ALL FESTIVAL WEEKEND
The main Spirit of Tenterden Festival:
• Street Food
• Festival Shopping & Makers Market
• Live Music on the Stage
• Festival Bar

What's On for Kids at the Festival
Download Kid's Programme Poster >>> here 

FRIDAY FOR KIDS
Friday 3 July 2026
Festival 2pm to10pm
Fairly Fresh Fish comedy walkabout entertainment 4pm, 5.30pm, 7pm
Face Painting & Glitter*
Ice Cream*

SATURDAY FOR KIDS (Creative Day)
Saturday 4 July 2026
Festival 10am to 10pm
IN THE ARENA
• Dance Displays
   - DNC 11.45am-12.15pm
   - Brookes Academy 12.15-12.30pm
   - KM Dance 4.30pm
   - Ballroom Glamour 4.45pm
• Rock Choir - 12.30pm
• Tractor Time Dance Displays 11am, 2pm, 4pm. Michaela Cisarikova Dance Company. Arranged via Applause - Cultivating creativity, connecting communities - supported by The Arts Council England.
• Tractor Time Dance Workshops - kids have a go with the artists after the main performance
• Wonder Woman Street Shows at 1pm and 3pm
• Wonder Woman Workshops - kids have a go with the artists after the main performance
KID'S AREA
Musical Instrument Workshop 10am-4pm
Have a Go Circus Skills 11.30am-4.30pm
FESTIVAL SITE
Cake Ladies Walkabout 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm
Face Painting & Glitter*
Ice Cream*
Tenterden Rotary Club children's games with prizes (small charge) - Rotary Club gazebo*
The Mildred Trust gazebo - fun, affordable, interactive games and activities including providing recipe bags (which will feed a family of four)
Tenterden Museum gazebo displays

SUNDAY FOR KIDS (Activity Day)
Sunday 5 July 2026
Festival 11am to 5pm
Climbing Wall - scale to the top (11.30am–4.30pm)
Robbie the Land Train - ride around the festival (11.30am–4.30pm)
Fun Dog Show in the arena 12noon-2pm (check in from 11am) class entry charge
Tenterden Dance Studios in the arena 3pm
Face Painting & Glitter*
Ice Cream*
Tenterden Rotary Club children's games with prizes (small charge) - Rotary Club gazebo*
Tenterden Museum gazebo displays

*small charge

* All entertainment is free unless noted above   

SPONSORS IN 2026

BRISSENDEN TRUST. Our lead community partner. Thanks to the support of the Brissenden Trust, we are able to expand our family activities, experiences, and community-focused events at the Spirit of Tenterden Festival.

WILSON WILSON & HANCOCK Independent optician in Tenterden (and Hastings, Lewes, and Rye), established in 1949, offering quality eye care with thorough, unhurried eye tests using the latest technology. Customers can choose from a wide choice of frames, lenses, and contact lenses from leading brands at competitive prices.

ENTERTAINMENT IN 2026

CAKE LADIES. With lashings of charisma and oozing with charm, the Cake Ladies are a stunning roaming tea party dishing up sweet treats and adding a touch of glamour. These colourful human tables will serve you up a visual and gastronomic feast of charm and confectionery. A FREE family fun event. Saturday only

CLIMBING WALL Give our 4 climber vertical wall a go for a fun and thrilling challenge. See how high you can climb our 24ft wall with confidence fun for the family. Climbing wall users must be at least 1.2m tall. Sunday only. A FREE family fun event

DANCE SHOWCASE
A FREE family fun event. Dance displays from DNC, Brookes Academy, KM Dance, Ballroom Glamour, Tenterden Dance Studios

DISPLAY ARENA SHOWS

FAIRLY FRESH FISH - Walkabout Comedy Characters!  Keep an eye out for the wonderfully weird world of Fairly Fresh Fish at this year’s festival. These brilliantly bonkers fishmongers will be roaming the site with their seafood stall… but all is not quite as it seems. With cleverly crafted costumes and hidden puppetry, their “catch of the day” comes to life before your eyes. Expect dancing prawns, a mischievous octopus, suspicious stirrings in the jellied eel jar, and perhaps even a rather questionable seafood smoothie. Packed with visual comedy, surprise, and exquisite detail, this is a delightful, family-friendly walkabout act that will pop up throughout the afternoon to amuse, bemuse, and make you smile.

