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2024 calendars at the ready…from musical merriment to food fiestas we’ve put together the ultimate guide to festivals in 2024 in Hampshire.
Dance the night away to the headliners of Victorious, CarFest South, and Boomtown, or delve into the delicious local flavours of a scrumptious assortment of food festivals.
From nostalgic to futuristic, the county’s festivals offer exciting escapism and a fun opportunity to enjoy the vibrancy of Hampshire culture.
Festival of the Moon at Winchester Cathedral
5 – 18 February 2024
Lighting up February, the Festival of the Moon featuring the famous Museum of the Moon artwork by artist Luke Jerram will be coming to Winchester Cathedral where visitors will be able to admire the extraordinary installation.
The festival also includes special events such as a Moon Medley night of music and dance, a date night evening with a candlelit piano recital, and silent discos under the moon for adults and kids.
Find out more about the Festival of the Moon at Winchester Cathedral
The SWEAT Fitness and Wellbeing Festival
4-5 May 2024
The SWEAT Fitness & Wellbeing Festival returns to Gunwharf Quays on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 May 2024 for two action-packed days, promising to inspire and celebrate active and healthy lifestyles within the community.
Find out more about The SWEAT Fitness and Wellbeing Festival
Alresford Watercress Festival
19 May 2024
The Alresford Watercress Festival marks the first watercress of the season, the lush crop that flourishes in the town’s surrounding wild watercress beds.
The primaveral occasion is celebrated with May merriment including watercress-themed cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, music, song, and dance.
Find out more about the Alresford Watercress Festival
The Big Eat at Royal Victoria Country Park
25 – 27 May 2024
Free and food-filled festival The Big Eat returns to Royal Victoria Country Park this May showcasing the best food and drink in Hampshire across three days from 25 – 27 May 2024 with an enjoyable side dish of entertainment and live music. The event is non-profit and supports a number of local organisations.
Find out more about The Big Eat at Royal Victoria Country Park
Dogstival
3 – 4 June 2024
Britain’s best-loved event for dogs and their owners returns to Hampshire in June, this time at the new venue of Burley Park in the New Forest with canine fun throughout the weekend.
Expect boundless shows and activities, a K9 splash pool for the pups to stay cool, tasty eats for dogs and owners alike, music on the hound dog stage, and even a doggy disco – paws-itively awesome!
Southampton Summer Sessions
15, 16, 23, 26-30 June 2024
New for 2024, the Southampton Summer Sessions festival will see the city’s Guildhall Square transformed into a buzzing live music hub with headline acts Tom Jones performing on 15 June, Madness on 16 June, Nile Rodgers & CHIC on 23 June, and Kaiser Chiefs on 30 June.
Find out more about Southampton Summer Sessions
Fizz Fest
23 June 2024
The Vineyards of Hampshire (VoH) Fizz Fest is returning for its tenth year, showcasing Hampshire's leading vineyards at The Grange, The Winery at Burges Field Vineyard. This year, the festival will coincide with English Wine Week.
Winchester Hat Fair
June 2024, dates TBC
Winchester Hat Fair – the UK’s longest-running festival of outdoor arts – is an eclectic and fun celebration that personifies the city and its artistic nature. Originating as a busking festival, Hat Fair takes its name from the tradition of the audience showing their appreciation by putting money in the hat at the end of the show.
Now, the Winchester Hat Fair delivers the art of the unexpected through a jam-packed programme of outdoor street performances, live music, fun, and games over three days. There is something for all ages on offer across the city and best of all it’s absolutely free!
Find out more about the Winchester Hat Fair
Lets Rock Southampton credit Richard Purvis
Let’s Rock, Southampton
6 July 2024
The ultimate retro festival, Let’s Rock will be bringing back the best of the 80s to the Common in Southampton in July.
80s icons The Human League and Jason Donovan are already on the bill for 2024 amongst others, and the DJ battle between Harriet Scott and Pat Sharp is sure to have everyone up and dancing.
Find out more about Let’s Rock, Southampton
Lymington Seafood Festival
12 – 14 July 2024
Eat and drink your way along Lymington’s pretty marina this July at the annual Lymington Seafood Festival – the ultimate summer food weekend full of delicious south coast food and music.
The Chefs Demo Stage showcases the region’s best cookery, and the smells from the BBQ, smoking, and asado fire cooking masterclasses will be hard to resist.
