SIRF 24: Here's everything you need to know to have a fun-filled festival!

The world-renowned Stockton International Riverside Festival will once again be wowing crowds in Stockton Town Centre from Friday!

SIRF 24 brings together some of the finest street theatre, dance, music and arts from across the globe, with more than 120 performances taking place over the three days for all ages.

There are shows, installations, workshops and so many things to see and do, plus the SIRF Community Carnival, a family favourite, returns on Sunday. There'll be something to entertain everyone, and it's all free to enjoy!

Councillor Steve Nelson, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Health, Leisure and Culture, said: "With thousands of people expected to visit SIRF across the three days, now's the time to plan your festival to make the most of your experience.

"Take a look at this year's programme and choose which of the fabulous range of acts you'd like to see, which of the tasty food stalls are tempting you and plan your journey for a relaxed experience. And remember to keep tuned to our social media accounts for news and up to date information throughout the week."

Here's your guide to the festival:

What is SIRF?

Stockton International Riverside Festival is the centrepiece of the Borough's popular annual events calendar. It attracts tens of thousands of people to the town each year who come to be entertained by high quality outdoor arts - from spectacular large scale shows as well as small, intimate experiences.

When is it on?

SIRF24 kicks off on Friday (2 August) and runs through to Sunday (4 August).

Is there anything different this year?

Yes, as the towns major development on the Riverside continues, blocking the space that has traditionally been used for our largest shows, for the first time in many years SIRF is concentrated on the High Street.

The festival gets underway on the Friday and there's plenty to enjoy on the High Street, Parish Gardens and SIRF Green (Bishop Street Car Park) from 1pm, including Farm Yard Circus, Roar Race sound powered tricycle racing, Nofit State's joyful show Bamboo and Culinary Capers, a culinary themed show that will have audiences spellbound.

Our dramatic launch show at 9.30pm on Friday sees Mécanique Vivante returning to the UK for the first time in 35 years to thrill audiences with their musical inventions and dream machines in The Sirens' Song, featuring two phenomenal structures made from former air raid sirens!

The SIRF Community Carnival remains a highlight on Sunday afternoon at 2pm, boasting a staggering 750 participants, artists and musicians. Watch the vibrant procession loop through the High Street, passing the Plinth stage twice! The carnival will start in its usual location, heading south on the High Street, but it will then loop around the Shambles and head back toward the Globe and Church Road.

Then visitors and carnival-goers can stick around and party, with workshops, live music, dance and live shows before the spectacular SIRF finale at 9.30pm, Between Realms by Fidget Feet, Ireland's national company for aerial arts, and Sound De Secà (Catalonia), on the High Street's North Car Park and Plinth Stage.

As usual there will be a whole host of family-friendly fun and quirky performances throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the action starting around 1pm each day.

Is SIRF free?

Yes - all of the SIRF24 shows are free this year but two are ticketed due to limited capacity. They are: Chad Taylor Closer To My Dreams and Red Herring Productions Silent Disco.

Tickets are free and available to collect on a first come, first served basis each day two hours before the start of each show from SIRF Central in the Enjoy Stockton-on-Tees shop at 134b High Street.

For the rest of the shows you can simply turn up and enjoy!

What will there be to eat and drink?

Throughout the festival SIRF Green is once again the place to go for scrummy scran and is open daily during the festival from 12pm to 10.30pm in Bishop Street Car Park.

There's something to tickle everyone's taste buds including New York style pizza, crepes and waffles, cakes and bakes, Indian and Korean street food, speciality coffees, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.

For opening hours, details of the traders and entertainment visit the SIRF website.

What's the best way to get there?

Visitors are encouraged to walk or cycle into town or use public transport wherever possible. Free secure bike storage is available at The Hub on Stockton High Street on Saturday and Sunday 12pm to 6pm.

Visit the Connect Tees Valley website to help you find the best options for your journey.

If you're visiting by car please note some car parks are closed during the festival, including Bishop Street Car Park, Shambles on-street Car park, High Street Car Park, Parliament Street Car Park and Riverside Car Park (north).     

There are still many parking options with hundreds of spaces available within a short walking distance of the town centre. For full list of car parks and a useful map visit the SIRF website. You can also park in Wellington Square, which is subject to parking charges.

The A1305 Riverside road will remain open to traffic throughout the festival, with a contraflow and 20mph speed limit due to the ongoing waterfront development.

There will be a small number of road closures in place in order for us to host the festival safely. To view a full list visit SIRF.

Is SIRF accessible?

SIRF has a proud history of supporting disabled and disabled-friendly artists and there's a range of services on offer to help people with disabilities access performance sites and accessible viewing areas. Our Accessible SIRF Champions service is available on request and should be booked 24 hours in advance at SIRF Central.

This year we have a number of shows which will have BSL (British Sign Language) interpreters present or feature integrated BSL within performances.

For audience members with visual impairments, the following shows will have audio description introductions:

• Dizzy O'Dare, Falconry Dismay 
• Paul Ramírez Jonas, Public Trust 
• JW3, The Great Yiddish Parade 
• Perhaps Contraption, The Journey 

A number of shows at SIRF this year are also offering touch tours.

For full details on Accessible SIRF visit SIRF, or pop along to SIRF Central to find out more.

Where can I get SIRF updates during the festival?

Be sure to follow the festival's social media on Facebook, X and Instagram to keep up with any changes.

Use the #SIRF24 hashtag on your posts from the festival and you could see them featured online.

I need more information, where should I go?

Visit the SIRF website.

If you need information or help during the festival ask the friendly SIRF Visitor Experience team - you'll see them wearing the orange SIRF t-shirts - or head to SIRF Central.

SIRF is a National Portfolio Organisation supported and funded by Arts Council England.