WARRINGTON Arts Festival will return this summer, with a packed programme which features a huge, suspended sculpture of Mars and a daring, open-air circus performance.
The festival, which was relaunched in 2024, is organised by Culture Warrington and will fill the town centre with a series of performances and installations once again this summer.
From July 18 until July 26, the annual event will blend showstopping performances with bespoke work created and delivered by Warrington artists, communities and young people.
Leading the way is internationally renowned artist Luke Jerram’s sculpture of Mars which will be suspended from Parr Hall’s ceiling throughout the duration of the festival.
It will be free to view, but pre-booking will be required at key times.
The artwork, which measures seven metres in diameter, has been created using detailed NASA imagery of Mars, so that every valley, crater, volcano and mountain will be visible for visitors to inspect.
The atmospheric experience will be accompanied by a composition crafted by award-winning composer Dan Jones, and Luke’s hope is that by seeing this inhospitable desert wasteland up close, people might stop and think differently about their own life on Earth.
Mars will also bring some extra-terrestrial flair to a series of special events which will take place under the planet. There will be an astronomy talk, film screenings, yoga and sound baths.
But the highlight will be two nights of live music beneath Mars’s glow.
Manchester band HENGE, whose alien blend of rave and prog rock won them ‘Best Live Act’ at the Independent Festival Awards in 2018, will perform ‘music from distant planets’ under Mars on July 23.
Then on July 24, club culture icon Dave Haslam will bring the spirit of the Haçienda to life for a rare and intimate club night.
Dave will be joined by Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert (The Other Two/New Order) plus another special guest soon to be announced for a night of electronic sounds, underground classics and Manchester after dark vibes.
Elsewhere at the festival this year will be contemporary French circus company, CirkVOST, which will present Pigments to close the festival in style at Bank Park on July 24 and 25.
The free open-air show will feature 12 acrobats, a series of synchronised trapeze stunts and a jaw-dropping performances of increasingly daring feats 15 meters above ground.
“We’re thrilled to return to Warrington Arts Festival with a bold, eclectic programme for 2026,” said Lauren Banks, programme producer for Warrington Arts Festival.
“This year brings an expansion of our live music offer – an exciting step in the festival’s evolving identity.
“From our opening weekend outdoor stage spotlighting local talent to the brilliantly offbeat HENGE under Mars, we’re proud to be working with an exceptional lineup of artists.
“Across the week, expect a vibrant mix of exhibitions, outdoor performances, cabaret nights and more – culminating in a spectacular large-scale finale at Bank Park.
“Presented by French contemporary circus company CirkVOST, it promises a powerful and unforgettable close to the festival. We can’t wait to welcome you.”
Some festival favourites will return this summer too, including Family Garden Party which will transform Queens Gardens into a hub of colourful community creativity on July 25.
Joining it will be an outdoor family show called The Way We Live in UK // 看我英該怎麼.
Bringing together decades of experience working in children’s entertainment, Hong Kong performing artists Orange, Puika and Jamie will explore the humorous, touching and sometimes absurd moments of adapting to life on the other side of the world.
The Birdcage Stage will also be returning to Family Garden Party by popular demand, mixing acrobatics, aerials theatre, circus and dance in a new show called Don’t Feed the Explorers.
Also back after its success last year is Made by Me, a film event created by and for young people from Warrington and surrounding areas.
With an exclusive screening at Cineworld Warrington on July 21, the inspiring evening will once again put young filmmakers, aged between 18 and 25, in the director’s chair to shine a spotlight on creativity and emerging talent.
This year the chosen films have been curated by alumni from Culture Warrington’s Young Producers scheme, a programme launched to provide pathways for young people to access the creative industries.
“We are incredibly proud of this year’s festival programme,” said Liz Pickering, interim cultural director for Culture Warrington.
“At its heart are the community collaborations that make the festival unique to Warrington, alongside nationally and internationally renowned work brought to the town throughout the nine-day event.
“The festival is all about spending time with family and friends, exploring the programme, and discovering something new together. From our young people’s programme to our artists across Warrington, local creativity is what makes this year’s festival truly special.
“We want to take audiences beyond the everyday and invite them to experience Warrington in new and unexpected ways.
“This year the programme should surprise and delight as we've created the conditions for a wonderful festival, audiences it is over to you now, to bring them to life.”
This year’s festival has been made possible thanks to financial support from ACE with generous match funding from Warrington Borough Council, Warrington BID and the Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner.
The festival’s goal is to break down barriers to the arts and celebrate Warrington through arts, culture, people and place.
"This year’s Warrington Arts Festival promises to be a very special experience for our entire community this summer,” said Cllr Jean Flaherty, Warrington Borough Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Leisure.
“There’s a spectacular programme in place that beautifully blends global showstopping performances with unique work created by our own local artists and young people.
“With most events completely free, the festival embodies our commitment to celebrating Warrington’s vibrant culture and ensuring that world-class creativity is accessible to everyone.
“It’s a brilliant showcase of what makes our town so special, and I can’t wait to see Warrington come alive with wonder, curiosity and shared joy."
For more information, tickets and for the full programme, visit warringtonartsfestival.org
