All the World's Our Playground festival returns to Shepton

By Laura Linham 17th Jul 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 1 hour ago

All the World's Our Playground Festival returns to Shepton Mallet on Saturday, 18 July, with a free day of circus, music, dance, theatre and creativity. The event will run from 11 am to 4 pm in the Market Place.

Now in its seventh year, the festival will transform the town centre into an outdoor celebration of performance and community creativity. It has been programmed by local young people and will bring together internationally acclaimed performers, local artists, community groups and students.

Organisers say visitors can drop in for an hour or stay for the whole day, with free performances, workshops and family activities throughout the programme. The line-up includes circus, aerial theatre, live music, dance, storytelling, crafts and chances for people to get involved.

This year's festival will welcome ManoAmano, an internationally acclaimed circus company from Argentina. The company combines acrobatics, comedy and physical theatre and has performed in more than 37 countries.

The programme will also include the premiere of On the Shoulders, a new aerial theatre performance created during a week-long residency at Whitstone School. Students have been working with professional artists from Pirates of the Carabina to create and perform the piece.

Harvey Juggling will return after appearing at last year's festival, bringing juggling, comedy and audience participation. Local performers will also be part of the day, including sunRISE Dance Company, a community flashmob, Morris dancers and live folk musicians.

The festival will include a Sing-a-Ling music workshop, Shepton Stories drama workshop with George Oliver, children's craft activities, a magical dance workshop with Emma-Jayne and live piano performances. Dance performances and folk music are also planned before ManoAmano closes the programme at 3.30 pm.

The full programme begins at 11 am with the music workshop, drama workshop and children's craft activities. The community flashmob is scheduled for 11.30 am, followed by Morris dancing at 11.45 am, with more workshops and performances running throughout the afternoon.

All the World's Our Playground Festival is free to attend and no booking is needed. Organisers said: "Simply come along, explore the programme, discover something new and enjoy a day celebrating creativity with family, friends and the wider community."