Winchester Hat Fair everything you need to know about event

Here is everything you need to know about the event, including what's on, venues, timings and road closures.

READ MORE: 'No compromise on quality': Hat Fair director promises diverse 2023 celebration

When is the Hat Fair this year?

 

The event will take place over two days, beginning Friday, June 30 and ending on Saturday, July 1.

What time is the carnival?

The carnival is the big event, an explosion of colour featuring hundreds of local school-children dressed in costumes based on a theme, this year – ‘Shout About It!’. The school children will be joined by other local community groups.

It will begin at 1pm, according to the online timetable. 

What road closures will be in place? 

 

Road closures and Traffic Restrictions will be enforced on the following roads.

• Garnier Road
• High Street
• Colebrook Street
• The Square
• High Street
• Busket Lane
• The Broadway

 

Here is what you can expect to see:

 

878 AD - "Some of the cast of Hampshire Cultural Trust’s new immersive attraction, 878 AD, will be let loose on the streets of Winchester."

Timings: 

Friday - The Square at 3:30pm on Friday, and

Saturday - Cathedral Outer Close at 11am and 1pm, Abbey Gardens 3pm

Ancient Futures - "An Afrofuturism inspired outdoor spectacular that blends contemporary circus and storytelling with Sound System culture.

Tickets and prices can be found here.

Timings:

Friday - Busket Yard at 5pm and 7pm

Angie Mack: Hula Hoop Street Show - "Everything you ever wanted and never needed to know about hula hooping. From death defying stunt hooping to the weird and wonderful world of mini hoop madness."

Timings:

Friday - St Maurice's Covert at 11:15am, High Street at 1:30pm, Cathedral Outer Close at 5:15pm.

Saturday - The Square at 11:45am, Cathedral Outer Close at 1:30pm and The Broadway at 5:30pm.

The Banan'O'Rama - "Pierrick St-Pierre a.k.a Mr Banana uses physical comedy and miming mixed with circus skills to produce a colourful display of skills"

Timings:

Friday - The Square at 11:15am, 1:30pm and 5:15pm

Saturday - Abbey Gardens at 11:30am, 2:30pm and 5:15pm

Barada Street - "A gangly English idiot and an athlete from Kyrgyzstan create the world of wonder that is Barada Street."

Timings:

Friday - St Maurice's Covert at 12pm, High Street at 2:15pm and The Square at 4:15pm

Saturday - Cathedral Outer Close at 12:45pm, High Street at 3pm and The Square at 17:15pm

Big Gay Disco Bike - "Exactly what it sounds like, a feel good pop-up big gay disco performed on a bike."

Timings:

Friday - High Street at 12:30pm, 4:40pm and 6:30pm

Saturday - High Street at 1:30pm, The Square at 3:30pm and Busket Yard at 7:05pm

Chris the Jugger - "A classic street-style circus show."

Friday - Cathedral Outer Close at 4:30pm

Complimentary Colours - "Join Blue Apple’s Special Assignments Company on their creative journey of technicoloured connection at the Winchester Hat Fair."

Timings:

Friday - The Square at 2:30pm

Crazy Golf Company - "Crazy Golf Company are Hat Fair regulars, bringing their quirky, hand-built crazy golf course."

Timings:

Friday - Cathedral Outer Close from 11am - 6pm

Saturday - Cathedral Outer Close from 11am - 6pm

DiElle - "An acoustic folk-pop duo performing toe-tapping and funny songs."

Timings:

Friday - Cathedral Outer Close at 2:30pm

Driftwood Troubadours - "Performing unique songs as a journey through time and imagination."

Timings:

Friday - Cathedral Outer Close at 2pm

Family Catwalk Extravaganza - Four professional dancers go head to head in a dance, fashion and lip sync competition in an interactive event

Timings:

Friday - The Square at 3pm and 7pm

Saturday - Busket Yard at 4pm and 6:35pm

Floating Exhibition - "Showcases 100 pieces of artwork created by children and young people across Hampshire."

Timings:

Friday - Cathedral Outer Close from 11am - 5pm

Harriet Jane - "A vintage-inspired, retro obsessed, soloist based on the South Coast of England."

Timings:

Friday - Cathedral Outer Close - 3pm

Hat Fair Carnival - "Schools and groups will hit the streets alongside performing artists from this year’s festival."

Timings:

Friday - Cathedral Outer Close - 1pm

Hope - "Performed using a unique style of micro puppet theatre."

Timings:

Friday - Cathedral Outer Close from 11am - 6pm

Saturday - Cathedral Outer Close from 11am - 6pm

Ian Myers - "Ian sings, plays and has fun - he doesn't take himself too seriously."

Timings:

Friday - Cathedral Outer Close at 3:30pm

Rave Rover - "Keep an eye out for the roaming High Priestess of Pop and her entourage, the Disco Druids."

Timings:

Friday - The Square at 12:30pm and 6pm, High Street at 3:15pm

Saturday - The Square at 12:30pm, High Street at 5pm

Risky Business! - "Jugglers from other sides of the world, come together to create a circus street show."

Timings:

Friday - Cathedral Outer Close at 3pm, High Street at 5:30pm

Saturday - The Broadway at 11am, The Square at 13:30pm and Cathedral Outer Close at 3:45pm

River Knight - "Each song is individual, while retaining the essence of what River Knight represents."

