Ripon Theatre Festival 2026: Celebrating Five Years Of Culture, Colour And Community Spirit

Ripon Theatre Festival (RTF) launches its 2026 programme on 27 March, promising a summer to look forward to.

Firmly established as a key date in the region’s cultural calendar, this year’s festival runs 5-12 July with 8 days and nights of performances and activities. RTF 2026 is set to be an unforgettable fifth birthday celebration of theatre in all its forms, from storytelling and puppetry to cabaret, Shakespeare and circus.

Top Talent from Edinburgh & Beyond

RTF 2026 is thrilled to welcome hit shows from the Edinburgh Fringe, including Down to Chance a fast-paced thriller now touring nationwide, and Fringe hits One Man Poe and The Poetical Life of Philomena McGuinness.

Quirky & Unique

Ripon Theatre Festival makes the most of the city’s unique venues and open spaces with pop-up events showcasing theatre everywhere. A knitting cabaret from Canada, a one-man show about British pub life, walkabout acts, Pop-up Puppetry and Poetry for Breakfast are just some of the acts that will appear in friendly cafes, pubs and independent shops. There’s even a show performed inside a vintage bus.

The Big Weekend for Families

Thanks to a second year of support from Arts Council England through the National Lottery, the Big Weekend of free family entertainment (11/12 July) is set to wow larger audiences with high-quality street arts and circus theatre from across the four nations and beyond. Highlights include dance-circus troupe Circo Rumbaba and comedy, cooking and circus with Do What Ya Mamma Told Ya.

Reaching Out to all the Community

Stretching over the months leading up to the Festival, activities in care homes (Spiltmilk Dance), “making and creating” sessions with learning-disabled adults and intergenerational music sessions will ensure the festival reaches all corners of the community. With a Schools’ Programme featuring Opera North’s Little Listeners and the madcap Rubbish Shakespeare Company, RTF is making sure it reaches all ages.

Supporting New Writing & Regional Talent

Established regionally-based artists, such as Victoria Firth (Huddersfield – in Batty!), feature alongside up-and-coming artists, including Constance Peel (Boston Spa) with new play Service Please. Providing a platform for locally inspired works-in-progress, RTF also offers audiences the first chance to experience Outcast, which explores life in mediaeval Ripon, and Jord, which takes Mother Shipton as a starting point.

Ripon Theatre Festival’s summer season culminates in a stunning open-air Shakespeare finale with The Dukes Theatre Company’s Romeo & Juliet - a dramatic close to an action-packed season.

Ripon Theatre Festival is celebrating a five-year milestone birthday, and we are proud of all that we have achieved so far. Community-led but showcasing some of the best professional touring work alongside an inclusive and lively outdoor and family programme, the Festival is hugely valued for its variety and originality. We can’t wait to share our 2026 offering and bring the joy of live performance to an even wider audience.Katie Scott, Festival Director

All tickets on sale from Saturday 28 March. For tickets, programme details, and more information, visit www.ripontheatrefestival.org or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

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