The Banbury Canal Festival is returning for 2026 – and below we are pleased to offer an special look at what you can expect!
When: Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th October 2026
Where: Along Banbury Canal, Town Centre
A beloved annual tradition in Banbury, the Canal Festival sees Banbury Town Council transform the canalside in the Town Centre into a vibrant hub of arts, culture, history and heritage. As one of the UK’s biggest celebrations of the historic canal ways up and down the country, the Canal Festival invites visitors to enjoy music, theatre, handmade crafts and a wide range of cuisines.
The event is organised by Banbury Town Council, with contributions from The Mill Arts Centre, Tooley’s Boatyard, Castle Quay and more. The Mill has been working closely alongside Banbury Town Council to bring audiences a talented array of acts that are sure to be some of the highlights of the event.
Tooley’s Boatyard – Britain’s oldest continually-running canal dry dock – will also be hosting a variety of exhibitions, including the operation of its highly popular blacksmith forge and canal tours taking visitors up and down the canal – an opportunity not to be missed by anyone who has yet to step foot on a narrowboat, and would like to learn more about one of the most historically important sites in the town.
The Village Butty – another popular contributor from prior years, will also be present at their usual spot next to Tooley’s Boatyard.
The Banbury Canal Festival will serve as a great opportunity for visitors to support local canal businesses, which will be especially important this year due to the continuous dry weather forcing the closure of many canals across the UK, including the Oxford Canal, on which Banbury is located. Thankfully, Banbury Canal Festival is still able to go ahead, with lots of attractions and performers expected to attend unaffected by the drought.
However, the Banbury Canal Festival will serve as a great opportunity for the public to support local canal-related traders, and of course Tooley’s Boatyard, who have a mainstay of Banbury for almost 250 years – in fact, Tooley’s will celebrate this anniversary very soon, in 2028, making it all the more crucial that they are supported during this challenging period via events such as the Banbury Canal Festival.
Banbury Canal Festival is Banbury Town Council’s largest-scale event, held over a two-day period every October and hosting a variety of attractions, markets, activities and performances. This year will see the return of many popular features, including the underground market situated underneath the town’s Lidl carpark. Also returning will be fairground rides, balloon modelling, live music acts provided by Banbury Music Mix Radio, and more.
Banbury Canal Festival is taking place on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th October, from 11:00am – 5:00pm on both days. You will find the festival running along the stretch of canal that runs from The Light and Castle Quay down to The Mill Arts Centre. Entry and many featured attractions will be FREE to all visitors!
