Big events in Northstowe, organised by members of the community, are important because they’re an opportunity for us all to connect, to feel part of the community and to celebrate and be proud of our community by demonstrating everything that’s happening here. They’re an opportunity to find out more about life in Northstowe - for people living here or in the surrounding area, or those considering moving to the new town.

All in all, it was a success! The weather was perfect. Around 800 people of all ages and backgrounds attended over the afternoon and evening. It was a real team effort - not just from Northstowe Arts’ staff and Northstowe Hub’s volunteers, but also all the other businesses, community groups and organisations that put on activities. We learnt a lot from things that didn’t quite work. It was great to see such a visible location in Northstowe so full of life!

The event cost almost £9,000. Sounds a lot! But across all the professional and voluntary organisations that took part, we estimate it took almost 400 hours of paid staff time and 200 hours unpaid volunteer time to organise. We paid contractors to make it the high quality event it should be, and we bought items that will be reused at future events.

Subject to successful fundraising, we’re planning the next Midsummer Festival for 21st June 2025! We’ve listened to your feedback and will make the event longer (beginning at 12pm) so more great activities can happen. We plan to stay on the Green rather than moving to Western Park though - it feels important to use this landmark location. We’ll ensure there’s no parking around the boundaries of the site, and we’ll work with Northstowe Foodies to widen the range of family-friendly food available. We have our fingers crossed the weather will be exactly the same!