Festivals & Celebrations

Chippenham hosts a full programme of established annual events, combined with a variety of unique special celebrations and activities.

Shrove Tuesday heralds the annual Pancake Races, with people of all ages flipping pancakes in the High Street.

April celebrates 50's rock, focusing on one of the legends of the era, Eddie Cochran, who died in a road accident in Chippenham in 1960. The Eddie Cochran Appreciation Society arranges events for visitors from around the world who come to celebrate his memory and music over the weekend.

The annual Beer Festival is held in the Olympiad Leisure Centre in April and celebrates real ales from around the world.

May Day is celebrated with dancing in the High Street. The popular annual Folk Festival occurs over the four days of the second May Bank Holiday and brings thousands of visitors into the town for one of the largest and most popular festivals in the country. The town's streets, parks and halls are filled with colourful British pageantry whilst special troupes from abroad display their varied traditions and musical talents. The combination of British and overseas entertainers entice people from all over the world to this well-established event.

The first Sunday in August brings the ever-popular annual Children's Fun Day in John Coles Park. Community groups, professional children's entertainers and traditional rides ensure one of the liveliest fun-packed FREE children's events in the town.

Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated with a dazzling firework display and bonfire in Monkton Park, organised by The Rotary Club.

The spectacular and increasingly popular Christmas Lights Switch On event in November signals the start of the festive season in Chippenham. Thousands of people descend on the town to see the breathtaking arrival of Father Christmas, visit the craft fayre, the fun fair rides, watch the fireworks and join in the festivities of the evening.

The Chippenham Community Festival occurs over the last two weeks of November and provides an extensive programme of artistic and dramatic events throughout the town.

Touring circuses, band concerts in John Coles Park, dances, craft shows, antique fairs, book sales and other events all add ingredients to the life of the town.

Volunteer and community groups are a vital element in Chippenham's daily life and are the source of much energy and many of the activities in the town.