A new three-day festival will be launched in York next summer.
The Acomb Creative Community Festival will include live music, spray paint exhibitions, food stalls, a creative art market, exhibitions of local artists and activities for all ages.
There will be a ‘mini beast safari’ and art trail promoting the green spaces in Acomb, Front Street and the local area.
It will run from Friday 3 to Sunday 5 July 2026, after it received £99,999 in funding from David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.
The Acomb Creative Community Festival will be run by Art Of Protest, the same team who created a vibrant mural on Front Street in March.
Art Of Protest says the ambition is to deliver an annual festival to transform Front Street into an open-air gallery and event centre. Greater Acomb Community Forum and Acomb Alive are also on board.
Creative workshops will take place with Acomb schools and venues to help shape the festival, with “an opportunity for all to learn and get involved”. Four community art installations will be delivered in the run up to the festival.
Businesses will be helped to showcase their offer and draw more people into Acomb’s shopping area.
There will be an opportunity for individuals to get involved in the Street Art Academy and talent development programme.
Art Of Protest creative Jeff Clark said: “This is an inclusive project, so we would love to hear from community groups and businesses that would like to deliver activities during the festival or host events.
“We are keen to transform and uplift the area, so will be creating a wall library, so please get in touch if you have a wall to paint.
“We are here to celebrate local creatives so will be arranging a programme of events for artists to exhibit and be part of the festival.
“We are also keen for local musicians to come forward to perform at one of the local venues. There will be volunteer opportunities as well as the talent development programme.’If you would like to get involved, please contact fill out this form or email [email protected]
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: “High streets are constantly changing, but they have, and always will be, hubs for our communities. That’s why I’m backing community led projects across York and North Yorkshire.
“Like Acomb Creative Community Festival which will see an annual festival transform Acomb High Street into an open-air gallery and event centre, creating legacy and vibrancy through co-production, talent development and sustainability.”
