Banbury Canal Festival to Go Ahead as Planned, Supporting Canal Boat Traders Through Challenging Times
Banbury Town Council’s annual Canal Festival will go ahead as planned in early October, with this year’s festival also offering vital support to canal boat traders and other organisations directly affected by current drought conditions, which have forced the closure of canal channels across the country for the second year running.
The festival, taking place on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th October, will see canal boat traders once again take to the dry dock at Tooley’s Boatyard where they will be selling homemade crafts, canal-themed gifts and more, as well as speak to visitors and share their experiences of life and work across Britain’s inland waterways.
Banbury’s Canal Festival will be continuing as planned, with Banbury Town Council once again working alongside organisations including Tooley’s as well as Castle Quay, The Mill Arts Centre, The Village Butty and more.
Throughout the summer of 2026, worsening drought conditions have created significant challenges for those who rely on the canal network for trade, travel and leisure.
Banbury Town Council organises the Banbury Canal Festival, and will be working closely with partner organisation Tooley’s Boatyard to provide a platform for traders while helping the public better understand the importance of Britain’s canals and the communities that depend on them.
Visitors will be able to browse and buy from traders in an authentic canal dry dock – one of the few of its kind and one of the oldest in the world.
This will be in addition to returning attractions including the market underneath Lidl’s car park, activities, rides, live music, food, drink and much more. Boat rides are also planned to be held up and down the stretch of canal on which Tooley’s sits. With the presence of canal traders in Tooley’s the festival will be able to continue largely unaffected by the current weather conditions.
Councillor Shaida Hussain, Council Leader and Chair of the Council’s Resources and Events Working Group Committees, said, ‘Banbury’s canal is one of its most historic and beloved assets, and we’re looking forward to celebrating it once again at this year’s Canal Festival. At the same time, we know that this is a particularly difficult period for canal boat traders. By working with Tooley’s Boatyard to welcome them into the dry dock, we can give them an opportunity to continue trading and also spread the message of the difficulties faced by canal communities due to the recent weather conditions. Banbury is an incredibly supportive town, and I’m certain that residents will be out in force to show their support for traders and businesses who rely on the canal for their livelihoods.’
Banbury Canal Festival, formerly Banbury Canal Day, is one of the town’s most popular annual attractions, bringing in thousands of visitors from far and wide to see the stalls, boats, performances and other attractions. In recent years, the event was extended by a day, transforming it into a full weekend festival celebrating Banbury’s unique history with the canal networks of Britain.
Organisers are particularly keen to encourage visitors to visit Tooley’s Boatyard, which will be offering its own array of vintage and canal-themed attractions. Tooley’s will be celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2028, and its commitment to supporting traders with its dry dock space showcases its continued importance to the UK’s many canal users.
The Banbury Canal Festival will take place on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th October 2026, along the stretch of Canal between Castle Quay and The Mill Arts Centre. Festival opening times will be 11:00 – 17:00 on both days. Event entry is completely free.
Please direct any media enquiries to Banbury Town Council, as the organisers of Banbury Canal Festival, at [email protected]. Alternatively, please call 01295 250340.
Anyone looking for more news and information on Banbury Town Council events, as well as other services offered by Banbury Town Council, can visit www.banbury.gov.uk, follow the council on Facebook and Instagram or call us on 01295 250340.
