Basingstoke Festival returns this weekend with a packed schedule of entertaining performances, following a colourful parade and opening weekend which saw thousands of people take part in Basingstoke’s annual outdoor arts festival.

Produced by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, free performances from local and national artists will continue to pop-up in Basingstoke town centre and other locations across the borough this weekend (Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June).

Audiences can enter a giant metal whale to enjoy a charming, playful and immersive theatre experience during Talking Birds’ The Whale. Catch this act in Basingstoke town centre on Saturday and Oakridge on Sunday.

2Faced Dance’s Fish Boy is full of fun, excitement, humour and adventure, for children aged six to 96. Imaginations will soar as this visual feast of incredible dance, circus and theatre will have the audience cheering young Tommy on an adventure as he goes to discover where his best friend ‘Fish’ has gone.

Patois from Jeanefer Jean-Charles is a joyful celebration of cultures, stories and generations of the past, blending traditional folk dance with contemporary choreography and an original score. It reawakens the unwritten language of St. Lucian Patois, telling a story of culture, lost languages, longing and belonging.

Chad Taylor Dance will debut at Basingstoke Festival with Closer to My Dreams which weaves poetry and rap with hip hop choreography. Living very parallel lives, the story shows the journey of two brothers forging relationships with their peers and their family along with romantic attachments.

Festival favourite Tit for Tat return to this year’s festival with their show Now I Am Become d/Deaf (Destroyer of Words). They will immerse audiences in a world where the loudest actions are lost in translation and the tiniest looks become deafening, with physical comedy, eccentric juggling and absurd acts of balance. Anyone that doesn’t catch the show in Basingstoke town centre on Saturday will get another chance to see them on Sunday in Bishops Green.

On Sunday, visitors to Penwood will find Scratch Built Productions’ Urban Picnic which is a delightfully bonkers al fresco adventure with two eccentric ladies who are rolling out the gingham. Expect entertainment, interactive games and competitions. For those who missed them last weekend, it’s another chance to join the silliness.

Audiences who haven’t caught a performance of SABOTAGE by NoFit State have until Sunday to head to the big top in War Memorial Park.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Sports, Leisure and Culture Cllr Kerry Morrow said: “It was brilliant to see everyone enjoying themselves last weekend with the colourful parade and fantastic opening weekend performances. Every year the festival showcases the best local and national artists, such as NoFit State which I can thoroughly recommend after watching them last weekend.

“There is so much for everyone to enjoy this weekend. Beyond Basingstoke town centre, acts will be out and about in Oakridge, Bishops Green and Penwood too. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the Basingstoke Festival social accounts for any last minute changes.”

Continuing from last year and to make the festival as accessible as possible, one performance from each act on Saturday in Basingstoke town centre will have a BSL interpreter on hand.

More information about Basingstoke Festival, including which performances are BSL signed and how residents and visitors can take part is on the website 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.