The streets of Coventry are set to come alive later this summer as part of a dynamic new outdoor arts festival!

Streets of Cov Outdoor Festival | Arts & Culture in Coventry

• Dates: Fridays and Saturdays | August 16th - September 21st
• Locations: venues across Coventry - see below for list.
• Price: FREE
• Booking: no need to book, just turn up!
• Click here for more info and the full schedule

Imagineer Productions is to launch Streets of Cov, which will bring free pop-up performances of circus, dance, music, theatre and water-based pyrotechnics to the city’s streets. The six-week festival will run on Fridays and Saturdays from August 16th to September 21st and feature world-class local, national and international acts including the award-winning Cia Kamchàtka, Stopgap, Highly Sprung, Gobbledegook Theatre, Avanti Display and Motionhouse, and comedy from Fraser Hooper and Abi Collins.

Performances will be held in iconic locations across the city including Broadgate, Coventry Cathedral, the Canal Basin, London Road Cemetery, St Mary’s Guildhall and Lower Precinct. The family-friendly festival, which has been backed by the Heart of England Community Foundation and is being presented in partnership with Coventry City Council, aims to offer a diverse and captivating programme to bring the community together, ignite joy and inspire creativity. Heart of England Community Foundation, the regional grant-making body for the West Midlands and Warwickshire, is a key supporter of the event and has donated £36,239 to make the festival possible.

Angus MacKechnie, Creative Director and CEO of Imagineer Productions, said: 

“We are extremely excited to announce the Streets of Cov festival. The event will feature top local, national and international outdoor arts companies, including many performers from Coventry and the West Midlands, offering a thrilling blend of circus, dance, storytelling and visual spectacles. Audiences will be able to dive into a wild adventure of breathtaking acrobatics and dance, see a tiny painting come to life, watch hilarious comedy acts, marvel at a circus made entirely from bamboo and even meet a six-metre tall slinky!"

"Our goal is to engage the local community by providing free, high-quality arts experiences that are accessible to everyone, and elevate Coventry’s status as a leading hub for outdoor arts. No tickets are needed, people can just come along and enjoy. We would like to thank Heart of England Community Foundation for its significant contribution towards the event as well as a range of other partners who are supporting us in a range of ways. With a variety of entertainment on offer, including the award-winning Cia Kamchàtka from Spain, Streets of Cov is the perfect event for families and individuals looking for an unforgettable experience.”

Streets of Cov Festival Performances

There are a wide range of exciting and thought-provoking performances happening across the festival. Click here to see the full schedule. Here's a sample of what to expect:

The Spurting Man | Avanti Display | Friday 16th August, 1.30pm and 5.15pm

Get ready for soggy laughs and inventive absurdity. Meet the infamous and pompous speciality act ‘Spurting Man’ and his undervalued, downtrodden assistant; culminating in a waterlogged finale when he is crowned and, atop his pedestal, cascades fountains of water as he becomes a human fountain.  

WILD | Motionhouse | Saturday 17th August, 1pm and 5.15pm

Dive into a wild adventure with a breathtaking mix of acrobatics and dance; through extraordinary physical skills, Motionhouse explores our relationship with nature, the urban jungle and our mobile phones. A breathtaking must-see! 

Funny Business | Fraser Hooper | Friday 23rd August, 1.15pm and 5pm

Guaranteed giggles galore from internationally award-winning funnyman; featuring a stunt duck, a human fish, eccentric dancing and the silliest boxing match you have ever seen. Get a ringside seat for a belly-aching knockout performance.  

Kamchàtka | Cia Kamchàtka | Saturday 24th August, 12pm and 4pm

Eight mysterious visitors arrive with just their suitcases and an insatiable curiosity. Never the same show twice, this interactive company inspire and challenge our perceptions about how we welcome strangers.  

Mughal Miniatures | Sonia Sabri Dance | Friday 30th August, 12pm, 1.30pm and 3pm

Celebrate the splendour of Mughal art as miniature paintings come to life and meet a majestic peacock and a prim princess in the Guildhall courtyard. If you’re very lucky, you’ll get to see the peacock and the princess dance together! 

There's so much more to see! Click here for the full schedule and pop along to one of these quality performances.