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After last year’s success, Lancashire Encounter Festival returns to Preston transforming the city centre into a vibrant hub of activity on 23-25 September.
The weekend is bursting with quality activities and performances designed to inspire, excite and captivate guests who get involved with the Lancastrian festival of fun.
Each day will hold a variety of events at different locations around the city centre.
Madam Billman’s Creative Jamboree is a new and exciting highlight for this year’s Lancashire Encounter, taking place over the three days of the festival.
To discover what else the weekend has to offer and for more information about each event, check out our handy guide to the top events of the day below.
Friday September 23 7pm-9pm
The Theatre Ballads Horse and Bamboo Theatre, The Harris
Magical performances of historic ballads arranged and performed live, with songs that capture the tale of a great fight, a broken contract and a female smuggler. The performance will include spectacular puppetry and simple illustrations, drawing out the tales before your eyes.
Times: 8pm, 9pm
CHUTNEY in the Street – Kuljit Bhamra & Troupe Flag Market
Experience vibrant dance sequences and up tempo songs inspired by the sounds of the Indo-Caribbean. Each routine features a spicy mix of tabla, guitars and percussion creating a unique blend of songs, dance and audience participation.
Times: 7pm-7.35pm
Travellers’ Tales – More Music Morecambe Preston Guild Hall
Experience an evening of true Lancashire fun with a vibrant mix of tunes, songs and stories from the Gypsy, Romany and Traveller community of Lancashire and beyond, combined into one huge show of unmissable entertainment.
Times: 7.30pm-10pm
Read more: What to see during the Saturday of the Lancashire Encounter festival
On the Edge of A Rising Tide – Sound Intervention Fish Market
Prepare to be spooked as you see apparitions hover in doorways, linger around windows and lurk on roof-tops with this creative sound intervention by Light Up Lancaster and Lancashire Encounter. Uncover fragile ghosts of humans, fish and micro marine organisms as they infiltrate the city centre. Guests can listen to sounds of the sea, submerged bells, foghorns, warped shanties and storm force renderings as the sweep across the streets squares and entry control points of Preston city centre.
Times: 8.15pm – 9pm, 9.15pm – 10pm
Light Migrations – LUDUS Dance Fishergate
A mass performance for all ages and abilities, bringing individuals together to speak in chorus and celebrate the Lancashire voice. Performed in the evening, the show will combine personal stories, original music and movement in which the audience are invited to participate in this unique community event.
Times: 7.45pm – 8.05pm
The Red Rose – Steve Messam Surgeon’s Court
Renowned environmental artist Steve Messam delivers a series of temporary, site specific instillations located across a number of iconic locations in Lancashire, with the first being in Preston. A rising tide of the colour red, displaying a significant scale of this solid mass and lighting the sky at night with internal illuminations saturating the immediate area with red light to creative a spectacular experience and visual display. 4000 bright red balloons forming The Red Rose in Preston’s Surgeon’s Court will transform the historic alleyway into a vision of wonder, filling the space between the buildings for the entire length of one block – from Fox Street to Lune Street.
Times: 7pm-10pm
Read more: What to see on the Sunday of the Lancashire Encounter
Hit the North Preston Train Station
They Eat Culture will be taking over taxis, buses, and popping up around the train station inserting sounds and stories from a range of local and nonlocal artists to explore ideas of home, travel, and Northerness.
Times: 7pm-9pm
If this taste of what is to come next week has inspired your appetite for more, see the full listings on the Lancashire Encounter website here.
Will you be attending Lancashire Encounter Festival? Have you been before? Let us know in the comments below.