Festival will reflect city's story, say organisers

About 20,000 people are expected to attend a free community festival when it returns to a city in May.

Peterborough Celebrates will be held at Ferry Meadows from 16 to 17 May and the event will be largely funded by Nene Park Trust.

The festival's theme this year is titled "A Page in Peterborough's Story" and the event's organisers have invited schools and community groups to share their stories of what the city means to them.

A spokesperson for the trust said: "We have got plenty of acts lined up already. There will be something for everyone to enjoy."

The festival's theme corresponds to the National Year of Reading and different authors including Ellie Sandall will be hosting workshops at the event.

Dozens of diverse food and drink vendors are also expected to be on site, alongside a bar run by Peterborough-based business The Blind Tiger.

The event's organisers said the festival will include live music, the acrobatic troupe The Black Eagles, Kadeem EnPoint, a professional male ballet dancer, community dance groups and local choirs.

Organisers added that the festival will end at about 16:00 BST on 17 May with a Holi ceremony - an Indian festival of colours.

A Nene Trust spokesperson added that the festival "will continue to highlight the city's diversity" and bring people of different backgrounds together.

"The main challenge for us will be to know what the weather's doing that weekend and keeping our fingers crossed for a lovely sunny weekend," they added.

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