New for 2024, adults and kids can check in to the festival Cookery School for a range of culinary experiences and festival music includes The Fleetwood Mac Experience.
Find out more about Lymington Seafood Festival
Southampton Mela Festival
13 July 2024
Celebrating modern and traditional Asian culture with performances by world-class musicians and dancers as well as a whole host of delicious and authentic food, the Southampton Mela Festival returns to Hoglands Park this July.
The Southampton Mela Festival is a celebration showcase of the year-round music and dance activity that Art Asia coordinates in the city. There will food stalls from local businesses across the southern region, as well as family fun activities, creative workshops, and a huge range of stalls to explore.
Find out more about Southampton Mela Festival
Winchester Foodies Festival
19 – 21 July 2024
The nation’s top chefs and music artists are combined at the Winchester Foodies Festival – a delectable celebration of cooking, tasty food, delicious drinks, and live music.
MasterChef Champions, Michelin-starred and top local chefs will be cooking up their signature summer recipes in the Chefs Theatre and the Great British Bake Off stars will be demonstrating how to make show-stopping cakes in The Cake & Bake Theatre.
Symphonic Ibiza and Blue will be bringing the music, and there will be plenty of street food and drinks to sample whilst the kids join in the fun at The Kids Cookery Theatre.
Find out more about Winchester Foodies Festival
Wickham Festival
1 – 4 August 2024
Multi-award-winning, and a firm family favourite, Wickham Festival is a four-day music and arts festival held every August in a beautiful rural location near the historic village of Wickham. With live music on four stages plus a host of other entertainment, Wickham Festival is rated by many as one of the safest, most relaxed, and family-friendly festivals in the UK.
Find out more about Wickham Festival
Trout 'n About
4 August 2024
Named after the town’s flourishing fish, Trout ‘n About is a thriving local food festival that takes place in the market town of Stockbridge on the first Sunday of August every year. With over 100 stalls showcasing the very best of local food, produce, and crafts along the beautiful high street of Stockbridge and live music filling the air.
Find out more about Trout 'n About
Boomtown
7 – 11 August 2024
One of Hampshire’s biggest festivals, Boomtown is a top event on the national and international festival circuit.
Bringing a world of escapism to the outskirts of Winchester every August, thousands congregate at Boomtown to embark on an imaginative journey through the evolutionary districts where every musical genre is celebrated from ska, folk, gypsy, reggae, world, punk, pirate, and disco to electro-swing, jazz, blue-grass, bass, jungle, and techno.
Boomtown is an immersive festival with storytelling and live theatre at its core. Each event unveils a new chapter of its ongoing narrative, delving further into the mythology of Boomtown.
Victorious Festival
23 – 25 August 2024
With headliners Fatboy Slim, Snow Patrol, Biffy Clyro, and Jamie T already confirmed, Victorious Festival is set to be one of its best yet in 2024.
Situated on the stunning Southsea Seafront in the maritime city of Portsmouth, Victorious is a three-day festival over the August bank holiday weekend featuring some of the world’s biggest music artists as well as delicious food, comedy, real ale, and much more.
Find out more about Victorious Festival
CarFest South
23 – 25 August 2024
Olly Murs, Sam Ryder, Beverly Knight, and Scouting for Girls are amongst the top-billed line-up at Car Fest South 2024.
The creation of DJ Chris Evans, CarFest is a unique mix of fast cars, live music, and tasty food taking place at the stunning Laverstoke Farm, home of the former Formula 1 World Champion Jody Scheckter.
The festival is not only one of the top festivals in the country, it also supports UK Children’s Charities as the largest family fundraising festival in the UK.
Mucky Weekender
5 – 7 September 2024
Top off the summer with the small but mighty Mucky Weekender, a boutique festival curated by Dub Pistols frontman Barry Ashworth, taking place at Vicarage Farm in Woodmancott near Winchester.
Find out more about Mucky Weekender
Already know which Hampshire festivals you’ll be attending? Start looking for accommodation including campsites, glamping and holiday cottages.
Discover our full list of festivals happening across Hampshire during 2024
Check out our full guide of events in Hampshire for 2024
Related
The Museum of the Moon artwork by artist Luke Jerram is coming to Winchester for the first time in February 2024. Pop into the cathedral to marvel at its beauty or join one of the many events and activities that will be taking place in the moonlight, from pilates to silent discos.
