The Canterbury Festival hits the streets on opening day with knights on horseback, medieval musicians, dancing, singing and a brand new ‘Becket Giant’. Free for everyone, the parade will mark the beginning of two weeks of outstanding entertainment. Throughout the afternoon Canterbury’s rich medieval history will be open to explore with characters, craft activities and performances.

Join more outstanding entertainment on the middle Saturday of the Festival in the Beautiful Noise Community Celebration. Local musicians will play and sing in locations across the City during the day in a selection of indoor and outdoor venues. Tickets are free; advance booking will, however, be required for indoor venues. For an evening of fine live music, head to the Beautiful Noise Big Band which sees the Community Day out in style in an evening of swing, funk and blues played by great musicians from local schools.

The Canterbury Festival and Half Term is always a perfect combination. Comedy, circus and magic provide the perfect holiday diet for all the family. Start the week with Mr Pineapple Head. Enjoy a blend of silent clowning, professional silliness and pineapple magic in an afternoon of the best of modern visual comedy (ages 3+). Staying with the magic, time-travelling magicians Morgan and West are back with an afternoon of fun, deception and nonsense to delight all ages in their Family Magic Spectacular (ages 6+). A Comedy Club for Kids? Absolutely. The UK’s best comedians do what they do best but without the rude bits and in the daytime; just like a normal comedy club (ages 6+).

He’s back! High-flying card stunts, decks of destruction, it can only be Card Ninja. Following his 2019 Festival debut, Javier Jarquin, aka Card Ninja, bursts into town with a show full of astonishing speed and lots of card-based comedy. This is definitely one to book early (ages 5+). Finally, Festival legend Matt Barnard is juggler, magician, ringmaster and comedian in Instant Circus–Just Add Kids. Expect stunts, tricks and amazing feats of skill in an afternoon of one-man circus spectacular.