Creative Harborough: A Celebration 2026 – September Just Got Twice as Creative

Baby gigs - Puppetry

Creative Harborough: A Celebration 2026 is back for its second year and, this time, more than 80 events are taking place throughout September. That’s twice as many as last year, which, we think you’ll agree, is quite a feat.

From art, craft and live music to theatre, comedy, dance, literature, film and local heritage, the Celebration is a chance to discover just how much creativity is happening right here on our doorstep. You can watch, listen, make, try, discover or simply turn up and enjoy yourself. No artistic talent required.

And if September is already looking a little expensive, we have particularly good news: more than 40 of this year’s events are completely free.

You could wander the free Market Harborough Art Trail, spotting murals, sculptures and installations around town, or discover local artists’ work appearing in shop windows as part of Art Windows. Pop into an open pottery studio, watch artists at work, join Art in the Park or see shortlisted photographs from some of Harborough District’s youngest photographers.

Pheonix Sax

Prefer music? Throughout September there are open rehearsals, acoustic evenings, jazz, blues, choirs, orchestras and plenty of free live music. Busk! brings local performers to the Undercroft beneath the Old Grammar School, while Louisa’s Place has free music across the month. You could even discover your inner drummer, flautist or singer at one of Great Bowden Recital Trust’s open rehearsals.

There are some rather less predictable choices too. You can try tango, watch teddies hurtle down a zipline from St Dionysius Church, buy a tiny original artwork from a gumball machine for £3 or see the Post Office scandal retold through puppetry and set in a circus. We did say creativity comes in many forms.

A few dates for the diary

The Celebration runs from 1–30 September 2026, with something happening throughout the month.

The weekend of 5–6 September gets things off to a particularly lively start, with open studios, exhibitions, pottery, live music, a theatre open day and BabyGigs’ The Great Shuffle Show for some of our youngest creative explorers.

On 12 September, heritage, art, music and performance spill across the town. The Making Waves swimwear exhibition opens at the Symington Building, Art in the Park arrives in Welland Park and Busk! brings more live music to the town centre.

Mini art

19 September is another date worth circling. Go behind the scenes with Market Harborough in Bloom, discover the creative groups at Harborough u3a, visit the Literary Festival or finish the day with internationally acclaimed Memphis-born singer-songwriter and keyboardist Charlie Wood and his seven-piece band at the Octagonal Theatre.

Then 26–27 September gives you one final excuse for a packed weekend, with exhibitions, music, tango and the Market Harborough Literary Festival. There are acclaimed authors, a literary walk, crime fiction, poetry and free children’s book activities at Waterstones. And if books aren’t your thing, there’s always a candlelit string quartet, stitched art, Balearic beats or a 19-strong saxophone orchestra.

Planning your Celebration

With more than 80 events to choose from, a little forward planning might be wise. The programme includes handy events-at-a-glance pages, so you can scan the whole month before deciding where September might take you.

Candle lit string quartet

Booking and payment arrangements vary from event to event. Plenty of the free events are simply turn-up-and-enjoy, while others need to be booked in advance or operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Paid events vary too: you’ll find advance tickets, workshops, donations, occasional booking fees and, in some cases, a deposit with the balance paid on the day.

So, if something particularly catches your eye, check the individual event details before setting off, even if it’s free. The full programme and the Creative Harborough website provide dates, times, venues, prices, and any booking information you’ll need.

With more than 80 events, the biggest problem may be deciding what not to go to.

So have a browse, circle a few dates and perhaps choose one thing you would never normally consider. After all, part of the fun of a celebration like this is stumbling across something unexpected.

Creative Harborough: A Celebration 2026 runs from 1–30 September. Download the full programme and find all the event details, booking information and year-round Creative Harborough activities at www.creativeharborough.org.

And keep an eye out for the printed programme around Market Harborough and the surrounding villages too. September is going to be difficult to miss.