Hull Maritime Summer Festival
Seafaring Heritage, Street Theatre, Workshops, and Family Waterfront Fun.
Posted on 14th August 2026
Celebrate Hull’s legendary seafaring past with the Hull Maritime Summer Festival! Taking place across August, this vibrant city festival brings a whole range of free, family-friendly activities, creative workshops, and outdoor street performances right into the heart of Hull city centre and along the historic waterfront.
Delivered as part of the transformational Hull Maritime project, the festival showcases centuries of fishing, trade, exploration, and shipbuilding history. Main event hubs span across Queen Victoria Square, Trinity Market, Ferens Art Gallery, and the historic Old Town waterfront.
Weekend Event Schedules (August 2026) 🎭🏴☠️
Planning your trip into Hull? Browse the detailed daily line-ups for each festival weekend below to find performance times for walkabout characters, giant puppets, live sea shanties, and interactive workshops:
Friday 14th August
- Bigfoot Events – Inflatable Whale: Giant inflatable whale with stories and acts inside!
⏰ 11:00am – 4:00pm - Same Difference – Hovercraft Workshop: Come build your own hovercraft!
⏰ 11:00am – 4:00pm - Fools Paradise – Giant Seagulls: Naughty gulls looking to steal your ice cream.
⏰ 11:00am – 11:30am, 12:45pm – 1:15pm, 2:00pm – 2:30pm - Fools Paradise – The Funnels: Comical Victorian characters interacting with crowds.
⏰ 11:30am – 12:00pm, 1:00pm – 1:30pm, 2:30pm – 3:00pm - Same Difference – Sea Shanty: Classic live sea shanties on deck.
⏰ 12:00pm – 12:30pm, 1:30pm – 2:00pm, 3:30pm – 4:00pm - Fools Paradise – Cali and Mari: Larger-than-life octopus walkabouts with an underwater soundtrack.
⏰ 12:30pm – 1:00pm, 1:45pm – 2:15pm, 3:00pm – 3:30pm
Saturday 15th August
- Same Difference – Hovercraft Workshop: Build your own hovercraft.
⏰ 11:00am – 4:00pm - Julia Charles – LED Octopus Puppets: Illuminated walkabout puppets.
⏰ 11:00am – 11:30am, 12:30pm – 1:00pm, 2:00pm – 2:40pm - Same Difference – Sea Shanty: Classic sea shanty sets.
⏰ 11:10am – 11:40am, 1:10pm – 1:40pm, 3:30pm – 4:00pm - Fools Paradise – The Funnels: Victorian interactive fun and games.
⏰ 11:15am – 11:45am, 12:45pm – 1:15pm, 2:15pm – 2:45pm - Fools Paradise – Cali and Mari: Playful giant octopus walkabouts.
⏰ 11:30am – 12:00pm, 1:00pm – 1:30pm, 2:30pm – 3:00pm - Julia Charles – Penguins Puppets: Walkabout penguin puppets entertaining families.
⏰ 11:45am – 12:15pm, 1:15pm – 1:45pm, 2:45pm – 3:15pm - Fools Paradise – Giant Seagulls: Playful giant street seagulls causing mischief.
⏰ 12:00pm – 12:30pm, 1:30pm – 2:00pm, 3:00pm – 3:30pm - Julia Charles – Bubble Pirate: Pirate bubble performers filling the air with giant bubbles.
⏰ 12:15pm – 12:45pm, 1:45pm – 2:15pm, 3:15pm – 3:45pm - Dance In Company – Seated Dance: Interactive seated dance set.
⏰ 2:35pm – 2:45pm
Sunday 16th August
- Same Difference – Hovercraft Workshop: Hands-on hovercraft building for all ages.
⏰ 11:00am – 4:00pm - Julia Charles – LED Octopus Puppets: Spectacular illuminated octopus puppets.
