To provide you with the best experience, cookies are used on this site. Find out more here.
To provide you with the best experience, cookies are used on this site. Find out more here.
To build your own Itinerary, click 
to add an item to your Itinerary basket.
Already saved an Itinerary?
Saturday 27 June - Sunday 5 July 2026
Various Venues
From Saturday 27 June to Sunday 5 July 2026, the Nottingham Puppet Festival returns, bringing the city to life with puppets of all shapes and sizes.
With puppetry performances from local, national and international artists, and small and large-scale puppetry also taking to the streets, the festival will present workshops, talks and screenings from key figures in the puppetry world.
The festival kicks off on Saturday 27 June with our City Centre Day, produced by the Festival Director and City Arts. From 10:30am, the streets between Nottingham Central Library and Old Market Square will be filled with walkabout puppets, from a giant Mountain Hare to a four-metre-tall Worker Bee. Catch free performances like Penny and the Far Thing and Thingamabob around every corner.
On stage, Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile hits the Theatre Royal, while Robin Hood and his Animal Friends takes over the Royal Concert Hall foyer. For adults, we have the return of the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppets and the hilariously tender The Sex Lives of Puppets.
You can catch a special screening of Fantastic Mr Fox at Broadway Cinema after an exclusive Q&A with stop-motion animator Richard Pickersgill, or head to Nottingham Trent University’s Waverley Studio for a film puppetry talk with Lucasfilm’s Martin Rezard. We’re even diving into the intersection of art and activism with The Walk Productions, creators of The Herds, for a look at how puppetry is being used to tackle the climate crisis.
Don’t miss Nottingham Playhouse’s Open Weekend, featuring the multi-sensory Summer In Bloom in the land of the Magical Major Oak, alongside a full schedule of exhibitions and hand-on workshops.
Can’t wait until June? Our library and community centre tour kicks off on Saturday 23 May. Catch a free taster of the festival with shows Tales from the Wheelbarrow, The Giant who Slept for Ten Thousand Years and Anansi and the Lost Sun at a venue near you.
And that’s not even the full line up! So, grab your diaries and plan your puppetry tour of Nottingham! We can’t wait to see you there.
| Nottingham Puppet Festival 2026 (27 June 2026 - 5 July 2026) |
|---|
A historic wall which divided Nottingham’s Old Market Square for 700 years has been…
Beloved by locals as a famous ‘meeting place’, Nottingham’s Left Lion is one of two stone…
Go Quest Adventures is turning the streets of Nottingham into an Adventure Playground!
A focal point for residents and visitors, Old Market Square is where friends meet,…
Bromley House Library, founded 1816, is a flourishing independent lending library…
It takes a building of some distinction to stand out in a city as rich in beautiful and…
The Brian Clough statue stands proudly in Nottingham city centre just off Old Market…
Break Escape is Nottingham’s newest and now biggest escape room venue, offering a family…
St Peter’s Church is one of the three mediaeval churches in Nottingham, the others being…
Start your epic adventure at The Lost City Adventure Golf in The Cornerhouse!
Number one for shopping in Nottingham, Debbie Bryan are an award winning, independent…
From arcade favourites to a round of bowling, there’s something for everyone, making…
Axed Nottingham have brought next level urban axe throwing to the City centre!
Sir James Matthew Barrie was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as…
Lakeside Arts, BeestonNottingham Lakeside Arts is The University of Nottingham's unique public arts centre and museum presenting an eclectic programme of music, dance, theatre, visual art, special collections and family events all year round.
Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall, NottinghamWith over half a million visitors every year, the Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall Nottingham are two of the UK's most successful touring venues, leading the way for arts and entertainment in the East Midlands region.
Broadway, NottinghamOffering 4K projection, 7.1 surround sound and high-end comfort, Broadway is one of the UK’s leading independent cinemas that attracts over 400,000 visitors each year to its four-screen state-of-the-art cinemas, Cafébar and hireable meeting, workshop and office spaces.
Scottish Falsetto Socks Do ShakespeareBack by popular demand, the award-winning Socks present their hit show all about the works of Shakespeare. From Hamlet to Othello, Romeo and Juliet to Richard III and all points in between. A ridiculous hour of songs, sketches, socks & violence from Earth's funniest footwear.
Robin Hood & His Animal FriendsThis 40-minute immersive theatre experience is packed with playful panto moments, larger-than-life puppets, and plenty of audience interaction. Robin Hood & his Animal Friends is a joyful, family-friendly show celebrating teamwork, bravery, and care for our environment.
An Introduction To Puppetry WorkshopThis fun and interactive two hour workshop offers an introduction to the art of puppetry. Starting with lots of warm up games and puppetry specific exercises, participants will be shown how to make a simple paper puppet and will create a short performance piece to share with the group
The Sex Lives of PuppetsFunny, shocking and often surprisingly tender, this collaboration between puppets and the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles creates a safe space to talk about sex in all its wonderous iterations. Not so much 'the birds and bees', more the 'nuts and bolts'.
Roald Dahl's The Enormous CrocodileThe Enormous Crocodile is weaving his way through the jungle to the Theatre Royal in search of delicious little fingers and squidgy podgy knees… Only the other jungle creatures can foil his secret plans and clever tricks, but they’re going to have to find a large amount of courage to stop this…
Flyaway KatieBased on the popular children’s book by Polly Dunbar with music by Tom Gray of Gomez.
Sensory Family PicnicBring a picnic and join them on the lawn next to Lakeside. Enjoy the blend of songs, puppetry and immersive activities; socialise with other families; interact with artists; and sit back and enjoy a nice cup of tea!
Meet Fred Puppetry WorkshopA two-hour inclusive workshop looking at the three basic elements of puppetry: Breath, Focus and the Fixed Point. Led by experienced puppeteers from Meet Fred, alongside Hijinx cast members. In a fun, playful environment, participants will learn some of the games and exercises Hijinx used in the…
Nottingham Puppet Festival 2026: City Centre DayEncounter a gentle, giant Mountain Hare leaping above the crowds, the vibrant colors of Kantaben the Roller Bird soaring through the festival skies, and kinetic sculptures including the four-metre-tall Worker Bee. Families can catch recurring shows throughout the day, including the charming…
Un Ocean d'amour - Compagnie La SalamandreUsing no words, this show explores adventure, imagination and emotions. It tells the story of a lost sailor and his wife's journey to find him.
© Visit Nottinghamshire 2026. All Rights Reserved
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