Sweat Festival is back, celebrating and inspiring active and healthy lifestyles.
The Alresford Watercress Festival returns to the streets of Alresford for 2024.
Does your pooch deserve some love this summer? Dogstival returns to the Burley Park, in the heart of the New Forest National Park on 1st & 2nd June 2024 and is packed full of canine approved entertainment.
Southampton’s Guildhall Square will be transformed into a buzzing live music hub welcoming artists from across the globe to form the highly anticipated 'Southampton Summer Sessions'. The line-up of events includes Tom Jones, Kaiser Chiefs, Madness and Nile Rodgers.
A family-friendly festival of Street Performance and Outdoor Arts. Hat Fair 2024 will take place Fri 5 – Sun 7 July 2024 across the historic city of Winchester. Full festival line-up coming soon!
Hampshire Food Festival is taking a break for 2024. Check back for details of future events. Wander through vines, explore the lavender fields, tour breweries and get hands on in the kitchen. All this and more is happening across the county as part of July’s month-long Hampshire Food Festival organised by local food group, Hampshire Fare.
With a fabulous line-up of artists to bring you the very best of the 80s, and an action packed day of general 80s madness, there is plenty to do for everyone at this Family Friendly Festival!
Taking place on 14th – 16th July, Lymington Seafood Festival is one of the UK’s leading boutique food festivals. With views across the Solent, the town hosts some of the south coasts most delicious seafood stands, a pop-up restaurant, craft ales, gins, a rum shack and Hattingley Valley supplying award-winning bubbles. Expect live music all weekend with ‘Tina Turner’ taking the stage for Saturday’s tribute night.
The Southampton Mela Festival is a long-standing summer highlight in Southampton's events calendar celebrating modern and traditional Asian culture. The festival will feature performances by world class musicians, dancers and feature a whole host delicous authentic food.
FOODIES FESTIVAL – the UK's biggest touring celebrity food and music festival series – announces a spectacular return to Winchester Foodies Festival returns to North Walls Recreation Ground, Winchester, from 19th - 21st July, with brand new features and a star-studded line-up of celebrity chefs and chart-topping music stars, including: Blue, Sister Sledge and the exhilarating Symphonic Ibiza Orchestra with live vocals and DJ.
The outskirts of historic Wickham village provide a picturesque setting for one of the safest and most relaxed festivals of the summer. Enjoy some great live music. Wickham is rated by many as one of the safest, most relaxed and family-friendly festivals in the UK.
Trout ‘n About is a thriving local food festival which takes place in the market town of Stockbridge on the first Sunday of August every year. With over 100 stalls showcasing the very best of local food, produce and crafts, it is a family friendly event attracting thousands of visitors from all around.
A world of unity, creativity & freedom, Boomtown Fair is a four day festival set in the Matterley bowl in Hampshire, UK on the second weekend of August. Boomtown fuses a diverse line-up of underground and global music with boundary pushing immersive art, theatre and performance coming together as a living, breathing, fictitious city.
Victorious is a family friendly festival for music lovers and a stone’s throw from the sea. It’s a day festival located on the picturesque Southsea Seafront and takes place over August Bank Holiday Weekend.
Carfest South will be returning to Laverstoke Park Farm, Hampshire in August as One Big Carfest. The 2,500 acres farm, near Overton, is owned by ex-racing driver and 1979 Formula 1 World Champion Jody Scheckter.
Following last year’s triumphant sold-out event and a marriage proposal (she said yes), the small but mighty 2-day music & arts festival Mucky Weekender extends to 3 days from Thursday 5th to Sunday 7th September back at its spiritual home the private parkland `Vicarage Farm’. The festival’s 5th edition will feature 5 music stages from Dub, Ska, Reggae, Jungle, to House, Disco, Funk, Breakbeat and everything in-between. To celebrate the new chapter of music, magic and mayhem join the hosts Barry Ashworth his band Dub Pistols and 5,000 festival-goers for afternoon tea and cake alongside Alice, Queen of Hearts, & the White Rabbit for this year’s theme Mad Hatters Tea Party – fancy dress is encouraged.
The Big Eat returns for 2024. Filling on from the success of the 2023 event we are holding the 3 day food festival again at the Royal Victoria Country Park. Entry to the event is free ( country park parking fees may apply ). The event will showcase the best food and drink in Hampshire as well as lots of entertainment onsite including life music. The event is non profit and supports a number of local organisations.