⏰ 11:00am – 11:30am, 12:30pm – 1:00pm, 2:00pm – 2:40pm - Same Difference – Sea Shanty: Lively sea shanty performances.
⏰ 11:10am – 11:40am, 1:10pm – 1:40pm, 3:30pm – 4:00pm - Fools Paradise – The Funnels: Victorian interactive character entertainment.
⏰ 11:15am – 11:45am, 12:45pm – 1:15pm, 2:15pm – 2:45pm - Fools Paradise – Cali and Mari: Ocean octopus walkabouts exploring town.
⏰ 11:30am – 12:00pm, 1:00pm – 1:30pm, 2:30pm – 3:00pm - Julia Charles – Penguins Puppets: Delightful walkabout penguin characters.
⏰ 11:45am – 12:15pm, 1:15pm – 1:45pm, 2:45pm – 3:15pm - Fools Paradise – Giant Seagulls: Playful street seagulls.
⏰ 12:00pm – 12:30pm, 1:30pm – 2:00pm, 3:00pm – 3:30pm - Julia Charles – Bubble Pirate: Giant bubbles in Queen Victoria Square.
⏰ 12:15pm – 12:45pm, 1:45pm – 2:15pm, 3:15pm – 3:45pm
Note: Daily event schedules remain consistent across Friday 21st, Saturday 22nd, and Sunday 23rd August.
- Fools Paradise – Scott Walker (The Cube): Big Doodle Cube interactive creation space!
⏰ Daily 11:00am – 4:00pm - Fools Paradise – Fairly Fresh Fish: Two comical fishmongers sell extraordinary wares in this close-up puppetry act.
⏰ Daily 11:00am – 11:30am, 12:45pm – 1:15pm & 2:15pm – 2:45pm - Fools Paradise – All at Sea: Drive-about comedy act featuring Captain Monty Montague and his water-skiing wife Minty!
⏰ Daily 11:15am – 11:45am, 1:00pm – 1:30pm & 2:30pm – 3:00pm - Fools Paradise – Lobster a la cart: A giant inflatable lobster takes over the streets in a cart pulled by a charismatic driver.
⏰ Daily 11:30am – 12:00pm, 1:15pm – 1:45pm & 2:45pm – 3:15pm - Fools Paradise – Deepsea Diver: Surreal spectacle from the golden age of sea voyaging with bubble effects and soundscapes.
⏰ Daily 11:45am – 12:15pm, 1:30pm – 2:00pm & 3:00pm – 3:30pm - Fools Paradise – The Sea Sphere: A real-life mermaid caught inside a giant sea sphere gracefully glides through the crowds.
⏰ Daily 12:30pm – 1:15pm & 1:45pm – 2:30pm
Friday 28th August
- Scrapstore – Large Mural Painting Workshop: Led throughout the day by two brilliant artists!
⏰ 11:00am – 4:00pm - Fools Paradise – The Funnels: Victorian character comedy and interactive crowd fun.
⏰ 11:00am – 11:30am, 1:00pm – 1:30pm, 2:30pm – 3:00pm - Fools Paradise – Lobster a la cart: Giant inflatable lobster takeover!
⏰ 12:00pm – 12:30pm, 2:00pm – 2:30pm, 3:00pm – 3:30pm
Saturday 29th August
- Bigfoot Events – Inflatable Whale: Giant inflatable whale with stories and acts inside.
⏰ 11:00am – 4:00pm - Scrapstore – Large Mural Painting Workshop: Community mural painting.
⏰ 11:00am – 4:00pm - Apus The Birds – Meet the Humber Monster: Mythical creature walkabout act!
⏰ 11:00am – 11:30am, 12:45pm – 1:15pm, 2:15pm – 2:45pm - Apus The Birds – Meet Gobby the Fish: Playful fish walkabout character.
⏰ 11:15am – 11:45am, 1:00pm – 1:30pm, 2:30pm – 3:00pm - Fools Paradise – The Funnels: Interactive Victorian funnels entertainment.
