Lowedges Festival: Full line up of events and attractions as popular Sheffield carnival returns at new venue

It’s back - and now the full line of up activities at the returning Lowedges Festival, near Sheffield, can be revealed.

The popular festival did not happen in 2023 because of problems including a lack of volunteers to stage the event, which had traditionally been held in Greenhill Park.

But it is set to return this year, but will be switched to the Bowshaw Showground, 400 yards from its original venue, but over the border in North Derbyshire, next to the Jordanthorpe Parkway. It is close to the Dronfield Toby Carvery, and will be running under the new name of the Lowedges and S8 Festival.

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Longstanding festival secretary Stephen Rich, who has scaled down his involvement this year, said: “We are now in a position to announce our show for Sunday August 11, 12 noon until 5pm at the Bowshaw Showground. We are now taking bookings via [email protected]”

He said that after being saved by the area’s Sheffield Council South Local Area Committee, and a new committee including a local councillor as chairman, they were now regrouped.

The entertainment at the festival will be:

> Arena one: Viking re-enactment / living history

> Arena two: Medieval re-enactment / living history

> Arena three: Main stage. Singers dancers, birds of prey and more.

> Arena four: Dog show

> Arena five: Half sized football pitch with local league teams represented

> Classic vehicle show including buses, lorries, cars, bikes, trikes, scooters and other items.

> Funfair provided by Tuby’s of Mexborough

> 1959s funfair stall area

> Farmers’ market

> Car boot area

> Hot food from around the world.

It will be jointly opened by Sheffield charity legend John Birkhill, and the mayor of Sheffield.

The festival will be on a site of over 20 acres and has been described by organisers as one of Yorkshire / Derbyshire’s biggest events in 2024.

At its previous venue in Greenhill Park, the festival had grown from its first show in 2008, adding a classic car show, a dog show, and fairground rides over the years, and it was attracting over 100 stalls and up to 15.000 visitors at its peak.

It ran for over 10 years until it was interrupted by the Covid pandemic in 2020. It ran again in 2022, before hitting problems last year.