Global Talent Heads for the Coast as Scarborough Streets Prepares to Shine

Saturday, 7 March 2026 18:30

By Matthew Pells

Artists from around the world have signed up to take part in Scarborough Streets when it returns in May.

The cultural landscape of the Yorkshire Coast is set for a vibrant transformation this spring as performers from across the globe and the local community prepare for the upcoming Scarborough Streets outdoor arts festival. Organisers have reported a significant wave of interest, with the event promising a diverse showcase of creativity in the heart of the town.

Catherine Goble, the festival co-ordinator, expressed her enthusiasm for the high level of engagement the event has already received from both the local area and much further away. She noted that the festival is successfully attracting a broad spectrum of talent.

"We've had over 30 proposals submitted for Scarborough Streets from locals and from people further a field, So, it's a really good mix.

And then the deadline to register for Scarborough Fringe and Scarborough Art is on Friday the 13th of March. So, we're really keen to get more registrations in.

So, if anybody listening to this wants to get involved, go to https://scarboroughfair.uk/fringe/takepart/ and all the details are on there."

Scarborough Streets, scheduled to take place from 29 to 31 May 2026, is designed as an inclusive community celebration. The three-day festival will feature a variety of free outdoor performances and activities between 11am and 4pm in the town centre. According to the organisers, the primary goal is to inspire and showcase local creativity, ensuring there is "something for everyone" to enjoy. The event is supported by David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, and receives funding from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Following the streets festival, the focus will shift to the Scarborough Fringe, which is set to run from 12 to 21 June 2026. This open-access event is described as a "vibrant and dynamic celebration of the arts" encompassing theatre, music, comedy, spoken word, and children’s shows.

Organisers are currently making a final push for participants to join the Fringe line-up before the 13 March deadline to ensure inclusion in the printed programme guide. The festival is open to a wide range of contributors, including:

Professional performers and arts organisations.
Schools and community groups.
"Fringe veterans" or first-time performers looking to test new material.

Registration for the Fringe is priced at £30, though a 50 per cent discount is available for residents living in the YO11, YO12, YO13, or YO14 postcode areas. Businesses and local venues are also encouraged to participate by hosting or curating their own shows, with venue registration offered free of charge.

The festivals are part of The Scarborough Fair, a year-round programme of arts, heritage, and sporting events. This initiative is a project of North Yorkshire Council, made possible through investment from the UK government’s Town Deals funding.

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