Scarborough Streets 2026: Three Days of Free Outdoor Entertainment

The last weekend of May brings something a bit different to Scarborough. From Friday 29th to Sunday 31st, the town centre transforms into an outdoor performance space – street theatre on Westborough, circus skills in Crescent Gardens, live music spilling across Aberdeen Walk. 

It's free. It's outdoors. And it's designed for families.

What's Scarborough Streets?

A three-day curated festival featuring outdoor events, street art, performances and workshops across the pedestrianised town centre.  The festival runs from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM each day, with performances happening simultaneously at four main locations: Westborough Stage, Aberdeen Walk Stage, North Street Stage, and Crescent Gardens.

You can catch professional acts alongside community groups, all whilst the high street shops run special offers for festival-goers.

Friday 29th May: Youth Music and Street Theatre

Friday belongs to the young musicians. The Youth Musicians Stage in Crescent Gardens showcases performers aged five to twenty. 

Westborough Stage highlights:

• Nathan Badger – upbeat hits from across the decades
• The Three Musketeers – clowning performance with balloon swords
• Pandaemonium – giant pandas, spontaneous dancing, and enthusiastic hugs
• Prime – a coming-of-age drama set to the 1990s soundtrack

Aberdeen Walk features acoustic sets from local musicians including Alice Ashby & Bertie Ward, Mally Jackson, and Jack Robertson with Sam McKie.

North Street brings close-up magic with Tent of Mystery Street Magic and Penny Arcadia's Victorian Barrel Organ.

Workshops: Craft sessions for the community walkabout parade, plus Dress a Donkey to Take The Beach in Crescent Gardens

Saturday 30th May: Choirs, Dancers, and Puppeteered Rock

Westborough Stage:

• The Pierrots – recreating Scarborough's Victorian outdoor entertainment
• Scarborough Wellbeing Choir – 45-50 people with audience participation
• Arbeau Dancers – historical dance from medieval to Victorian periods
• Korali Ukrainian Choir – passionate melodies from Ukrainian women who've made Scarborough home
• Nathan Badger returns 

Aberdeen Walk:

• Jimi Handtrix & Friends – puppeteered rock performance (you have to see it)
• The Rising Sun Association – martial arts demonstrations
• Magic and balloon modelling with Stephen Brailsford
• Brittany Dance Class workshop

Workshops:



• North Street: Wand and Spell-Making and Have-a-Go Hula Hoops
• Crescent Gardens: Stories We Step Inside for ages 3-6, 7-11, and 10-12
• Westborough: Female Inventors Crafts Workshop
• Scarborough Library: Songs of Hope & Resistance (12:30-1:30 PM), then performance at 2 PM in Crescent Gardens

Sunday 31st May: Shanties, K-Pop Spartans, and the Community Parade

Westborough Stage:

• Hornsea Shanty Lasses – traditional maritime songs and sea shanties
• Technospartens K-Pop Dancers – performing in LED-covered Halo armour
• The Pierrots return
• Dragon Dance – flow arts and silk manipulation 

Aberdeen Walk features acoustic folk, musical theatre, and French cabaret songs.

Sunday workshops:

• Crescent Gardens: Secret Sub Rosa – Circus Skills and DJ Skills
• North Street: Magic & Balloon Modelling Workshop

The festival closes with the Community Walkabout – a parade through the pedestrianised streets where children show off costumes they've made during the weekend. 

The High Street Gets Involved

Local businesses are running special offers throughout the festival weekend. 

Food and drink:



• Beach Hut Creations and Tearoom: Yorkshire Tea with homemade Yorkshire Tea Loaf for £3.50
• Bonnets: Free chocolate with purchases over £10, cake and coffee for £6.50
• Le Jardin: Cream Tea £5, Burger & Beer £14.95
• Sitwell Nibbles: Hot or cold drink with any cake, scone or pastry for £5 (Friday and Saturday only)
• Greensmith Coffee: Launch of June monthly special

Retail:

• Ginger & Gray: 10% off in store
• Go Outdoors Express: 10% off sunglasses, t-shirts and shorts (membership required)
• Creative Crafts Scarborough: Tea tasting sessions Friday and Saturday, with 10% off tea purchases

Entertainment:

• Stephen Joseph Theatre: £2 off tickets to Calendar Girls the Musical using code Streets£2
• Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Cast members performing pop-up songs during the festival, plus full show at Queen Street Methodist Church

Experiences:

• Moldai Studios: View Queen Victoria in 3D through an original First World War stereoscope
• The Scarborough Pottery: Sunday 31st at 11 AM and 2 PM, watch Taylor throw a pot live

Three days. Dozens of performances. One town centre transformed into something you won't see the rest of the year. Scarborough Streets happens once – the last weekend of May – and whether you're here for the youth musicians on Friday morning or the community parade on Sunday afternoon, you'll leave with something worth talking about. See you there!