Browse all festivals listed on Visit Peak District
For more details on the events listed here and many more, please visit our partner site, Arts Derbyshire, where you'll find information on artists, venues, events and news on the arts across the Peak District and Derbyshire.
Great Art in Unexpected Places!
Wirksworth Festival's dates (September 10-26) are dictated by the ancient ceremony of ‘clypping' the church when the congregation of St Mary's Church surround their church with joined hands. The music and celebration that accompanied the clypping have grown into an exciting festival of contemporary visual arts and performance.
Art & Architecture Trails weekend – more than 100 artist exhibiting in every conceivable place – 11-12 Sept.
Contemporary Visual Art – inspiring work by leading international and UK artists over three weekends. Curator-led walks, artist talks and artist film and video salon – Saturday 18 Sept.
Performance – world class to the very best home grown talent, two packed weeks exciting events, music, dance, drama and more.
Participation – from music workshops, to year round opportunities for schools and young people, there are lots of ways to participate in this truly creative community.
Celebration – fire journeys – an evening of dance music, fireworks and projections – Sunday 26 Sept.
The Festival offers new commissioned work including the town's first Arts Pavilion, installations in shop windows and curated galleries. There is music, performance, dance, crafts and a carnival atmosphere. Programme details on the Festival website www.wirksworthfestival.co.uk.
Derby Festé is fast becoming a central event in Derby's cultural calendar, bringing the whole city out on the streets for three days of fantastic events and extraordinary performance. The free three-day festival takes place from September 24-26 in and around Derby's city centre and brings together world-class live performance, music, film and more, creating amazing experiences which will take your breath away! Follow Festé on Twitter and Facebook for news on what's coming to Derby this year and to get the latest as it happens.
Make a break of it and stay at one of Derby's many great hotels, self catering properties or guest houses during Derby Festé – browse accommodation in and around the city.
The National Trust's Kedleston Hall has commissioned artist Susie MacMurray to create Promenade, a new and exciting contemporary art installation, which will see a shimmering maze composed of thousands of metres of gold thread wound between the alabaster pillars in the Marble Hall.
Visitors will promenade back and forth in between the gold thread, to find their way through the Hall, viewing the architecture of the room and also getting glimpses of each other. Promenade will be on display from July 19 to September 29 (Sat-Wed).
Now in its sixth year in 2010, Melbourne Festival has an Arts and Architecture Trail as part of its festival activities. The Art and Architecture Trail will see approximately 100 professional Artists and Makers exhibiting in private houses, public buildings and businesses in the historic heart of Melbourne on September 18 and 19 this year.
There will also be exhibitions by local schools and art groups and musicians, buskers and other activities along the trail including The 1623 Theatre Company with their Great Shakespearean Workout 2010 a combination of Aerobics and Shakespearean Verse – not to be missed!
A concert programme runs for the two week duration of the festival (September 11-25) offering music, poetry and theatre, to complement the Arts Trail weekend where you can get the opportunity to experience the talent of the local artists of South Derbyshire."
Chesterfield Arts and Markets Festival is set to go ahead for the seventh year during October half term, running from Thursday 28 to Saturday 30. This year's events include the nation's favourite orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, young Iranian standup comic Shappi Knorsandi, Lau (winners of the Best Group at the 2010 BBC Folk Award), the CAMRA Beer Festival and the Garden of Light.
Visit the Chesterfield Arts and Markets page for full details, pick up the full brochure of events from Chesterfield Tourist Information Centre, book tickets through the e-Shop or download the brochure here.
Make a break of it and stay at one of the Peak District and Derbyshire's many great hotels, self catering properties or guest houses during festival season – browse all accommodation.
Matlock Bath Illuminations
The town's decorated boats remain a central feature of the event – the subjects change each year and have ranged from 'Postman Pat and his Black and White Cat' to the 'Eiffel Tower'. Each model is adorned with thousands of pea lights, powered by lorry batteries, and is made by the Matlock Bath Venetian Boat Builders Association. The decorated models are mounted on rowing boats and paraded each Saturday and Sunday on the River Derwent. As darkness falls the boats disappear into the blackness below, leaving the models appearing to glide along just above the water. The eight week event now includes entertainment each weekend in the Derwent Gardens and three Firework Nights on October 2, 16 and 30.
For more detailed information on the events listed here and many more, please visit our partner site, Arts Derbyshire, where you'll find information on artists, venues, events and news on the arts across the county.
