Back by popular demand in 2008 was the Swindon Summer Festival, bringing people out into the town centre for a feast of outdoor street theatre, music and spectacle. All for free!

Co commissioning partnerships with other local authorities around the UK meant that we could invite back tried and tested top of the range theatre companies such as Bash Street Theatre with their brand new show. Therefore the residents of Swindon really are getting the best ‘new stuff’ that we can find. Because you are worth it!

The town centre was packed, the sun was out and people had a great family day out.

It’s the mix of top quality entertainment that appeals to the young and the old (er) alike in an easy, relaxed and familiar setting, which puts Swindon on the map as one of the most progressive festival producers in the country.

The Festival in the town centre was rounded off by an extraordinary event in Faringdon Park featuring the UK’s most highly rated ‘new circus’ producing a brand new show specially commissioned by SBC.

For three days prior to the event staging, lighting rigs, high wires and trapezes were assembled in the park creating quite a spectacle in itself. And as the light faded thousands of people experienced an electrifying performance with blazing staffs, pyrotechnics, aerial acts, live music and even a touch of comedy. It was a shake-your-head in disbelief at beautiful things moment

Really just look at the pictures as the show really defies description! Maybe Cirque du Soleil without the Disney and disinfectant.

"I thoroughly enjoyed it, very impressed. We loved the circus. It was brilliant and the whole thing was very well received by the people Swindon - it was absolutely superb." - Sarah Cross.

"It was fantastic to see the community enjoying a unique show that was a real treat." - Bruce Gamble.

Insect circus

"It was absolutely brilliant, the grand finale, the balancing ants. I've only just moved to Swindon and this is great. The kids are really enjoying it." - Helen Finch

"It's great, we saw a huge caterpillar but my favourite was the insect museum, seeing all these bugs do tricks and stuff. It was cool." - Matthew Ferguson (aged 9).

"The council have done a brilliant job!" - Ellen Ferguson.

Here's an e-mail from Adrian Pearce:

"Just a short E mail to say how much I enjoyed the Swindon Summer Festival last Saturday. I managed to see most of the street theatre acts in the town centre during the afternoon. All of the acts were of a high quality, but I particularly want to praise Bash Street Theatre for their superb one hour show.  I also saw them two years ago when they performed in Swindon during the excellent Brunel Festival and they are simply breathtaking in their whole presentation (acting, staging and music).  Considering it is free,  the standard of their show matches any paid indoor theatre event and exceeds a lot of the street acts you see at venues such as Covent Garden in London. Hopefully they can become a regular act in Swindon during any future festivals as I would recommend them to anybody, particularly to people who perhaps are not normally attracted by the thought of attending street theatre events.

"Swindon has done a great job in staging top quality street theatre festivals over the last seven years or so and I hope this will continue to be a regular and innovative yearly event in the future."