Giant wheels and whales set for Derby Feste 2023

The organisers of Derby Festé have announced the programme for this year’s event, which will feature spectacular outdoor circus and dance, dazzling acrobatics, and the return of its iconic procession.

Taking place in locations across the city centre on 22 and 23 September, this year’s event will be packed full of immersive, innovative, and ground-breaking work, which should appeal to audiences of all ages.

Attracting more than 30,000 visitors to Derby, Festé has been a flagship outdoor arts festival for the East Midlands since its inauguration in 2007.

Now celebrating its 15th anniversary, Festé has built a reputation for presenting work of national and international recognition for audiences to experience and delight in.

Brought together by Déda, with support from Derby’s key cultural partners, Festé 23 returns with feature acts that will dance vertically down the Silk Mill tower; 20ft high figures; giant wheels and whales; stunning visual projections; fire breakdancing, and the return of community procession.

In response to the ongoing cost of living crisis, nearly all of the performances at this year’s Festé will be free of charge.

Steve Slater, artistic director and chief executive at Déda, said: “Festé unfurls again this year across the city like a flower opening to the sunshine.

“From huge international and national acts to the return of Festé’s community procession, it’s a chance to engage with the arts community – an empowering way for the city and beyond to bond and celebrate the wonders of creativity.

“There is real collective power, strength and joy in communities coming together in difficult times through dance, movement, and creativity, making Derby’s Festé a superb example of this power in motion,”

Peter Knott, area director for Arts Council England, which supports the event, said: “Derby Festé has built a strong reputation since it launched in 2007, bringing together an eclectic mix of arts and cultural experiences for the whole community to enjoy.

“The 15th anniversary programme looks particularly exciting and I’m sure there will be a real buzz across the city as communities come together to immerse themselves in a wide range of world-class and participatory performances, the majority of which will be free to attend.”

For more information about Feste 2023, including the programme of events, visit https://www.derbyfeste.com/.