The Roses Theatre joins Medieval Festival Parade
The Roses Theatre is helping bring one of Tewkesbury's most popular Medieval Festival traditions back to the town's streets
Tewkesbury's Roses Theatre has joined forces with Tewkesbury Medieval Festival to help restore one of the event's most popular traditions - the town-centre parade. The collaboration will see theatre expertise, costumes and performers helping to create a vibrant medieval atmosphere throughout the town during one of Europe's largest free medieval festivals.
The partnership forms part of The Roses Theatre's wider commitment to supporting community events and celebrating the culture and heritage that make Tewkesbury such a special place to live, work and visit.
Festival organisers and theatre staff hope the return of the parade will encourage even more residents and visitors to enjoy the atmosphere throughout the town centre during the festival weekend.
Bringing Medieval Spectacle Back to Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury's Roses Theatre has joined forces with the town's long-standing Medieval Festival to help bring back the event's popular town-centre parade.
The parade was one of the highlights of the festival for many years, and The Roses is using its theatrical know-how to return medieval pomp and ceremony to the town's high street.
Widely regarded as the largest free celebration of all things medieval anywhere in Europe, Tewkesbury Medieval Festival is a red-letter event for the town. It is also entirely volunteer-led.
"It's such a brilliant part of the culture of our town," says the theatre's Artistic Director, Derek Bond. "So it makes total sense to play our part and ensure our streets and shops are able to get properly into the medieval mood!"
Festival History Comes Alive
Much of the festival takes place just outside the town on part of the site of the historic Battle of Tewkesbury, which took place in 1471 during the Wars of the Roses.
Since 1983, the Medieval Festival has seen a historically accurate encampment established on the battlefield for a full weekend. Visitors can explore medieval arts and crafts, meet re-enactors, watch battle recreations and experience life as it would have been more than 500 years ago.
For 2026, The Roses will help bring theatre and culture back into the town centre itself, featuring costumes, character walkabouts, medieval-themed performances and a full parade through Tewkesbury.
A Community Partnership
"The parade has been a much-loved part of the festival weekend since its inception in 2015, and we know how much it's been missed in recent years," says Mikki Hache, one of the festival's directors.
"That's why we're so grateful to The Roses for all their hard work and dedication in bringing it back for the 2026 event, and in engaging the community and local groups. We can't wait to see it back!"
The volunteer-led festival is entirely self-funded and has grown year after year since it began in 1983.
"Cultural events like this are so important to towns like ours," adds Bond. "Not only should everyone have access to exciting spectacle and informative events; theatre and the arts are good for the economy, too."
"For every £1 spent on a theatre or cultural event ticket, £1.40 of further spending flows into surrounding restaurants, pubs and shops. Bringing the parade back into town will inject even more life into Tewkesbury - and we're so proud to be part of that happening."
Tewkesbury Medieval Festival takes place on 11 and 12 July 2026, with the parade filling the streets of Tewkesbury on Sunday 12 July at 11.15am.
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3 June 2026
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