Leicester Riverside Festival: free weekend travel guide: practical information

Leicester’s Riverside Festival returns on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June, bringing a free weekend of music, arts, performance, food stalls and family activities to the city centre.

The festival is spread along River Soar’s Mile Straight, Bede Park, the De Montfort University campus, Castle Street, The Newarke and Castle Gardens. Entry is free and no booking is required. It is aimed at the general public, including families, with funfair rides, boat trips, heritage attractions, craft markets, licensed bars and walkabout entertainment across the festival area.

Leicester City Council says traffic restrictions will be in place from 7am on Saturday until 8pm on Sunday. A public start time for the festival programme was not listed in the source information.

For more planning detail on the same weekend event, see this guide to Riverside Festival dates, venues and free entry.

Where the festival is taking place

Riverside Festival is not confined to one site. Activities will run across several connected city centre locations, giving visitors the option to move between the riverside, parks, campus spaces and heritage areas during the weekend.

The main festival footprint includes River Soar’s Mile Straight, Bede Park, De Montfort University campus, Castle Street, The Newarke and Castle Gardens. Across those areas, visitors can expect international street food, licensed bars, craft markets, stalls and roaming entertainers.

The programme includes arts, music and performance alongside family-friendly activities. Funfair rides, boat trips and heritage attractions are also part of the weekend, making it a broad city centre event rather than a single-stage festival.

Roads affected and how to arrive

Traffic restrictions will affect some roads from 7am on Saturday until 8pm on Sunday so the festival can take place. Roads listed for closure include Western Boulevard, Mill Lane, The Newarke, Castle View, The Gateway, Newarke Close, Grasmere Street and Eastern Boulevard.

Walkers can use the River Soar as a scenic route into the festival area. For cyclists, free secure bike parking will be available at Bede Park, Western Boulevard and the DMU campus. Visitors should look for the large Ride Leicester flags.

People arriving by bike can also get free cycle hub membership for a year, normally £10, allowing free bike parking at the Town Hall bike park and St Margaret’s cycle hub.

Car parking in the immediate area is described as very limited. Drivers are advised to use city centre car parks instead. For visitors taking taxis, suggested drop-off points are Western Boulevard for Bede Park, The Gateway for the DMU campus and Castle Street for Castle Gardens.

Accessibility support across the weekend

Organisers say they are working to make Riverside Festival accessible for all visitors. A calm space will be available throughout the festival at Kimberlin Library on the DMU campus, with ear defenders, fidget toys and an accessible toilet.

Other accessible toilets will be available across the festival, and a Changing Places space is available at Jewry Wall Museum. Selected activities at Castle Gardens will include British Sign Language interpretation.

Local charity Mosaic will offer trips on Sunbeam II, a fully accessible narrowboat with ramp access. Leicester Wheels for All will also be based on The Newarke, showcasing adaptable bikes suitable for all ages and abilities, including wheelchair users.

Leicester Wheels for All will run a bike taxi service for visitors who need extra help moving between festival sites. Wayfinders, large print maps and festival staff in yellow hi-vis jackets will be available around the site.

Source: Leicester City Council

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This article was built from Leicester City Council’s published notice and the event details supplied in the source brief.

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• Checked the festival dates as Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June.
• Checked the listed festival locations across River Soar’s Mile Straight, Bede Park, DMU ca...
• Checked the free entry and no-booking details from the event brief.
• Checked road restriction times, bike parking locations and accessibility provisions agains...

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Leicester City Council

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Leicester

Updated

2026-06-08 06:34

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Vi Dempster

#accessible festivals#Bede Park#Castle Gardens#De Montfort University#Leicester events#River Soar#Riverside Festival

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