The Muncaster Fringe 2026: Arts Take Over On The West Coast This August
The Muncaster Fringe 2026: Arts Take Over On The West Coast This August
Following the success of a week of events in August 2025, the Muncaster Fringe returns this August, this time for a whole month! Proudly supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, The Muncaster Fringe 2026 is a month-long festival of combined arts events both at Muncaster and throughout the local area. The festival invites visitors to watch, listen, laugh, discover, and take part in the huge variety of events and sessions taking place throughout August. From live music to comedy, theatre to visual arts and beyond, with 29 separate events taking place across the month, The Muncaster Fringe has something for everyone.
For fans of live music, the first ever Classical by the Castle sees the incredible Wihan Quartet perform in the Muncaster Castle Drawing Room on 5 August. Meanwhile, on 7 August, Muncaster’s monthly open mic night has been supersized, as the Open Micsteval, with a selection of invited performers alongside the usual open invitation to take to the stage. Or later in the month, on 23 August, enjoy a feast of folk at the Muncaster Stramash as musicians gather from across the country to play together.
And the events extend beyond Muncaster itself. Enjoy music at The Inn at Ravenglass on 9 August and in The Pennington Hotel on 15 August. Or join Chloe Pinney in the Muncaster Parish Hall, Ravenglass for an evening of folk music with Sound of the Fells on 14 August.
There’s lots to be excited about for theatre lovers too. There will be performances hilarious, dark comedy Wilder! on 20 and 21 August. Or be one of the first to see a brand new work in development on 26 August as Minding the Heavens combines puppetry, music and storytelling to tell the story of the Herschels, and extraordinary family of astronomers. And for younger theatre lovers, enjoy productions of She Ran Away to the Circus and Search for the Missing Sparkle on the Muncaster Castle Lawn from 24-27 August, included with Muncaster General Admission Tickets and Muncaster Memberships.
And calling all comedians, or anyone who has ever wanted to try stand up, Ravenglaffs (26 August, Muncaster Parish Hall, Ravenglass) is an event not to miss. The evening hopes to shine a light on both up-and-coming and established comedians across Cumbria. With up to £100 on offer for performers it is the perfect chance to get some big laughs.
Looking for hands on fun for all the family? The Muncaster Fringe has you covered for that too. Growing Together: Family Fun in the Kitchen Garden taking place every Tuesday morning throughout August allows families to get green fingered in the newly opened Muncaster Community Kitchen Garden. On 9 August on the village green in Ravenglass, the Community Kitchen Garden team are running a drop in mural painting workshop, alongside a workshop foraging for materials to construct a new ‘bee & bee’.
Or be the star of the show yourself with Cat & Mouse’s productions. Be a movie star, camera operator, make up artist and more in Martin Bielspurg’s Blockbuster Factory (n.b. all props and equipment are bananas) on 10 August, or sit on the jury of Stand and Deliver on 11 August.With all this and much much more to choose from visitors to The Muncaster Fringe 2026 are truly spoilt for choice. One of the festivals producers, Joshua Payne says that
‘The Muncaster Fringe is all about bringing creativity and culture to new audiences. We want the month of events to celebrate both local and national talent and to involve the community as much as possible.”
“We are very excited for arts to be taking over the area this August and are keen for as many people as possible to get involved and enjoy the vast array of events on offer.”
For more information and for a complete, and up to date guide, to all of the events taking place across the month head to: www.muncaster.co.uk/muncasterfringe
To learn more about what’s happening, follow Cumbria Guide on our social media
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