FLAURA & FAUNA, FACE AND BODY ART. We’re thrilled to welcome Laura from Flaura & Fauna, who will be bringing her magical face painting and festival glitter to the event ! Whether you're looking for sparkling festival vibes, bold and beautiful designs, or something fun for the kids, Laura’s incredible artistry will have you looking the part. Small charge applies.

FUN DOG SHOW In the arena on Sunday 5 July 2026. Registration from 11am, dog show starts at 12noon. £2 per class.

HAVE A GO CIRCUS. Roll up! Roll up! The interactive circus has come to town! Have a go at various circus skills from juggling, plate spinning and hula hooping to stilts and unicycling. Any one can have a go from 5 to 50 and older (younger participants need to be accompanied by a parent/guardian but they can join in too). Fun for everyone! At the Have a Go circus! Saturday only. A FREE family fun event

LIVE MUSIC ON THE STAGE
For a full programme of live music on the stage on Friday, Saturday & Sunday, please see this page >>> here
A FREE fun event

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT HAVE A GO WORKSHOP
Workshop on Saturday run by Homewood Teaching Staff.  Saturday 10am – 4pm - steel pans, djembes and ukuleles. A FREE family fun event.

ROBBIE THE LAND TRAIN
Robbie The Land Train is back and ready to roll at the Spirit of Tenterden Festival. Climb aboard for a fun ride the whole family will enjoy. Robbie brings smiles and excitement to kids and grown-ups alike, and don’t forget to give the driver a cheerful wave – it makes his day, and you might even get a friendly toot in return! You will find Robbie The Land Train sitting quietly at his station in the Children’s Entertainment Area on the Recreation Ground. It’s all FREE – come along and join the fun!  Sunday only!

ROCK CHOIR
Rock Choir is proud to present a medley of well-known hits arranged for group voices. There will be toe-tapping upbeat tunes from its back catalogue of pop and rock hits, set to beautifully arranged, orchestrated tracks. Comprising members that have come from community choirs situated in Crowborough, Tenterden, Hastings and Tunbridge Wells, these feel-good tunes are sure to have you singing along!

TENTERDEN ROTARY CLUB
Children’s games such as "Splat-a-Rat" and "Stone the Crows" with prizes! Saturday and Sunday only. Small charge applies

THE MILDRED TRUST
Our stall will increase awareness of our services with fun, affordable, interactive games and activities including providing recipe bags (which will feed a family of four)

THE WONDER WOMAN STREET SHOW. Can Wonder Woman save the world from all evil? Diana The International Woman of Mystery introduces herself, then changes into Wonder Woman while hula hooping. The main issue is how she actually does the spin and changes costume so fast, or not so fast in this case. She plays out the story of saving the world from the Inimitable Dr Evil. With the help of her love interest and sidekick, Steve, she defies all odds and manages to escape the evil laser rings that Dr Evil throws her way. Working towards the grand finale where Steve saves her from the 50 Hoops of doom. Saturday only. A FREE family fun event

TRACTOR TIME - DANCE DISPLAYS from Michaela Cisarikova Dance Company. Arranged via Applause - Cultivating creativity, connecting communities - supported by The Arts Council England. Tractor Time! is a vibrant dance performance for family audiences that gets stuck into farm life and community celebration. Inspired by British and Slavik folk traditions, rituals and colours this joyful intergenerational performance explores rural heritage, reinvigorating traditions that grow from the earth and spring into life through dance. As the colourful tractor trundles along, the dancers burst out of the cab and groove their way through an episodic performance that explores problem solving, field to fork, food production and togetherness. Join the parade as we celebrate team spirit, homegrown food and the joy of each beautiful season - it’s Tractor Time! A FREE family fun event. Saturday only.

WALKABOUT ENTERTAINMENT
A FREE family fun event