Timings:

Friday - Cathedral Outer Close at 4pm

Rock Choir Live - "The pioneering contemporary choir of the UK ."

Timings:

Friday - Cathedral Outer Close at 5:45pm

Serving Sounds - "A multi-sensory sound installation that serves bass not beer."

Timings:

Friday - St Maurice's Covert at 1pm, 3:40pm and 5:40pm

Saturday - St Maurice's Covert at 11:30am and 15:45pm

Skiing Odyssey - "Ski poles ready, wax your moustache, an encouraging shot of tea and let's start!"

Timings:

Friday - Cathedral Outer Close at 2pm and 4pm

Saturday - Cathedral Outer Close at 12pm and 2:50pm

T-shirt Printing Workshop - "Join Berkshire Printmakers in the Cathedral Close for T-shirt Printing."

Timings:

Friday - 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:45pm and 5pm

Saturday - 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:45pm and 5pm

Tape That - "A charming, light-hearted, non-verbal acrobatic duet."

Timings:

Friday - St Maurice's Covert at 3pm and 5pm

Saturday - Abbey Gardens at 1:15pm, Cathedral Outer Close at 5:10pm

A la Puppet Carte - "A  set of pop up puppet stages built onto the back of electric tricycles."

Timings:

Saturday - Abbey Gardens at 12:10pm and 12:20pm, St Maurice's Covert at 2:10pm and 2:20pm, The Square at 4:20pm and Cathedral Outer Close at 4:30pm

Blue Apple Singers - "A broad mix of song choices and singing styles."

Timings:

Saturday - The Broadway at 1pm

Borderline - "Explores the plight of displaced people as they are forced to flee their homes to find refuge in unknown, unwelcoming lands."

Timings:

Saturday - High Street at 12pm

Bulgarian Folk Dances - "A variety of Bulgarian traditional dances."

Timings:

Saturday - The Broadway at 12:30pm

Extinction - "Playmakers Youth Theatre takeover Dean Garnier Garden with their one of a kind performance."

Timings:

Saturday - Dean Garnier Garden at 3:30pm

Fleeting - "A performer applies powdered chalk onto her skin and starts moving."

Timings:

Saturday - St Maurice's Covert at 3pm and 5:45pm

Hat Fair Goes Wrong! - "Playmakers Youth Theatre takeover the Dean Garnier Garden with their one-of-a-kind performance."

Timings:

Saturday - Dean Garnier Garden at 3pm

Herbie Treehead - "A modern day comedy street clown."

Timings:

Saturday - High Street at 11:10am and 4pm, Cathedral Outer Close at 2pm

High Priestess of Pop and the Disco Druids - "Party on The Broadway!"

Timings: 

Saturday - The Broadway at 8pm

Jon Hicks - "Deadpan unspoken comedy."

Timings:

Saturday - Cathedral Outer Close at 11:15am, The Square at 14:30pm and Abbey Gardens at 4:15pm

Juggling Jake - "Have a go at plate spinning, diabolos, fun pedals, clown bikes, stilts, unicycles and even a tight wire."

Timings:

Saturday - Cathedral Outer Close at 11am

Let The Music Play On! - "It's time to kickstart the summer with some uplifting songs for all the family."

Timings:

Saturday - The Broadway at 4:30pm

Lion St Mesa - "Liberate Dance is a wheelchair dance group that aims to challenge perceptions about what is possible in a wheelchair"

Timings:

Saturday - High Street at 1pm

Maybe Magic - "A long, skinny, charming idiot creates a light hearted comedy magic show."

Timings:

Saturday - The Square at 11am

Millie - "At just 15, singer songwriter Millie has a mellow pop style that connects with people of all ages."

Timings:

Saturday - High Street at 2:30pm

Mughal Miniatures - "A fun and upbeat outdoor performance event for all the family."

Timings:

Saturday - Cathedral Inner Close at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm

Sang Froid - "Members Carl and Paul have played together, pro bono, for over 25 years.

Timings:

Saturday - Abbey Gardens at 3:30pm

Service with a Smile - "The back of a wine shop doesn’t sound very theatrical, but put to the mind of Musical Theatre performers, watch the space transform into a story before your very eyes."

Timings: 

Saturday - Toscanaccio at 11:20am

Sing, sing, sing - "There can be nothing more enjoyable and uplifting than to sing great songs along to fabulous music with wonderful people."

Timings:

Saturday - Cathedral Outer Close at 4:30pm

The Hush Club Disco - "Born from a love of Community Sound System culture, and a proven belief that music will bring people together."

Timings: 

Saturday - The Broadway at 9pm

Titan’s Mistake - "Have you ever wondered if Titans ruled the earth?"

Timings:

Saturday - Winchester City Museum at 1:30pm

Top Hat 2023 - "A showcase of outdoor performance work from past and present students of University of Winchester."

Timings:

Saturday - The Broadway from 1:40pm - 2:30pm

Uke Jam - "Alresford Ukulele Jam deliver favourites from across all genres of music."

Timings:

Saturday - The Broadway at 11:50am

Ukrainian Community Performance - "A spectacular hour of music and singing from members of the Ukrainian Community."

Timings:

Saturday - The Broadway at 3pm