COSMOPOLITAN ARTS FESTIVAL 2026

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at Cosmopolitan Arts Festival 2026. What an incredible, energetic display of culture and creativity!

Once again, Cosmopolitan Arts Festival brought Leicester’s wonderfully diverse communities together in a vibrant celebration of music, dance, creativity and culture from around the world. From hands-on jewellery-making and drumming activities to spectacular live performances, there was something for everyone to discover, enjoy and get involved in. The city centre came alive across four performance areas, showcasing an incredible mix of talent, creativity and rich cultural traditions.

Our festival is all about bringing people together, breaking down cultural barriers, and showcasing creativity and cultural excellence. We were thrilled by the enthusiastic response from audiences throughout the day. Thank you for bringing your energy and enthusiasm, making this another very special event!

The Main Stage – A music journey

Our Main Stage delivered a full day of fantastic live music, taking audiences on a journey through reggae, soul, South Asian classical music, pop-rock, ska and much more. We were delighted to present Calyrical, Stereotype, Jugalbandi, Pressure Tenants, Rhythm of Peace, Mystic Crew, and our fantastic headliner, The South, who closed the festival with a beautiful, uplifting performance.

Keeping the atmosphere buzzing between performances, the brilliant Contrast Steel Band brought the unmistakable sound of steel pan to delight audiences!

The World Stage – Global sounds

Over on the aptly named World Stage, Gallowtree Gate was transformed into a celebration of global music and culture.

Audiences enjoyed an exciting programme featuring Irish folk, Chinese classical music, Mariachi, South Asian classical music and more, with every performance offering a chance to experience something new. We were delighted to have performances from Akash Parekh & Janan Sathiendran, Euphoria, Mariachi King, Eire of the Dog, and King Brasstards.

Dance, movement and creativity

The Dance Area at St Peter’s Square was alive with movement, with a dynamic programme celebrating a wide range of dance traditions and styles.

From Indian classical and Latvian folk dance to Chinese classical dance and contemporary performances from Leicester-based collectives, the area showcased the incredible diversity of dance talent in our city. Audiences could also get involved themselves through our fabulous movement workshops.

The Dance Area was brought to life by performances from Leicester Dance Academy, Euphoria, SD Entertainment, Rosetta’s Variety Entertainment, Aaliyah’s Movement, Rokraksts, Legendary Mersals, Baviya Vinothkumar, and The Movement Project!

The High Street – Alive with Creativity

And there was even more happening on the High Street, where we were delighted to host our first-ever DJ Clash! A huge thank you to The Basement Presents for hosting and bringing the competition to life. They were joined by Wild Technique Breakers, who wowed audiences with their incredible skills and energy, adding another exciting dimension to the festival. Roaming performances from Dhol Academy Drummers and Beatbox Jukebox kept audiences entertained all around the centre.

We had some incredible workshops including jewellery-making, drumming, a showcase of Nigerian instruments and traditions, and visual artists who created some fantastic pieces throughout the day.

Thank you!

A huge thank you to every performer, artist, staff member, workshop leader, partner and everyone behind the scenes who helped make Cosmopolitan Arts Festival 2026 possible.

Thank you to everyone who came along, danced, listened, created, explored and celebrated with us. You helped make the city centre a truly vibrant and welcoming place to be.

We cannot wait to see you next year for another festival of Leicester’s vibrant community!

This event is made possible thanks to public funding from Arts Council England. We are hugely grateful for their continued support.

This event is also brought to you by Leicester City Council. We want to say a huge thank you to them for their support.

Thank you to Highcross Leicester for their support throughout the day.

What our audience had to say

“The atmosphere and quality of music has been fantastic. All groups of people coming together – love it.”

“These pop up events are a great way to appreciate and strengthen the community.”

“This is a great use of the space, I love hearing from local bands and musicians, seeing local arts and performances.”

“It is a day of enjoyment seeing different cultures being involved in the community.”