A new free arts festival is coming to Lancaster this May, offering residents a chance to explore exhibitions and take part in hands-on creative workshops. Running from 11 May to 16 May 2026, the event is designed to help local people improve their wellbeing through creative expression.
The festival, titled Experience: A Festival of Art, will be held at The Storey Gallery in the city centre. The gallery will be open daily from 11am to 5pm. Organisers have timed the event to fall between the two bank holidays in May, providing a free cultural activity for residents during the month.
The event is being run by King Street Arts Associates, a local group of more than 50 artists founded by Roy Smith and Kath Macdonald in 2017. The group has previously organised nine annual art fairs in the city. For this new festival, they have brought together work from more than 35 local artists, covering a range of styles including painting, digital art, sculpture, mosaics, photography, ceramics, and weaving.
Visitors can also participate in several creative activities, such as an introduction to weaving, sessions on experimenting with paint, charcoal drawing, and a family clay workshop where participants can make their own monsters. There will also be a series of artist demonstrations taking place throughout the week.
While all festival events are free to attend, spaces must be booked in advance through the King Street Studios website.
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