Banbury Canal Festival

Celebrate History, Heritage and Culture at the Canal Festival.

Where: Canal Side, Town Centre.

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Banbury Canal Festival is back for 2025! Make sure you join us along the canal side and around Town Centre this October for our largest event of the year! 

Banbury Canal Festival is organised by Banbury Town Council in collaboration with some of the town’s biggest and most well-known organisations. These include The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury Museum and Gallery, Castle Quay Shopping Centre, Tooley’s Boatyard, The Village Butty, Lock.29 and Bridge Street Community Garden.

What to Expect:

• A celebration of Banbury’s waterways – A crucial part of its history, the canal network that runs through Banbury has served the town since the 1700s. Ever since, it has served businesses, manufacturers and tourists. 
  
• Live music and entertainment – See live theatre from The Mill Arts Centre, while Banbury Music Mix Radio and The Village Butty will be bringing a number of acoustic acts to our stages.
  
• Food, drink, stalls and games – Partake in a wide range of activities from talks and demonstrations to scavenger hunts, while children can enjoy funfair rides and amusements. Anyone looking for a bite to eat or refreshments will be able to choose from a wide number of food stalls!

A Celebration of Britain’s Canal Communities

Whether you’re an avid boater, have a passion for history or a keen interest in arts and culture, the Banbury Canal Festival is guaranteed to have something for you. One of the largest celebrations of Britain’s canal ways, enjoy boat tours, folk music, arts & crafts from the many channels that make up the national canal system.

Explore the historic Tooley’s Boatyard, where you’ll find a working blacksmith’s forge and a museum with a detailed history of the country’s oldest functioning canal dry dock. Take in the sights and sounds of an arts festival atmosphere with live music, craft stalls and much more.