Image by Tracy Kidd
Festival of Thrift is heading back to Kirkleatham Museum in summer 2026, kicking off a brand‑new multi‑year partnership with Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council.
After years of audiences, artists and locals asking if the festival would ever return to its much‑loved home, the team have finally confirmed it: Festival of Thrift is coming back to Kirkleatham for its 14th edition on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th July 2026. Expect the full Thrift treatment — a free weekend packed with art, craft, performance, fashion, food, workshops and sustainability.
Now a year‑round organisation, Festival of Thrift will use this new partnership to work more closely with communities, artists and businesses across Redcar & Cleveland, rolling out playful, creative projects that imagine a greener, fairer future together.
The festival regularly draws 25,000–40,000 visitors, giving a major boost to local makers, traders and artists. Its return lands at a moment when Redcar & Cleveland is building a bold cultural and sporting offer — and Thrift is set to be a key part of that growing mix.
Alec Brown, Leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said, “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Festival of Thrift back to Kirkleatham as part of this new multi-year partnership. The festival is hugely valued by our residents and visitors and brings real cultural and economic benefits to the borough, supporting local businesses, artists and traders while attracting tens of thousands of people to the area. Its return reflects our ambition for Redcar and Cleveland as a place of creativity, sustainability and confidence, and it sits perfectly alongside our growing programme of cultural and sporting events. We are proud to support a festival that celebrates community, innovation and a positive future for our borough.”
Wayne Hemingway MBE, Founder and Board Member of Festival of Thrift, adds, “Kirkleatham holds a very special place in the heart of Festival of Thrift. From 2016 to our 10th anniversary in 2022, it became a true home for the festival, and we’ve been asked countless times if we would ever return. To now be able to say yes — and as part of a long-term partnership — feels incredibly special.
Festival of Thrift is about celebrating sustainability, creativity and community in ways that are joyful and accessible. Redcar and Cleveland embody those values, and we’re thrilled to be part of the area’s continued growth and ambition. We can’t wait to return in July 2026 and bring the festival back to Kirkleatham for audiences old and new. We can’t wait to hear from the region and the UK’s second-hand sellers, charities, upcyclers, sustainable food sellers, artists, designer makers and clubs and societies working for the well-being of society.”
L and R Festival of Thrift directors Tanya and Dominic Somers with Steinhauser, Alec Brown, Leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, centre, at Kirkleatham Museum Credit Hannah Finnimore
