IF: Milton Keynes International Festival is a biennial 10‑day celebration blending outdoor arts, music, theatre, dance, circus, visual and digital installations, and community engagement. Since 2010—initiated by The Stables—it has grown into a major cultural landmark for Milton Keynes.
📅 Dates & Locations
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Next edition: Friday 18 – Sunday 27 July 2025
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Main venues:
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Campbell Park Events Plateau – Festival Central with large-scale outdoor shows
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centre:mk (Middleton Hall & Queen’s Court) – installations & daytime events
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The Stables Spiegeltent – circus, comedy, music programmes
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🎭 Highlights & Program
Mix of free and ticketed events, targeting families, arts-lovers, locals and tourists. Here are a selection of events taking place. There is a more comprehensive list of events at the bottom of the page.
🔸 Large‑Scale & Outdoor Spectacles
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Transe Express: DNA, Vertical Odyssey – aerial show in Secklow Gate car park
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Klub Girko (Human Time Tree Time) – poetic acrobatics in Campbell Park
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NoFit State Circus: Bamboo – emotional bamboo-powered outdoor circus
🔸 Family-Friendly & Memorial
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Gandini Juggling – You Too Can Tutu – a mix of juggling and ballet for all ages
🔸 Centre:MK Installations & Workshops
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Zwermers: Pan~// Catwalk – fusion of fashion, theatre, community wardrobes
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Serving Sounds – interactive musical mobile “pub
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15ft6: Les Patineurs – roller‑skate circus at Festival Square
🔸 Spiegeltent (Campbell Park)
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Yuck Circus (Australia) – female troupe with comedy & acrobatics
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The Noise Next Door: Freewheeling, Lou Sanders, Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco – vary across comedy, music, circus arts
ℹ️ Visitor Info & Accessibility
📍 Central Hubs & Getting There
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Campbell Park Events Plateau serves as Festival Central, located via Avebury Boulevard (what3words: marinated.isolating.marmalade) It offers:
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Limited accessible parking directly adjacent to the Events Plateau—Blue Badge spaces are available
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A designated drop-off zone at Budgens supermarket (~150 m away) for easier access
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Additional Blue Badge parking is available in city centre car parks and centre:mk multi-storey (near Door 9/Midsummer Place)
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Getting there: well-connected by car, bus, train, cycle routes, redways, Santander bikes, and taxis from Milton Keynes Central station (~30–40 min to Campbell Park)
🚗 Parking & Transport
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By Car: Use postcode MK9 4AJ to reach Festival Central, with clear signage from grid roads H5/H6 Centre:mk car park (John Lewis end, MK9 3QA) and Midsummer Place (MK9 3GA) offer substantial capacity and EV charging, plus ~80 and ~38 disabled spaces respectively
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Park & Ride: Free parking at MK Coachway (MK16 0AA) with frequent bus services into CMK
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Public Transport & Active Travel: Easily accessed via Milton Keynes Central station (regular connections to London, Birmingham), with bus stops on Midsummer Boulevard, redway cycle/walk networks, Santander bikes, and e-scooters
♿ Accessibility Facilities
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Toilets:
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Wheelchair-accessible toilets available on-site at Festival Central and centre:mk
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A Changing Places facility is located at Milton Keynes Gallery, approximately 400 meters from the Events Plateau
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Wheelchair Access:
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Festival Central is laid out on level grass with a surfaced perimeter path; accessing the event spaces may involve short crossings of mown grass
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The Spiegeltent and Circus Hub in centre:mk are equipped with ramps and infrared hearing loop systems
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Quiet Zones & Rest Areas:
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Campbell Park’s vast grounds include surfaced paths with secluded benches—ideal for quiet retreats
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👩🦽 Access Support & Guides
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The Festival works with D/deaf and disabled artists and includes BSL-interpreted performances and audio-described/sound-focused events. An Access Guide, Easy Read Guide, and BSL/large-print materials are available for download
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In-person supports include:
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VocalEyes audio-guided touch tours for visually impaired attendees
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BSL tours led by deaf guides and BSL workshops for d/Deaf audiences
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Stewards and volunteers in pink T-shirts trained to assist with accessibility needs
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👨👩👧 Ideal for Families, Youth & Schools
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Family-friendly programming includes multi-sensory events and creative activities aimed at engaging children, young people, and families .
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The Festival collaborates with schools, youth and community groups, offering interactive, sensory-rich installations, hands-on workshops, and performances such as VocalEyes tours, tactile experiences, and inclusive gigs
What’s On
Her’es a selection of the exciting lineup of events scheduled for the IF: Milton Keynes International Festival. The full list can be found on their official website.
An invited panel, including Festival artists Michael Pendry and Maureen Onwunali, explores the presence of symbolic art – specifically the dove – in secular, everyday spaces.
Also available:- Les Colombes (The White Doves).
