Riverfest returns to celebrate all things Great Stour

Canterbury’s annual celebration of the River Stour returns for a third time this September, promising a fun-packed week of free activities and events.

The Great Stour Riverfest 2025 gets underway on Sunday 21 September with the fantastic spectacle that is the Rotary Club of Canterbury’s Annual Duck Race in the Westgate Gardens.

It is followed through the week by a range of free events including walks, talks, river cleans, yoga sessions and plenty more, before the festival wraps up with a Riverfest fair at the Riverside development at Kingsmead on Sunday 28 September.

This special family event features stalls from local organisations and community groups and is suitable for all ages.

The focus for Riverfest this year is on wellness, nature and the rights of rivers, with the schedule of activities organised by the local community in partnership with the city council and Canterbury BID.

Some events that have limited spaces will be ticketed and these will be available to book online in due course.

Cabinet member for biodiversity and open spaces, Cllr Mel Dawkins, said: “Riverfest has now become an established fixture in the city’s events calendar as we celebrate our greatest ecological, historical and cultural asset.

“Once again there is a great variety of activities to get involved in across the week and I would like to thank everyone who is playing a part in making this happen. It truly is a festival put on by the community, for the community.

“We are very much looking forward to another brilliant Riverfest and encourage people to keep an eye on the website for all the latest news and event booking.”

All the Great Stour Riverfest 2025 information is on the Visit Canterbury website.

Published: 3 July 2025