Riverside Festival scaled back as fireworks scrapped

Thousands of people visit the event each year

Nottingham’s Riverside Festival will take place in August but without live music or a fireworks finale.

The event, organised by Nottingham City Council, attracts thousands of people to Victoria Embankment each year and in previous years was billed as “the East Midlands’ biggest free family festival”.

But in November, the authority effectively declared itself bankrupt and commissioners were appointed to help run it and given direct decision-making powers.

The council’s finances remain in a precarious position, leading to a decision to make 2024’s Riverside Festival “cost-neutral”.

A mile-long funfair will be open along the banks of the Trent from 2 to 4 August, while the Sunday will see dragon boat races staged.

But there will be no music stages, markets, children’s entertainment or fireworks.

The event's fireworks have been pulled for financial reasons

The council says a full festival would have cost about £60,000.

A Nottingham City Council spokesperson said: “At a time when we face difficult decisions to make savings on our services, it is not possible, or appropriate, to spend taxpayers’ money on fireworks and live music.

“We’ve worked hard over the past few months to ensure that Riverside Festival can still go ahead this year for families – and that there is no cost to taxpayers.

“We’re trying to make good things happen for our city in the face of significant pressure on budgets.

“Our view was that it was better to scale back Riverside this time rather than cancel it.”

The Riverside Festival was first held in 1973.

It welcomed an estimated 250,000 people in 2023 after two years off due to coronavirus.

The council says further details of 2024’s event will be announced closer to the date.

It adds it intends to continue running the Riverside Festival for the next three years, as part of “an ambitious cost-neutral programme of events”.

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