The IF: Milton Keynes International Festival has been a dynamic booster for the arts and culture of the city since 2010, on a recurring basis, biennially. With a 10-day array of various types of world-class performances, installations, and interactive experiences, produced by The Stables, this festival positions Milton Keynes as a dynamic centre for the creation of innovative arts.
IF: Milton Keynes International Festival will take place between 18-27 July 2025. Festival Central will be in Campbell Park, where the famous Spiegeltent forms a lively hub of activity. With a mixed programme of music, theatre, dance, installations, and visual arts lined up, there is something for everyone.
Festival Overview
The IF: Milton Keynes International Festival boasts a wide range of programming, from huge outdoor spectacles to intimate theatre performances, contemporary dance, live music, and visual arts installations. Using different settings around MK, the festival creates a dynamic cultural playground within the city.
A huge variety of programming offered by the festival is free of charge, allowing universal access for all audiences.
What’s On
Saturday 19th July – 7:30pm
The Demon Barbers 25th Anniversary Celebration
Marking their 25th anniversary, The Demon Barbers are launching on an electrifying touring road show.
Known for their unique blend of British folk music, fused with high-energy dance, the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-winning band will perform new material alongside fresh takes on their classics. In the front line is Damien Barber, joined by Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, Hugh Vincent, and Alix Shepherd, not forgetting the exceptional clog dancers and contrasts of hip-hop duo Chris Banks & Marie Mathias.
“We’re really excited to revisit a bit of our journey,” said Barber. One can expect a genre-defying spectacle of folk, hip-hop, and breakdance, celebrating The Demon Barbarians and their rich heritage: a must-watch. They are currently on tour in the UK!
Sunday 20th July – 8pm
Taskmaster champion and acclaimed comedian Lou Sanders makes her headline set grow in length! She is known for being on Live at the Apollo, QI, Would I Lie to You?, and The Late Late Show with James Corden. Lou is one of the most original and celebrated stand-ups out of the UK, having toured around the world with sold-out shows and having earned rave reviews in The Guardian, the Scotsman, and The Evening Standard.Lou will be joined by two other great comedians, with names to be announced soon!This is a not-to-be-missed night of comedy—book now! Suitable for ages 16 and over.
Monday 21st July – 8pm
Get ready for an unforgettable evening of powerhouse vocals, side-splitting comedy, and dazzling entertainment at the IF: Milton Keynes International Festival with the one and only La Voix!
This intimate show promises electrifying performances and plenty of laughs, plus a special guest appearance from Tori Scott—the “Bette Midler of the new millennium.”
Expect glitz, glamour, and a night like no other!
⭐ “Wear thick pants—you’ll wet yourself laughing!” – Jennifer Saunders
⭐ “A genuine one-off!” – Sir Ian McKellen Book now for a fabulous night!
Tuesday 22nd July – 8pm
Le Vent du Nord is a multi-award-winning band of long-standing repute and a feature of Quebec’s progressive, Francophone folk scene. Vibrant, anthemic, and deeply soulful, their music is a happy marriage of traditional melodies and worldwide influences that has taken the world by storm.
Since 2002, El Vent du Nord has performed over two thousand and five hundred concerts on four continents, winning two Juno awards, the Songlines Music Award (2023) and several other ADISQ Felixes. Their electrifying concert performances and collaborations with symphonic orchestras are widely known, and with that tradition they continue to challenge the conventions of folk music.
The Band:
🎻 Nicolas Boulerice | André Brunet | Réjean Brunet | Olivier Demers | André Gagné
Experience their dynamic performances live!
Wednesday 23rd July – 8pm
Under the legendary leadership of Pauline Black OBE, The Selecter are a defining force of 2-Tone ska.
Known for hits like Three Minute Hero and On My Radio, they tour still and continue to release albums, with Human Algebra, released in 2023 and described as highly acclaimed, being no different in this case. The 2023 documentary Pauline Black: A 2-Tone Story explored her extraordinary story, having world premiered at the BFI London Film Festival.
They performed at Wembley Stadium with Blur and at the Closing Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games. With Charley ‘Aitch’ Bembridge at the helm, they salute their legacy and electrify audiences around the world. Touring the UK, the USA, and Europe.
