Ashbourne Festival

Every June & July

The small market town of Ashbourne is situated at the southern end of the beautiful Derbyshire Dales and is locally known as the gateway to Dovedale.

The Ashbourne Arts steering group came together as a result of the enthusiasm of members of the Ashbourne Youth and Adult Community Centre Management Committee, local artists, craftspeople and people from the communities surrounding Ashbourne. Its original directors and members, largely unchanged today still perform their roles in a voluntary capacity, a unique situation for a festival of this size within the East Midlands.

The members of the steering group of Ashbourne Arts represent a remarkably diverse range of talents, but all possess a desire to see art and culture in the area flourish, primarily through the medium of an annual festival, which aims to encourage community focus and generate interest from both the local population and visitors alike.