DATES & TIMES & LOCATIONS:
Thursday 17th July 2025, 5pm, Middleton Hall – Centre:MK
PRICE:
Free Entry
AGE SUITABILITY:
10+ (Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult)
Michael Pendry’s Les Colombes (The White Doves) has travelled the world—from Jerusalem to New York—and now lands in Milton Keynes.
This striking installation explores unity, freedom, and our shared hope for peace and a better future.
Presented in association with Centre:MK
DATES & TIMES & LOCATIONS:
Friday 18th July 2025, 10am, Middleton Hall – Centre:MK
Saturday 19th July 2025, 10am, Middleton Hall – Centre:MK
Sunday 20th July 2025, 10am, Middleton Hall – Centre:MK
Monday 21st July 2025, 10am, Middleton Hall – Centre:MK
Tuesday 22nd July 2025, 10am, Middleton Hall – Centre:MK
Wednesday 23rd July 2025, 10am, Middleton Hall – Centre:MK
Thursday 24th July 2025, 10am, Middleton Hall – Centre:MK
Friday 25th July 2025, 10am, Middleton Hall – Centre:MK
Saturday 26th July 2025, 10am, Middleton Hall – Centre:MK
Sunday 27th July 2025, 10am, Middleton Hall – Centre:MK
PRICE:
Free Entry
AGE SUITABILITY:
All ages
Luke Jerram’s touring artwork Mars lets you experience the red planet from above.
This seven-metre illuminated sphere, created using detailed NASA imagery at a 1:1 million scale, reveals Mars’s craters, valleys, volcanoes and mountains in stunning detail.
Co-commissioned by Kunsthal KAdE, the UK Space Agency, Science and Technology Facilities Council, and the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres, with support from the University of Bristol.
DATES & TIMES & LOCATIONS:
Friday 18th July 2025, 10am, The Open University
Saturday 19th July 2025, 10am, The Open University
Sunday 20th July 2025, 10am, The Open University
Monday 21st July 2025, 3pm, Church of Christ The Cornerstone
Tuesday 22nd July 2025, 10am, Church of Christ The Cornerstone
Wednesday 23rd July 2025, 10am, Church of Christ The Cornerstone
Friday 25th July 2025, 10am, Church of Christ The Cornerstone
Saturday 26th July 2025, 10am, Church of Christ The Cornerstone
Saturday 26th July 2025, 7pm, Church of Christ The Cornerstone
Sunday 27th July 2025, 2pm, Church of Christ The Cornerstone
PRICE:
Free Entry (Suggested donation of £3)
AGE SUITABILITY:
All ages (Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult)
Two performers, one catwalk, endless outfits.
From denim jackets to glitter dresses, Pan//Catwalk explores how clothing reflects who we are, wish to be, or feel we must be.
Blending fashion, choreography, live music and theatre, the show challenges labels and celebrates fluidity and self-expression.
Zwermers collaborate with the local community, who share their wardrobes and identities in a special performance on Saturday.
DATES & TIMES & LOCATIONS:
- Friday 18th July 2025, 12pm, Queen’s Court – Centre:MK
- Friday 18th July 2025, 2:45pm, Queen’s Court – Centre:MK
- Saturday 19th July 2025, 12:45pm, Unity Place
- Saturday 19th July 2025, 3:30pm, Unity Place
Serving Sounds is a mobile pub that creates connections through music.
You’ll find all the things you’d usually find on a bar, like glasses and beer mats. But when touched, these items create a groove, a sound – maybe even your favourite song.
DATES & TIMES & LOCATIONS:
Friday 18th July 2025, 1pm, Unity Place
Friday 18th July 2025, 4:15pm, Campbell Park
Friday 18th July 2025, 9:30pm, Campell Park
Saturday 19th July 2025, 12pm, Festive Square
Saturday 19th July 2025, 3pm, Festive Square
Saturday 19th July 2025, 5:15pm, Campbell Park
Sunday 20th July 2025, 11:15am, Queen’s Court
Sunday 20th July 2025, 2:15pm, Queen’s Court
Sunday 20th July 2025, 4pm, Queen’s Court
PRICE:
Free Entry
AGE SUITABILITY:
4+ (Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult)
A performance in constant search of the perfect balance. Klub Girko take us on a journey to explore our relationship with nature, which is as delicate as a balancing act.
Using trees, branches and roots, the performers become bodies immersed in the woods, searching for the perfect point that defies the laws of gravity.
Event Partners: David Lock Associates
DATES & TIMES & LOCATIONS:
Friday 18th July 2025, 2pm, Campbell Park Copse
Friday 18th July 2025, 6pm, Campbell Park Copse
Saturday 19th July 2025, 11am, Campbell Park Copse
Saturday 19th July 2025, 2pm, Campbell Park Copse
Sunday 20th July 2025, 11am, Campbell Park Copse
Sunday 20h July 2025, 2pm, Campbell Park Copse
PRICE:
Free Entry
AGE SUITABILITY:
6+ (Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult)
