Encounter Festival Secures Major Arts Council Funding
06 May 2025
Preston City Council's flagship cultural celebration, Encounter Festival, is set to return on Saturday, 20 September 2025 following confirmation of significant funding of £90,000 from Arts Council England (ACE).
This support marks a major milestone for the festival's tenth edition and will enable an ambitious one day programme packed with nationally renowned performances, new artist commissions and deepened community engagement across the city centre.
Arts Council England's backing will help develop Encounter Festival's artistic vision while investing in local talent and placing Preston firmly on the cultural map.
The funding will also support a series of artist development opportunities and community workshops in the run-up to the festival, ensuring meaningful involvement from local residents and creatives.
Esther Ferry Kennington, Executive Producer of Encounter Festival said:
"I'm so pleased to see Encounter Festival continue to be delivered annually and this year we celebrate 10 years since the first event. The world has changed a lot in those 10 years, as has our approach, but we're as excited as ever to deliver our iconic torchlight procession and this year we'll be developing the festival village on the Flag Market with great shows and music, food and drink"
The funding will enable the 2025 festival host a standout curated programme, including:
- Inspirate's Ancient Giants, bringing large-scale storytelling to the streets.
- Local favourites Magical Story Jars and Let's Grow Preston, offering family-friendly creative activities.
- A brand-new piece from Raggle Taggle Arts titled Rhythm of the Vardo, combining music, storytelling and performance.
The ACE funding will also enable an ambitious expansion of the Torchlight Procession, the festival's iconic finale that lights up the city centre with movement, music and fire.
This year's procession will feature new commissions from Preston artists, creating original firelight-inspired processional works to lead the parade.
A central highlight will be a giant puppet of Arthur Wharton, the world's first Black professional footballer and former Preston North End player, developed in partnership with Preston North End FC.
The procession will also showcase the ongoing involvement of local community groups, dance troupes, bands and organisations, creating a lively, moving experience. With investment from ACE, the festival will also develop a 'Festival Village' across the Harris Quarter, creating a central hub where visitors can gather, explore performances, enjoy local food and drink, and take part in workshops.
This new format is designed to encourage audiences to stay in the city throughout the day and into the evening, boosting footfall for local businesses and hospitality.
Encounter Festival 2025 marks ten years since the original pilot, and this new investment is an endorsement of its role in Preston's cultural calendar.
The event continues to champion the voices, talent and energy of the North West, while inviting nationally and internationally recognised performers to connect with local audiences.
Further programming announcements will follow in the coming months. To stay informed, please visit the Encounter Festival website or follow on social media.
About Encounter Festival
Preston City Council's Encounter Festival is an authentic voice for Preston, celebrating the breadth of the County's cultural offer with high quality and high profile arts. Taking place on Saturday, 20 September, Encounter Festival sees the city of Preston buzzing with life and alight with creativity.
The past Encounters have seen an array of spectacular performances, inspiring arts and impressive music, bringing spectators to their feet.
About Arts Council England
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture.
We have set out our strategic vision in Let's Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences.
We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision.
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