The 2026 Kirkstall Festival will take place on the 11th July in the picturesque grounds of the 12th Century Kirkstall Abbey. The festival was first held in 1981 and has been stagged every year since, except for a years break in 2000 due to COVID, this will be the 45th annual festival. Our event this year will be a full un-ticketed event which usually attracts up to 25,000 people. We aim to provide something for all ages.
Kirkstall Festival is organised by unpaid volunteers. All proceeds go to support the Festival. Costs for insurance, marquees, generators, tables, chairs, communications, artists, toilets, toilet rolls, bin bags, skips and signs are going up every year. In 2000 the Festival cost £6,000 to stage. With additional health and safety costs, more events, additional paperwork, licenses, permits, the cost has grown over the years to around £45,000. We receive around £8,000 in grants, sponsorship, and donations – the rest has to be raised by fund-raising and on the day.
In 2024 we introduced a fund-raising concert held the night before the main festival, all fund raised by this ticketed event are ploughed in to the free festival the day after and towards the following years festival.
We would welcome any new members who feel they can bring a fresh approach and new ideas to the Festival. Maybe you would like to organise the entertainment, co-ordinate stalls, design the programme [go on, you know you want to], help organise publicity & advertising or just help out on the day? Tired of boring meetings – these are not, the only thing I can compare them to is the Dibley Parish Council!
If you are a company and wish to sponsor the event with a banner or appear in the programme please contact Lydia Blundell. (see contacts page)