Basingstoke Festival, the award-winning free annual celebration of art, culture, heritage, community and outdoor arts returns this weekend, with performances full of fun, energy and the weird, wacky and wonderful.

Produced and funded by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, free performances will pop-up in Basingstoke town centre and other locations across the borough across the next three weekends. The programme will explore nature and our environment.    

On Saturday, Perhaps Contraption’s show, The Journey, combines an original progressive pop score with Visual Vernacular – a unique blend of physical theatre, signed poetry and mime. Expect intricate rhythms, expressive bustle and a healthy dose of hope.

Returning festival favourites Autin Dance Theatre will be premièring their new show, Up in the Sky on Saturday. The aerial dance spectacle tells the story of two siblings as they navigate challenges of displacement and change and will feature over 100 local people involved in the production.

Part of the council's Summer of Green events and created with local creatives Scratch Built Productions, a pop-up green eco-zone will provide a chance to get involved in activities that promote kindness to the planet including the première of Junk Jodie’s new show Bee Insect-AZING, which explores the importance of gardens and insects with singalongs, dancing and a craft activity.

Also featuring in the eco zone and perfect for small children, Nick Ash’s performance of The Untold Story of the Big, Bad Wolf invites the audience to challenge their perceptions and discover the true story behind an infamous figure. Little ones will also enjoy Farm Yard Circus, a warm and cheery family-friendly, farm-life inspired spectacle, and Caspian’s Storm from LAStheatre which is a remarkable tale of a crustacean who becomes mayor of his Kentish town of Crabbiton.

Scratch Built Productions’ Urban Picnic will provide an al fresco adventure with two eccentric ladies who are rolling out the gingham and inviting the audience to join an unconventional picnic. Expect entertainment, interactive games, competitions and silliness.

New for this year is Harvey Juggling, a 16-year-old award-winning street performer whose performances consist of comedy and juggling and incorporate dangerous circus stunts to keep audiences entertained and captivated.  

The Philharmonia Orchestra’s pop-up quartet will be in Festival Place on Saturday to perform well-known classical and popular tunes. There will also be an opportunity to don a virtual reality headset to sit among the musicians and experience the thrill of a live performance from the best seat in the house.

On Sunday, A walking tour of Jane Austen will be provided by Basingstoke Heritage Society with local historian Debbie Reavell leading visitors through Basingstoke town centre focusing on one of our more famous residents. This is free, but ticketed due to the high demand. In the year marking 250 years since her birth, Jane Austen fans can also enjoy Twelve Hours, an outdoor solo performance in Kempshott about Jane Austen’s brief engagement, from Phil Howe with Scratch Built Productions. This ticketed show is the story of those 12 hours.

New and for 10 days over the festival, NoFit State will bring their circus show SABOTAGE to War Memorial Park. It promises to be a rollercoaster ride of jaw-dropping circus skill and stunts where performers utilise every inch of the big top to deliver incredible feats. This event is ticketed.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Sports, Leisure and Culture Cllr Kerry Morrow said: “The programme for this year’s Basingstoke Festival is fantastic, with something for the most inquisitive minds. We will have street theatre, circus, dance and activities to take part in.

“We want to make sure as many people as possible have an opportunity to enjoy these fantastic performances so acts will be appearing in communities across our borough as well as Basingstoke town centre. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the Basingstoke Festival social channels for any short notice changes due to the great British weather.”

More information about Basingstoke Festival, including times and locations of performances, is available at www.BasingstokeFestival.co.uk or on social media channels @BasingstokeFestival on Facebook and @BstokeFestival on Instagram. 

Basingstoke Festival is part of Without Walls, a network of organisations bringing innovative outdoor arts to towns and cities across England. Find out more on www.WithoutWalls.uk.com.