Free fun on the menu as international acts perform across Hanley for 10th edition of The Big Feast

Performers from the worlds of music, theatre, circus and dance are coming to Stoke-on-Trent this month (AUGUST) for a free two-day festival in the city centre. A wide range of international acts will be taking part in The Big Feast, which celebrates its 10th edition this year.

The free event - which is organised by Creative People and Places Programme Appetite in partnership with Stoke-on-Trent City Centre Business Improvement District (BID), Smithfield and Stoke-on-Trent City Council - will take place at 13 locations across Hanley from 11am to 5pm on Friday 23 August and Saturday 24 August.

Residents will be able to enjoy circus, dance, theatre and music performances and family-friendly activities, which are all wheelchair accessible and free - as well as a schedule of audio-described and sign language interpreted performances.

Highlights include Circus Raj from India bringing knife and sword juggling, experimental brass band Perhaps Contraption, Everywhere’s A Beach – an aerial circus performance on a giant revolving parasol – and Palais de Danse, which takes the audience back to a night out in late 1950s Britain.

There will also be a local flavour from Stoke-on-Trent-based techno marching band KiLNE; and New VicBorderlines’ hit play The Miner Birds – inspired by the experiences of the North Staffs Miners’ Wives Association Group (NSMWAG) to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1984 Miners’ Strike.

Everyone can also learn a maypole dance, take part in a voguing workshop and tie an infinity knot ‘for someone or something you are connected to always’ - and much more.

Gemma Thomas, Appetite Director, said: “We are so excited to be celebrating the 10th Edition of The Big Feast, which is fantastic! Over the years thousands of people have helped us shape The Big Feast into what it is, and this year alone our team has worked with over 400 people to shape and decide the artists and performances you’ll experience for free on the streets, and in our city.

We love filling the streets of our city centre (Hanley) with fun, laughter, music, circus and more. There will be something for everyone, and we can’t wait to see you there.”

The first Big Feast took place in 2014 and has been held every year since, apart from 2020 due to COVID restrictions. The 10th edition is also celebrated with a photographic exhibition The A to Z of The Big Feast currently displayed at the New Vic Theatre.

Performances will take place at 13 locations across the city centre including the Potteries Centre, Piccadilly, Bethesda Gardens, the bus station, the old town hall and Smithfield.

Richard Buxton, Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID manager, said: “The BID are thrilled to be supporting The Big Feast again in 2024. The event offers a vibrant mix of culture, colour and creativity for local people of all ages and interests, and we can't wait to see the festivities unfold in our city centre streets.”

Tiffany Chevis, head of marketing at Genr8 Developments who built and manage the Smithfield site, added: “We are delighted that The Big Feast is coming back to Smithfield this year. Being on the edge of the Cultural Quarter, we love to see our public space host a diverse range of performances and activities for the wider community and look forward to a brilliant weekend in August.”

The Big Feast’s 10th edition celebrations will kick off on Wednesday, 14 August, when an inflatable labyrinth filled with light and sounds known as the Luminarium opens to the public in Hanley Park.

The installation will be open from 1pm to 7pm on Wednesday 14 August and Thursday 15 August and from 11am to 5pm on Friday 16 August. Tickets are priced at just £5 for adults and are free for 18s and under.

All pre-bookable tickets for the Luminarium were snapped up less than 48 hours after going on sale, but every 30-minute time slot has tickets available for walk-ups with the exception of the first hour every day. Tickets are available on a first come first served basis with high demand expected. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

The two-day The Big Feast festival is free and no booking is required. Some acts perform on both days, while others will only appear on the Friday or the Saturday.

For more information about the line-up, and to find out what else is coming up in Appetite’s calendar of events, visit www.appetite.org.uk.