The Lancashire Festival is returning to Preston for the first time since the pandemic.

A celebration of creativity, community and the arts, the family-friendly festival will take place at Miller Park on Saturday 27 July.

This will be the fifth instalment of The Lancashire Festival, which is organised by Savick resident and circus performer Joshua Holden.

Joshua is passionate about ensuring the independent festival’s focus is on local talent, whether that be artists, craftspeople, DJs, circus performers, fitness clubs, dance schools or artisan crafters.

Joshua was initially asked to help organise The Mad Hatters Herbal Tea Party, which took place at Miller Park in 2016. This event evolved into The Lancashire Festival and ran each year from 2017 to 2019, until Covid-19 put paid to a 2020 edition.

After losing his entertainment business during the pandemic, Joshua has been working to redevelop the festival. With entry priced at £2, the event is aimed at families with children aged four to 16-years-old, low income households and solo parents.

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Joshua said: “The festival is a celebration of Lancashire’s rich artistic heritage, offering a glimpse into the county’s thriving arts scene. At the heart of it lies a deep commitment to supporting local artists and communities.

“We’re people powered – the more who come the more the festival develops – and the fact it’s lasted four years reaching 10,000 people tells me there is a need for this sort of event. People don’t just want the typical council event where everything is the same, or the bigger events that can be expensive.

“Our family-friendly atmosphere ensures that everyone, from young to old, can create lasting memories in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

“We’re proud to offer an incredible festival experience at an affordable price. For just £2 per person, attendees can immerse themselves in music, arts, and local talent for 10 hours!”

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Acts confirmed so far for the main stage are Cadaver Beach, Neon Live, Em Lou and DJ Clumsy, while Jenny’s Bollywood Academy and Art Joy will be hosting free workshops.

The festival will support St Catherine’s Hospice and has received business sponsorship from Mollie Elise Aesthetics of Chorley.

Tickets are on sale for £2 plus a small processing fee, or £3 on the festival entrance gate. For more information, visit The Lancashire Festival on Facebook or The Lancashire Festival website.

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This story was made possible by support from you, our readers and a host of organisations in the city, through our Crowdfund Lancashire appeal, which unlocked support from the Lancashire Culture and Sport Fund provided by Lancashire County Council. You can see all our coverage and, if you know of an event or arts project in the city we should be covering, send details to contactus@blogpreston.co.uk.