⏰ 11:30am – 12:00pm, 1:15pm – 1:45pm, 2:45pm – 3:15pm - Apus The Birds – Meet the Big Yellow Angelfish: Colourful walkabout aquatic character.
⏰ 11:45am – 12:15pm, 1:30pm – 2:00pm, 3:00pm – 3:30pm - Tamara and Jo – Dance Performances: Brilliant local dance performances.
⏰ 12:15pm – 12:30pm, 2:00pm – 2:15pm - Fools Paradise – Lobster a la cart: Giant lobster roving street performance.
⏰ 12:30pm – 1:00pm, 1:45pm – 2:15pm, 3:15pm – 3:45pm
Sunday 30th August
- Bigfoot Events – Inflatable Whale: Inflatable whale inside-stories and entertainment.
⏰ 11:00am – 4:00pm - Scrapstore – Large Mural Painting Workshop: Artist-led mural painting for all ages.
⏰ 11:00am – 4:00pm - RNLI – Safety Education: Interactive water safety education and advice.
⏰ 11:00am – 4:00pm - Apus The Birds – Meet the Humber Monster: Roving sea monster character.
⏰ 11:00am – 11:30am, 12:45pm – 1:15pm, 2:15pm – 2:45pm - Apus The Birds – Meet Gobby the Fish: Interactive street fish character.
⏰ 11:15am – 11:45am, 1:00pm – 1:30pm, 2:30pm – 3:00pm - Fools Paradise – The Funnels: Victorian interactive trio.
⏰ 11:30am – 12:00pm, 1:15pm – 1:45pm, 2:45pm – 3:15pm - Apus The Birds – Meet the Big Yellow Angelfish: Bright sea creature walkabout.
⏰ 11:45am – 12:15pm, 1:30pm – 2:00pm, 3:00pm – 3:30pm - Fools Paradise – Lobster a la cart: Inflatable giant lobster street takeover.
⏰ 12:30pm – 1:00pm, 1:45pm – 2:15pm, 3:15pm – 3:45pm
Everyday Festival Trails & Highlights 🦀📜
In addition to scheduled weekend performances, visitors exploring Hull can enjoy these year-round and festival highlights:
- The Maritime Fish Trail: Search for 35 sea creatures carved into the pavement on a self-guided trail through Hull’s historic Old Town down to the waterfront.
- Pop-Up Exhibition Hubs: Sneak-peek displays showing the ongoing restoration of famous vessels including the Arctic Corsair and Spurn Lightship.
- Museum & Gallery Activities: Free trail sheets, indoor craft sessions, and heritage displays running daily inside Ferens Art Gallery and Hull History Centre.
Photo Gallery
Plan Your Visit 📅
Essential details for visiting the Hull Maritime Summer Festival:
Admission
FREE ENTRYThe vast majority of festival events, street performances, family workshops, and partner museum venues are completely free to attend.
Festival Dates
Active through August 2026
• Main street performances and workshops operate throughout weekends across city centre hubs.
Drop-In Friendly
Most family activities and workshops operate on a drop-in basis throughout the day in central city locations.
Accessibility
Hull city centre, Queen Victoria Square, and main indoor venues feature flat, step-free access throughout.
Visitor Tip
Combine your festival visit with a stroll through Trinity Market or the Fruit Market quarter for fantastic local food and marina views!
Getting There 🗺️
📍 Event Hub Locations:
Queen Victoria Square, Trinity Market & Old Town Waterfront, Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU1 1UU
🚆 By Train & Bus (Recommended)
Hull Paragon Interchange is located in the heart of the city, just a flat 5-minute walk from Queen Victoria Square and main festival hubs.
🚗 Driving & Parking
Multi-storey parking is available nearby at Princes Quay Shopping Centre (HU1 2PQ) and King William House Car Park (HU1 1RS) in the Old Town.
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