Barnaby is back this year with its first in-person festival since 2018.
The event will once again take to the streets of Macclesfield to provide a platform for artists, with this year’s theme being ‘In A New Light’.
Festival bosses are looking for fresh perspectives, new thinking and an exploration of what Barnaby and creativity in Macclesfield can achieve.
Barnaby Parade
This year’s festival will feature the iconic Barnaby Parade – with registration to feature in the parade via the Barnaby Festival website.
Floats (on the theme ‘In A New Light’) will fill the festival route, beginning at Christ Church, marking the return of an event that has been a highlight of the Macclesfield calendar for generations.
Art trail
An art trail will set the stage for the festival weekend, transforming the streets of the town into a community exhibition, shining ‘a new light’ on the art talent within Macclesfield.
Shop fronts, shared spaces, and local hubs will become gallery spaces.
From photography to poetry, portraits to pottery, the Barnaby festival weekend will be bursting with creative submissions of all levels.
The Listening Tent
This year’s festival will play host to The Listening Tent, in St Michael’s Churchyard.
It will be a space to share Barnaby memories, give feedback and suggestions, and act as a festival hub for information and to meet the current Barnaby team.
About Barnaby Festival
There has been a Barnaby Fair in Macclesfield since the 13th century when the town was granted its borough charter.
The event has changed over time from festivals and fairs, to parades and circuses, carnivals and mill shut-downs.
In the 20th century, Barnaby meant factory and school closures and seaside excursions – and it continued as a uniquely Maxonian holiday until the 1980s.
The local tradition had all but died out when, in 2004, Macclesfield borough was dubbed the least cultured place in Britain for its lack of amenities.
But in 2009 things began to change when a group of like-minded people had a vision for a festival of arts, culture and fun – based in the town centre and rooted in Macclesfield’s heritage.
This ambition was realised in 2010 when Barnaby was reborn as a weekend festival, transforming the town and bringing Maxonians onto the streets.
Unusually for a town of its size, Macclesfield has no permanent performance or arts venue so Barnaby makes creative use of cafes, bars, disused buildings, public spaces and churches.
This has become a defining characteristic of the festival today, and Barnaby has built a reputation for commissioning art in heritage spaces.
The festival ran annually for five years, until 2014 when it became biennial.
Macclesfield Barnaby Festival (MBF) is a registered charity, led by a small part-time team and numerous volunteers.
It’s credited with having triggered a cultural renaissance in Macclesfield.
A spokesperson for Barnaby’s trustees said: “We couldn’t be happier to be bringing Barnaby back this year, with three key elements that speak to our missions as a registered charity.
“As an organisation, we want this year’s events to focus on bringing the community of Macclesfield together; to champion existing artistic talent as well as introduce creativity at an inclusive and accessible level; and to really listen to the thoughts and opinions of the town so that we can reshape Barnaby for the people of Macclesfield.”
Full programme details to be announced at a later date, with further coverage across the So Chehsire website and social media channels.
