Nottingham is about to be overrun by puppets (and honestly, we’re kind of here for it)
Clear your diaries because the Nottingham Puppet Festival is officially back for round four, landing in the city from Saturday, June 27 to Sunday 5 July 2026 – and it’s bigger, bolder, and puppety‑er than ever.
Funded by Arts Council England and run by Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall with City Arts, the festival is basically turning half of Nottingham into a puppet playground. Think libraries, cinemas, community centres and theatres suddenly full of giant animals, walking sculptures and slightly chaotic performances.
The main event kicks off on Saturday 27 June with City Centre Day, when Nottingham city centre becomes one massive walk‑about performance from 10.30am to 4.30pm.
There’ll be free shows everywhere, stretching from Nottingham Central Library and Listergate all the way through to Old Market Square. Expect:
- A giant Mountain Hare calmly leaping over the crowds
- A roller‑skating bird called Kantaben (yes, really)
- A four‑metre‑tall Worker Bee,
You get the jist that subtlety is cancelled at this event, right?
Families can catch repeat shows all day, including Penny and the Far Thing (storytelling on bikes, obviously) and Wild Beasts of Silly, which promises “chaotic fun” and looks like it will deliver.
Other highlights for kids include:
- Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile at Theatre Royal (2–5 July)
- A Robin Hood puppet adventure at the Royal Concert Hall
- Fly Away Katie at Lakeside Arts for tiny humans (ages 2–7)
- A French paper‑folding love story called Un Ocean d’Amour at The Squire
Festival director Alison Denholm says puppets are unbeatable at telling stories about being human, and basically wants everyone – kids, adults, and confused passers‑by – to feel a bit of magic in their regular Nottingham errands.
It’s not just kids’ stuff (some of it is very much not for kids)
Yes, there’s loads for children – but the festival is also proof that puppetry is absolutely not just for primary school trips.
Highlights include:
- The very popular Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppets are back
- The Sex Lives of Puppets (exactly what it sounds like)
- Film screenings, talks and workshops, including Fantastic Mr Fox at Broadway with a Q&A from the animator who worked on it
- A Lucasfilm‑linked puppetry masterclass at NTU (casual flex)
On Sunday 5 July, the festival is teaming up with Bamboozle Theatre Company and Lakeside Arts for programming designed for children with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD).
This includes:
- The River, an immersive wildlife journey
- A Family Sensory Picnic with songs and puppetry
- And a walkabout Firebird with a five‑metre wingspan, because why not
It’s all about making sure everyone can take part – even if giant puppets aren’t usually your thing.
So whether you stumble into it accidentally while heading to Primark on Long Row or actively plan your week around sock puppets discussing sex and climate change, Nottingham Puppet Festival 2026 is going to be unavoidable — and honestly, that’s kind of the point.
The full line‑up is at nottinghampuppetfestival.co.uk, but one thing’s for sure: this summer, Nottingham is getting weird — in the best possible way.
