Leicester is officially entering its summer era, because Riverside Festival is back and the city is about to be absolutely rammed with 60,000 people who all suddenly love “music, arts and family-friendly fun”.

Preparations are already in full swing for Leicester’s biggest free festival, which basically turns the entire River Soar into one long stretch of vibes, street food and people pretending they know how to kayak.

More than hundreds of artists, performers and traders are descending on the city, meaning there will be something for everyone — whether you’re there for the music, the food, or just to post a BeReal from Bede Park and pretend you go outside.

This year’s festival runs Saturday and Sunday, June 6 and 7, and they’ve gone all out: longer opening hours, a new main stage location, and enough interactive activities to keep even the most chronically bored student entertained.

The chaos will be spread across the Mile Straight, Bede Park, DMU campus and Castle Gardens. Expect international street food, bars, craft markets, stalls, and walkabout entertainers who will absolutely jump-scare you when you least expect it.

The main stage has been moved to the centre of Bede Park for the first time ever, which means you can’t miss it even if you try. Local musicians will be performing across every genre imaginable, and the music runs until 8pm on Saturday and 7pm on Sunday — which is basically a late night by Leicester standards.

If you’re feeling adventurous (or delusional), you can get on the water for boat rides, kayaking, or even dragon boat racing on Sunday. There’s also a pop-up art gallery along the riverside for anyone who wants to pretend they’re cultured.

Thanks to extra funding from Arts Council England, the festival is going big on hands-on activities this year. You can write poetry with Literati Arts, create street art with Graffwerk, design your own clothes in upcycling workshops, or disappear into a VR world with Metro Boulot Dodo — ideal if you need a break from the crowds or from your mates.

Four Young Producers are also helping run the festival this year, which is a cute way of saying a bunch of very stressed young people are getting real-life experience in event planning chaos.

Assistant city mayor for culture, Cllr Vi Dempster, said the festival is a “real summer highlight”, which is Leicester-speak for “please come, we’ve put a lot of effort into this”. She also shouted out the extra Arts Council funding and the return of Metro Boulot Dodo, whose massive cathedral projection last year basically melted everyone’s retinas in a good way.

Whether you’re performing, trading, drinking, kayaking, or just wandering around with a churro, Leicester is ready for you. Riverside Festival is coming — and it’s going to be loud, busy and extremely Leicester.