attract new visitors and celebrate the area’s vibrant communities through creativity, conversation and activity.
The festivals making up this year’s programme are:
- Big Ideas By The Sea (16–30 May)
- Scarborough Streets (30 May–1 June)
- Scarborough Fringe (13–22 June)
- Scarborough Art (5 July–3 August)
- Scarborough Extreme (12–14 July)
Festival director Julian Caddy said the packed schedule highlights local talent while welcoming artists and athletes from around the world, including guests from Nigeria, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands and Ukraine.
“We are proud to host the Nigerian Season as well as artists and athletes from across the globe,” said Caddy. “The sports and creative industries bring us together and define our identity, so we’re delighted with the broad range of activities on offer.”
This year’s programme includes a mix of talks, performances, workshops and exhibitions. Notable names in the Big Ideas series include professors Sir Christopher Frayling, Sir Richard Evans and Joann Fletcher, as well as Scarborough-born designer Richard Seymour and environmental campaigner Hugo Tagholm.
The family-friendly Scarborough Streets festival will bring free outdoor performances and interactive activities to the town centre, while Scarborough Fringe offers a packed line-up of comedy, theatre, music and spoken word. The Fringe is partnered with international counterparts in Milan and Catania and will present the first-ever Chris Mellor Award for new writing.
For visual arts, Scarborough Art showcases the work of 70 artists, mainly local, with exhibitions across galleries, studios and homes. It also includes a Nigerian Season spotlighting photography, fashion and theatre.
The final festival, Scarborough Extreme, is a new addition focused on sport. It features a full showcase day with demos and music in North Bay, a taster day for visitors to try out activities, and a dramatic skydive outside Scarborough Spa followed by performances from extreme sports collective 360 ALLSTARS.
Councillor Simon Myers of North Yorkshire Council said the festival demonstrates the area’s growing ambition for culture and creativity: “We have built on the success of last year’s programme and will, I believe, deliver the biggest celebration of arts, culture and sporting activities ever seen in Scarborough.”
More information and tickets will be available via scarboroughfair.uk at the end of April.
