Carlisle Comes Alive For Fringe Festival
Carlisle Fringe Festival will celebrate the historic city of Carlisle for eleven days this August, providing a vibrant, urban extravaganza of outdoor performance, comedy and street theatre.
The unique event will return this year as a major international festival, taking over the city from 18 – 28 August. The Fringe Festival will combine the Carlisle Pageant, a Best of Carlisle market, an ancient Proclamation and a bustling international market, alongside an action-packed programme of comedy, cabaret and family shows.
The festival will celebrate the city’s history and heritage and will link in with the ancient proclamation of the Great Fair. The Proclamation is the declaration of Carlisle City Council’s rights to hold an annual Fair in August, first granted to the citizens of Carlisle in 1352 by Edward III.
The Pageant Puppet Parade, which will be one of the main events of the festival, will see giant puppets depicting key historical characters parading through the city centre. The parade will begin at The Old Fire Station, and then begin to make its way towards the city centre.
Cllr Anne Quilter, Portfolio holder for Culture, Heritage and Leisure for Carlisle City Council, said: “We are incredibly proud to deliver an exciting festival of events and our hope is that with everyone behind it, the Carlisle Fringe can go on to become an integral part of the international festival calendar.”
Over the course of the event, the border city’s streets will come alive, with a colourful street theatre programme set to run alongside the festival. On Carlisle Pageant Day, laden tables will be spread throughout the city centre, for a 1950’s-style street party celebration.
A heady mix of live entertainment will also feature at venues throughout the city. Carlisle’s Old Fire Station, in particular, will play host to more than 20 different shows, including performances from well-known comedians Eleanor Conway and Kelly Convey, as well as a host of live music acts.
Producer of Carlisle Fringe Festival, Graham Main, added: “We have been dreaming up Carlisle Fringe for a good few years now and we are thrilled that so many partners have signed up to help realise the potential of this incredible city.
“Combining a number of events to form one amazing festival helps us to make the Carlisle Fringe event more compelling and we are excited about working together to make the city an event destination in the future.”
The full programme, complete with acts and venues, is due to be announced later this month.
Carlisle Fringe Festival is open to everyone and organisers are keen to involve as many local people and businesses as possible. Those interested in being involved with the Fringe Festival can contact organisers on 01228 812611.
For more information visit www.carlislefringe.co.uk
