Festival of Thrift Returns to Kirkleatham in new Multi-Year Partnership with Redcar and Cleveland
Save the dates: Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 July 2026
Festival of Thrift is delighted to announce that it will return to Kirkleatham Museum and its stunning grounds in Redcar & Cleveland in summer 2026, marking the beginning of an exciting new multi-year partnership with Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council.
For several years, audiences, artists, traders and local residents have been asking whether the festival would return to its much-loved home at Kirkleatham. It brings the Festival of Thrift team great joy to finally share this news with the wider public.
The nationally recognised festival championing sustainable living, creativity and positive change previously took place at Kirkleatham from 2016 until its landmark 10th anniversary in 2022. The festival will return for its 14th edition on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July 2026, with the historic site and surrounding grounds once again transformed for Festival of Thrift’s distinctive free weekend of arts, craft, performance, fashion, food, traders, workshops and sustainability.
Festival of Thrift has grown into a year-round organisation, and this new multi-year partnership with Redcar and Cleveland creates a unique opportunity to work more deeply with local people, businesses, artists and communities across Redcar and Cleveland. Alongside the annual summer celebration, the team will be developing playful, creative activities and projects throughout the year, all rooted in imagining a greener, fairer and more joyful future together.
Each year, the festival attracts 25,000–40,000 visitors from all over the UK, creating a significant positive impact on the local economy and providing a vibrant platform for local traders, makers, food producers, artists and organisations. Since the festival was last hosted in the locality, Redcar and Cleveland has gone on to develop an exciting portfolio of new cultural and sporting events, and Festival of Thrift is thrilled to become part of this growing offer.
The return of the festival also aligns with the borough’s wider placemaking ambitions and its leadership in sustainability across industry, business and communities, from grassroots initiatives to major developments such as the Teesside Freeport. Festival of Thrift is excited to be based in Redcar and Cleveland, at the heart of the ambitious industrial development, which is helping position the area as a leader in the UK’s net-zero transition. From offshore wind and hydrogen to low-carbon manufacturing and carbon capture, the Freeport shows how sustainability can work at scale — creating skilled jobs, supporting local communities and linking environmental action with long-term economic resilience. Festival of Thrift looks forward to reconnecting with audiences from across the Tees Valley and welcoming visitors from further afield to discover what a rich, vibrant locality has to offer.
Alec Brown, Leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Festival of Thrift back to Kirkleatham as part of this new multi-year partnership. The festival is hugely valued by our residents and visitors and brings real cultural and economic benefits to the borough, supporting local businesses, artists and traders while attracting tens of thousands of people to the area.
Its return reflects our ambition for Redcar and Cleveland as a place of creativity, sustainability and confidence, and it sits perfectly alongside our growing programme of cultural and sporting events. We are proud to support a festival that celebrates community, innovation and a positive future for our borough.”
Wayne Hemingway MBE, Founder and Board Member of Festival of Thrift, said:
“Kirkleatham holds a very special place in the heart of Festival of Thrift. From 2016 to our 10th anniversary in 2022, it became a true home for the festival, and we’ve been asked countless times if we would ever return. To now be able to say yes — and as part of a long-term partnership — feels incredibly special.
Festival of Thrift is about celebrating sustainability, creativity and community in ways that are joyful and accessible. Redcar and Cleveland embody those values, and we’re thrilled to be part of the area’s continued growth and ambition. We can’t wait to return in July 2026 and bring the festival back to Kirkleatham for audiences old and new. We can’t wait to hear from the region and the UK’s second-hand sellers, charities, upcylers, sustainable food sellers, artists, designer makers and clubs and societies working for the well-being of society”
To find out more about Festival of Thrift, take part, trade, volunteer and stay up to date with all Festival of Thrift news by signing up the newsletter at www.festivalofthrift.co.uk or follow the festival’s social media feeds @festivalofthrift on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Threads.
