Midlands Festival of Nature 2026 returns to Wicksteed Park following national recognition

The Midlands Festival of Nature will return to Wicksteed Park in 2026, expanding in scale and ambition after its inaugural year was nominated for Best New Event at the UK Theme Park Awards.

Organised by Kettering Nature Group, the festival is designed as more than a traditional visitor event. It brings together conservation organisations, practitioners, artists and the public in a shared space focused on practical action, ecological understanding and meaningful engagement with the natural world.

Set within the varied landscape of Wicksteed Park, the festival offers a structured but accessible programme that moves from guided exploration to deeper learning. Across the weekend, visitors will be able to take part in bird, bat and butterfly walks, small mammal surveys, and habitat-focused sessions led by specialists. County recorders and local experts will be present throughout, offering identification support and insight into the region’s biodiversity.

Alongside field-based activity, the programme incorporates hands-on workshops and creative sessions, including owl pellet analysis, nature-based crafts and spoken word. A curated stage programme will run across both days, blending ecological storytelling, live talks and live music, creating a steady rhythm of activity throughout the festival.

This year’s Featured Conservation Group is the Northamptonshire Badger Group, bringing a focused spotlight on one of the UK’s most recognisable and often misunderstood native species. The Learning Centre will host a dedicated badger exhibition, created largely by young people from the 16th Kettering Scout Group. The exhibition combines creative interpretation with ecological insight, offering visitors an accessible introduction to badger behaviour, habitats and conservation challenges, while highlighting the role of young people in shaping local nature awareness.

The wider festival experience has also been expanded. A dedicated Wild Words tent will provide a space for storytelling, poetry and creative writing rooted in nature, while the main stage will host a programme of music and performance across the weekend. A range of food vendors will be on site, contributing to a full-day visitor experience that supports longer stays and a more relaxed, festival atmosphere.

The 2026 programme also introduces more focused content addressing the wider environmental context. This includes a National Emergency Briefing and a River Rights workshop, reflecting a growing emphasis on equipping people not only to appreciate nature, but to understand and respond to the challenges it faces. According to the current programme schedule, activity will run from early morning through to evening across multiple zones, with continuous engagement opportunities throughout the day.

Festival Director Adam Riley said:
“The first festival demonstrated that people are looking for something more substantive. Not just a day out, but a chance to take part, to learn, and to connect with others who care about the same issues. The nomination at the Theme Park Awards was significant because it recognised that this kind of event has a place in mainstream settings.”

The partnership with Wicksteed Park remains central to the festival’s development. As one of the UK’s best-known leisure destinations, the park provides both the infrastructure and the audience to position nature engagement in a highly visible, accessible context.

The Midlands Festival of Nature also forms part of a broader, long-term vision led by Kettering Nature Group to develop a regional centre for nature education and community-led conservation. The festival acts as a public-facing expression of that work, bringing together projects, partners and participants in a way that is both practical and outward-looking.

Further details, including confirmed dates, exhibitors and booking information, will be released via the Midlands Festival of Nature 2026 Facebook page and the Kettering Nature Group Facebook page. Tickets for the River Rights workshop and the National Emergency Briefing are available on Eventbrite.