Mike Arnold

Stow Fest 2026

Stow Fest · May 2026

Two days of live music, inflatables and questionable dance moves on the Stowmarket festival field — the mayor included.

Stow Fest is a proper community festival and it shows. Two days on the Stowmarket festival field, several thousand people across the weekend, live music on the main stage, and a decent chunk of the town turning up to enjoy it.

Inflatables, foam dart battles, kids swinging off aerial silks, a man flailing about inside a cash-grab machine trying to catch flying notes, and enough loaded fries to sink the field. The mayor came in his ceremonial chain, laughed his way round the site, and then took a penalty still wearing it.

Days like this are about covering ground and letting people get used to you being about. There's no one place to stand — the good stuff is spread across the whole site and most of it lasts about four seconds. By the afternoon I'd been past most people two or three times, which is usually when the best frames start turning up.

Children playing on hanging aerial silks in the activity area.
A man grabbing at flying notes inside a green inflatable cash-grab machine.
The mayor in his ceremonial chain laughing with festivalgoers.
A family posing with red water pistols in front of an inflatable battle run.
The mayor mid-kick with a football on the festival field.
Children in safety glasses mid-battle with foam dart blasters.
A festivalgoer carrying two tubs of loaded fries from the food stalls.
Festivalgoers gathered near the stage rigging under a blue sky.
A beach ball bouncing over the seated crowd in front of the stage.
A row of men cheering and pointing during a set.
A woman pointing to the sky mid-dance in the crowd.
A man in a pink cowboy hat and sunglasses grinning with two pints.
A couple in sunglasses raising a pint to the camera.
Two friends in sunglasses sharing a drink and a laugh.
Friends in cowboy hats dancing together on the grass.
A girl riding on her dad's shoulders, both with arms spread wide.
A woman mid-hair-flip dancing with a friend by the parasols.
A man with tattooed arms aloft, drink in hand, in the crowd.
A child carried on shoulders through the festival crowd.
Two shirtless men in sun hats singing into a microphone together.
A man in a checked shirt and hat skanking in front of the crowd.
A couple sat on a picnic blanket watching the stage.
Three women pointing and singing along mid-set.
Festivalgoers waving towards the stage in the evening sun.
A singer performing on stage under purple lights.
Volunteers in hi-vis holding the Stow Fest sign as the sun drops.
A steward in a pink hat and party shirt with arms crossed at event control.