All of the venues taking part in Canterbury City Show for weekend of live music, games and food

After its successful debut last year, Canterbury City Show is returning in 2024 and a number of iconic venues will be getting involved. Taking place on Saturday July 20 and Sunday July 21, the event will celebrate the best of Canterbury with live music, fascinating talks, delicious food and drinks, games and plenty more for all to enjoy.

The brainchild of two popular Facebook communities, the Canterbury Residents Group, and the Canterbury Community Group, the two-day affair is now being supported by multiple prominent organisations, including Canterbury BID, Meta, University of Kent and Republic Events. At the heart of the event will be a community fete held in the picturesque Westgate Gardens, complete with stands and stalls, workshops and a picnic lawn.

For the little ones, the funfair in the gardens will also feature a kids’ zone with plenty to get stuck into, such as mini-golf, a soft play area and games. Kent Soul Choir will be heading to the fete on the Saturday for a workshop at 11.30am and a spellbinding live performance at 1pm.

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Organisers have also promised a range of classical, jazz, soloists and musicals throughout the event. If you like to stay in tune with your creative side, an arts and crafts fair will be held at the Umbrella Centre found on St Peter’s Place as part of the city show.

Here you can expect to see a range of impressive handmade gifts and trinkets, all specially crafted by local creators. Another prominent venue taking part will be The Guildhall where a variety of fascinating talks and events will be held.

From John Hippisley’s tales of ‘haunted and hidden Canterbury’, to the inspiring story of a young refugee, alongside talks on history, architecture, poetry and mental health, there will surely be something to pique all interests. Canterbury Shakespeare Festival will be making a return in 2024 and will be heading to Westgate Gardens to put on captivating performances of the playwright’s greatest works.

Other participating venues include Rock Paper Scissors on Stour Street and Whitefriars, with even more participants, workshops and events still to be announced. Best of all, the majority of Canterbury City Show will be completely free to attend.

A full timetable of the activities, workshops and events will be confirmed in the coming weeks. Further information can be found on the Canterbury City Show website here.

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