From circus stunts to singing pubs, the Milton Keynes International Festival offers entertainment for all tastes and ages this month
The Milton Keynes International Festival (IF) kicks off at the end of next week with a vast and eclectic array of installations and performances.
It offers everything from circus skills and tree climbing stunts to singing pubs and catwalks, with the aim of creating “unique and memorable” experiences for the thousands of visitors.
The festival, which begins on July 18 and lasts until the end of the month, was founded in 2010 and takes place every two years and is produced by The Stables.
The aim is to encourage residents and visitors to see a different side to Milton Keynes. Presenting a world-class, multi-arts programme the Festival includes new commissions, site-specific and community participation projects, large-scale/outdoor and family events, concerts, theatre, dance, music and visual arts installations.
Engaging over a million people in seven previous editions (2010 - 2023), it takes place in locations across Milton Keynes, including parks, public squares, commercial and retail spaces, as well as in the online and digital realm.
You can see a full programme of events and activities here.
Later in the day, German duo Klub Girko will perform their UK Premiere in the woodlands of the Campbell Park Copse, balancing tree trunks, branches, twigs and themselves - natural and human elements in constant equilibrium.
The same day there will be public dove-making workshops with the theme of Michael Pendry’s multimedia artwork Les Colombes (The White Doves). This spectacular installation explores the bonds that tie us together and the delicate balance between individual freedom and collective belonging.
It will be followed by a special sound and light show from 9pm to 11pm.
Meanwhile, other attractions during the festival include Serving Sounds, a mobile pub that creates connections through music at Unity Place. You’ll find all the things you’d usually find on a bar, like glasses and beer mats. But when touched, these items create a groove, a sound – maybe even your favourite song.
And Queens court will host a catwalk showing a never-ending row of outfits to demonstrate that our clothes are an expression of who we are, want to be and sometimes have to be.
The Festival is supported by Arts Council England and Milton Keynes Council, and also raises funds through trusts and foundations and partnerships with individuals and businesses.
Keep up to date on the festival’s website here.