08 Sep 2026
Around 15,000 people attended the inaugural Harpenden Festival on Saturday to enjoy live entertainment, stalls and food and drink across the town.
Organised by Harpenden Town Council, the free event took place on Harpenden Common, the High Street and Church Green, and incorporated the annual Harpenden Beer Festival.
Highlights included the Harpenden Stage showcasing talented local artists, a Family Zone on Church Green with free activities which included free Little Gym and arts and crafts sessions, a free climbing wall, a free gaming bus and a birds of prey display in the Sensory Garden.
Performers included The Hanging Bandits, No 7, Run for Cover, Faces Fall, Sing With Tim, Imagination Majorettes, SASA, Katie Ross Dance Company, Halfway, Cara-May and Harry Beart.
Town Mayor Cllr Kirsti Wenn: “The Harpenden Festival was a huge success and we would like to thank everyone who attended; it was great to see so many people of all ages enjoying themselves. The
entertainment was fabulous, free activities very well received and I especially enjoyed the birds of prey and seeing young people have so much fun at the free activities on Church Green.
“We would like to thank the event sponsors Rayden Solicitors and Harpenden Dental Centre. Support from local organisations means that we are able to make events even better. I’d also like to say congratulations to the Town Council who organised and ran another successful event for our community.”
Nicola Caffery, partner at Rayden Solicitors Harpenden added: “It was a wonderful day, and we thoroughly enjoyed meeting attendees. We are also very grateful to those who stopped at our stall and helped raise funds for our chosen charity Rett UK.”
Photos by Harpenden Photographic Society members Steve Collins, Charlie Portal, David Whitbread, Dave Gowlett, Steve Lynes, Terry Day and Tim Tate.