Tuesday 22nd July – 8pm
It all began in Stornoway, where Innes, Uilly, and Boydie would play tunes for their dog and cat on Saturday nights.
One evening, Boydie mumbled, “Quick, line me out!” and it was such a haphazard setup that the sound they heard was unlike anything that had ever existed before. And then came a flood of lyrics off the back of that—Peat & Diesel had been born! Quite frankly, not everything in these songs makes sense to most people, but if you do understand, you are one unique kind of person. #Peatlemania goes deep into the Western Isles, from Calum Dan’s Transit Van to the Airidh—but don’t stop till you lose the water.
Friday 25th July – 7:30pm
Lucy Spraggan is a singer-songwriter with great influence in folk, indie pop, and acoustic genres, enhanced by some powerfully emotive lyrics.
She has released Other Sides of the Moon-she has a brand new album coming out later this year including new songs and reworked favourites from the past 15 years. Her duet Sober with Robbie Williams reflects her five-year journey into sobriety. In her tenure at The X Factor, Lucy made history, with her being the first contestant to chart before live shows in 2012, totalling over 150M Spotify streams in her career. Her memoir, Process, a Sunday Times bestseller, began touring from March to April 2025, ahead of her attendance at summer festivals.
Saturday 26th July – 2pm
Rubbish Shakespeare Co: Rubbish Romeo & Juliet
Enemies. Balconies. Kissing… Sausage Rolls!?
Three clowns take on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet armed with tatty wigs, a floral dress, and a burst airbed. This has been described as “like Horrible Histories but funnier” by the Primary Times. Rubbish Shakespeare Company returns with slapstick, might be clowning added up with mischievous storytelling chaos in the introduction to the Bard, fun and enjoyable.
⭐ “A genius way to bring the Bard to fresh audiences” ★★★★★ – West End Best Friend
⭐ “It’s pure rubbish… and you’ll love every minute” ★★★★★ – Wee Review
For ALL ages – don’t miss it!
Saturday 26th July – 7:30pm
Since the release of Cuddly Toy was No. 4 on the UK chart in 1988, Roachford has been one of the top rock and soul music figures from the UK.
He has done extensive writing for Michael Jackson, Joss Stone, and Chaka Khan. Nine years of his career were summed up as part of the Mike + the Mechanics. Recording of many albums and world tours together with various great figures followed this.
The musician was awarded an MBE for Services to Music in 2019. “With music, I try to invoke feelings from people,” he said, describing the trade. Roachford is indeed a musical powerhouse, conducting an ongoing enthrallment of audiences worldwide.
Come along and see Roachford at IF: Milton Keynes International Festival.
Sunday 27th July – 2pm
Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure for Kids
Join renowned multitalented beatboxer SK Shlomo (they/them) in creating dazzling music using nothing but a mouth and a mic! Having performed with Bjork, Ed Sheeran and Rudimental, they return with their 5-star sell-out show. Sonic superhero sidekicks will delight the kids (and adults!) as they create funny sounds, incredible noises, and, of course, cool music from ages one to one hundred and one!
★★★★ “A perfect show… sets young imaginations alight” – The Times
Don’t miss this beatboxing adventure—fun for the whole family!
Sunday 27th July – 7:30pm
This is a band dancing in the Celtic manner-English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish traditional dances-and so much more!
The front-line comprises several dynamite callers, dancers teaching how to dance, the band features some of the best trad musicians playing out high energy, soulful music to keep people going in fun, simple dances in which people from all generations can partake. They believe that inclusiveness has been the cornerstone of social dancing from time immemorial, and they intend to carry this principle on.
The dancing couples are allowed to dance together in mixed-gender combinations, and dance instruction does not use gendered nouns or pronouns. The band also serves as a support group for individuals with mobility or other physical problems and assists individuals who have become stranded in countries where the local language is a barrier through pictorial aids. The Ceilidh, thus, is a really good wedding, party, or work gathering, hence making it a big hit in all events throughout the year.
The band also plays for major Nest Collective events such as the Burns Supper, spring, summer, and Halloween Ceilidhs and is scheduled to perform at several festivals across the nation.
