Thousands attend first Ashfield Show in over a decade

Some 20,000 people attended Ashfield District Council’s summer extravaganza event, Ashfield Show over the weekend.

Organised by Out of the Box Events, on behalf of the Council, the free event returned to Sutton Lawn for the first time in over a decade from Friday 9 August to Sunday 11 August 2024.

Taking place over three fantastic days of sunshine, Ashfield Show saw different activities and entertainment available on each day, with a bustling market village of local traders showcasing their products including jewellery, gifts, crafts, clothing, accessories, baked goods, sweets, pet accessories, candles, bath products, and much more for the entire weekend.

As well as the market stalls, the huge funfair was open all three days with rides for all ages, inflatables, face painting, a packed food court with 15 caterers offering a variety of street food, pizza, chips, vegetarian and vegan options, and three garden bars serving alcoholic and soft drinks to keep visitors hydrated and fed in the sun.

On Friday, the event kicked off with a day of live music with a line-up of the UK’s top tribute acts including Taylor Swift, Rag N Bone Man and Ariana Grande, who wowed crowds into the night, ending the evening with a performance from The Ultimate Killers Tribute.

Saturday saw more free entertainment on the Main Stage with performances from solo artists, a local band, Eurovision’s Lindsey Dracass and ended the evening with an incredible show from The Ultimate Coldplay tribute.

Inside the giant marquee on Saturday, visitors were able to browse stalls from a range of community organisations including Mill Waters, Nonsuch Studios, Everyone Active, Art Explora, Felley Priory, Our Centre, Academy Transformation Trust Further Education, and Inspire.

The final day welcomed even more visitors to the green space with Wild West performances full of pyrotechnics and engaging stories, a cinema screening on the main stage of Secret Life of Pets, a dog show and live music from local groups and musicians before a Mamma Mia sing-a-long experience which got crowds up and dancing.

Following the success of Ashfield Show 2024, plans are already being made for 2025 to bring the Show back bigger and better.

Now, the teams behind this fantastic event are already preparing for the next – Ashfield Fireworks at Sutton Lawn on 2 November – make sure to keep an eye of further details coming soon, and don’t forget the Ashfield Food and Drink Festival, taking place on on Sunday 18 August from 10am-4pm on Hucknall High Street!

Cllr Jason Zadrozny, Leader at Ashfield District Council said: “We had an absolutely fantastic weekend at Ashfield Show, welcoming around 20,000 people over the three days – making it one of the busiest shows to date.

“Following the success of our inaugural Ashfield Day in 2022, which saw over 12,000 visitors, we decided to extend the event into a three-day Ash-travaganza.

“We listened to residents calling for the return of Ashfield Show and couldn’t be prouder to have brought the biggest free weekend in the whole Midlands back to Ashfield once again.

“We are really proud that the Council, in partnership with Out of the Box Events, is able to provide fantastic free events like this for our communities, we know how valuable these free days out for families are and we look forward to welcoming residents to our next free event in the calendar – Ashfield Food and Drink Festival on 18 August and Ashfield Fireworks on 2 November!”