Booking now open for Riverfest 2025 events

Booking for a whole host of free activities taking place as part of this year’s Great Stour Riverfest has opened today (Friday 1 August).

Riverfest is Canterbury’s annual celebration of the River Stour, which runs from Sunday 21 to Sunday 28 September 2025 and features a fun-packed week of events. 

These include walks, talks, river cleans, yoga sessions, arts and crafts, punting trips and more.

Due to limited capacity, some events will be ticketed, and these can now be booked online via the Visit Canterbury website.

Riverfest 2025 is bookended by two fantastic community events open to all with no booking required – the Rotary Club of Canterbury’s Annual Duck Race in the Westgate Gardens on Sunday 21 September, and the Riverfest fair at the Riverside development at Kingsmead on Sunday 28 September.

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.

Cabinet member for biodiversity and open spaces, Cllr Mel Dawkins, said: “Riverfest is back and it’s better than ever with a brilliant line up of things to do, see and get involved in.

“The Great Stour plays such an important role in our district with its contribution to nature and biodiversity, and its historic significance to the city. We are very much looking forward to celebrating this at Riverfest 2025.”

Published: 1 August 2025