SIRF is back this summer to dazzle and delight
The Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF) returns this summer with a wealth of fun and exciting entertainment for all the family.
The world-renowned outdoor arts and street theatre festival will once again be wowing crowds in Stockton town centre with a jam-packed programme from Friday 1 to Sunday 3 August - and this year boasts one of the largest number of shows ever!
SIRF 25 brings together some of the finest street theatre, dance, music and arts from across the globe, with more than 140 shows taking place over the weekend for all ages, performed by 45 companies.
Don't miss our incredible Friday launch show Life Lines by celebrated French performers Compagnie Lézards Bleus at 7.15pm in the Town Hall and fountain area.
These daring athletes will captivate the audience by transforming Stockton's architecture into a dynamic stage, scaling buildings, balancing on rooftops and engaging in their environment in ways that defy convention - and gravity!
Before that there's plenty to enjoy on the High Street, Parish Gardens and Trinity Green from 1.15pm, including Stopgap Dance Company, who return with an exhilarating performance by a diverse cast of world class dancers. Among them is Nadenh who, taking inspiration from his Cambodian heritage, reimagines his wheelchair creating a new world of bold movement.
Then once the sun goes down Múcab Dans Companywill light up the High Street from 9.30pm with their show Correllums, an energetic, celebratory performance full of dance, laser light, smoke and live music! Correllums is a modern day 'ball de diables', which translates as 'Devils' Dance', a dance tradition which originates from Catalonia. The dazzling show is suitable for all audiences.
Our much-loved festival village SIRF Green is once again the space to go for tasty eats and garden seats. Open daily from 12pm to10.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 12pm to 9pm on the Sunday in Bishop Street Car Park, SIRF Green is the perfect place to sit and chat with family and friends and grab some affordable food and drink from our street traders. Enjoy some marvellous music too throughout the day, including Dr Butler's Hatstand Medicine Band and Merry Maker's Rock and Rhyme show.
The SIRF Community Carnival remains a highlight on Sunday afternoon at 2pm. This year the always colourful carnival will celebrate Stockton's long history of innovation and invention and the Bicentenary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. Under the theme 'Whistles, Wheels and Wonders', more than 750 local participants will showcase their marvellous creations as they parade down Stockton High Street in a flood of sound and colour.
Then visitors and carnival-goers can stick around and party, enjoying more family fun, including workshops, live music, dance and live shows before the amazing SIRF finale at 9.30pm, when French company Les Commandos Percu will combine percussion and fireworks to bring SIRF 25 to a spectacular close with the UK premiere of their brand new show Origin.
Cllr Nigel Cooke, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Health, Leisure and Culture, said: "As always SIRF will transform Stockton town centre into a theatrical feast of fun and wonder with hundreds of colourful and exciting performances - giving our residents and visitors plenty of opportunity to celebrate and bringing communities together.
"Our stunning launch act Compagnie Lézards Bleus have been at the forefront of developing parkour-related performance art, and having them perform at SIRF is a real coup for the festival - and their breathtaking show Life Lines is certainly one not to miss!
"SIRF is the North East's best free to enjoy outdoor arts and street theatre festival, and performers this year hail from as far and wide as Korea, France, Belgium, Catalonia, Scotland, and of course the Tees Valley and wider region.
"With SIRF we aim to create a magical and unmissable experience for everyone who attends - and our advice is simple, catch the big shows, catch the small stuff, come early and stay late!
"And after enjoying three days of family entertainment make sure not to miss Sunday's truly spectacular finale show Origin by Les Commandos Percuat 9.30pm at Trinity Green.
"All of the SIRF programme is completely free for audiences to experience, but one show and one workshop this year are ticketed. Pop on a pair of headphones and listen in to Sound Board, featuring Stockton's own youth cast, Zest Theatre or take on the challenge of learning funambulism, better known as tightrope walking, from expert performers Lyapunov! Tickets are free and available to collect each day two hours before the start of each show from SIRF Central in the Enjoy Stockton-on-Tees shop at 134b High Street.
"SIRF 25 promises to be another truly memorable festival with four UK premieres including the finale, so keep your diary free from August 1 to August 3!"
To view the full SIRF 25 line-up, pick up a copy of the programme from Enjoy Stockton-on-Tees Visitor Information on Stockton High Street, any of our libraries, or visit the SIRF website.
