Warm weather awaits for the 25th anniversary Riverside Festival

The city’s Riverside Festival returns to town this weekend to celebrate its 25th anniversary – and this year it’s bigger than ever. The free festival, which takes place on Saturday (June 1) and Sunday (June 2), will include activities on and off the water at locations including Bede Park, Western Boulevard and Castle Gardens.

And, new for this year, there will also be things happening on the De Montfort University (DMU) campus. To make matters even better, the temperature is set to rise this weekend as June arrives, with highs of at least 20C on both Saturday and Sunday and – probably – no rain.

Colorful boats from around the region will offer tours along the river, and to get even closer to the water, people can relax in a Paddle Plus kayak. There will be narrow boat trips with Sileby Mill Boatyard and local disability charity Mosaic will be there with Sunbeam II, their fully accessible boat.

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Sunday will see the annual dragon boat races hosted by local charity PROSTaid. Teams of 10 will compete to row the fastest.

On land there will be activities for everyone to enjoy, including a new big screen outdoor cinema at DMU. It will feature old footage from historical archives and the original 1992 Beatrix Potter animated series, as well as films made by local creative companies.

As usual, there will be a wide range of music on a stage in the square in Bede Park, as well as refreshing Ibiza classics in the teepees in the park and the chance for visitors to DJ on the DMU campus.

Other attractions and activities will include a funfair, crazy golf, an extreme mountain bike show and pop-up dance performances. Children can choose from activities including arts and crafts, a ‘creative builders’ workshop and outdoor theater from a brilliant bee adventure, while visitors of all ages can take a trip on the Riverside Land Train, which links some of the heritage sites that want to be open on weekends.

Global street food, craft beer and cocktails will be on offer from a range of bars and traders, plus there’s the chance to see and buy the work of local artists and makers as Art on the River returns.

Vi Dempster, Assistant Mayor for Leisure and Culture, said: “Riverside Festival is one of Leicester’s biggest free festivals and attracts up to 40,000 visitors to the city. This year, it’s bigger than ever and we’re delighted to welcome De Montfort University as a partner in this hugely popular event.

“Like all our festivals, the aim of the Riverside Festival is to bring people together to celebrate all that is good about our city – from the river and green spaces to the modern university campus and our wonderful heritage. It’s also a chance to showcase the diverse range of music, dance and arts that make Leicester so special.

“Riverside Festival will offer something for everyone and we look forward to welcoming tens of thousands of people to enjoy the weekend and celebrate our 25th anniversary with us.”

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