Strawberry Fair

Strawberry Fair is a big, free festival held in Cambridge, England. It started in 1974 and happens every first Saturday in June on Midsummer Common. The fair is run by volunteers from all kinds of backgrounds and is one of the UK’s largest free festivals that people can join without paying.

The fair includes music, entertainment, arts, and crafts. About 30,000 people come to enjoy it each year. Sometimes, the fair cannot happen. For example, it was cancelled in 2010 because of rules, in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2025 because of money problems. When it returns, visitors can enjoy many fun activities and performances.

Strawberry Fair 2026

Strawberry Fair is still facing money problems that stopped it from happening in 2025. To make sure the fair can happen in 2026, people are doing several things to raise money.

These include an appeal for donations, Strawberry Preserve (a series of benefit gigs held at venues around Cambridge) and other benefit gigs, T-Shirt Sales, and invitations to local companies and organisations to support and sponsor the fair.

Music and art

The Strawberry Fair has many kinds of music on several stages, with a special focus on local bands. There is a fun area just for kids called the Kids Park. Here, children can enjoy face painting, a café for families, and a tent filled with activities like painting, crafts, and storytelling.

There is also an Arts area where local artists can show their work, and visitors can try new art activities. The fair begins with a colorful parade that includes samba bands and bright costumes. The parade winds through Cambridge and ends at Midsummer Common, where the fair officially starts.

Stalls

The Strawberry Fair usually has about 300 stalls where people can buy food and many different items. The money from these sales helps pay for the fair, so everyone can still get in for free.

Music stages

Strawberry Fair doesn’t have one main stage. Instead, each year one special area is picked for the "Finale" performance. Most music stages play from midday until 10:30 pm, but the finale stage stays open until 11:00 pm.

In 2022, Zion Train performed the finale on the Rebel Love stage. In 2023, the finale happened on Centre Stage with The Treatment ending the day.

Right now, Strawberry Fair has many music stages, each with its own style. Some of the current stages include Centre Stage for local talent, Plastic Den for electronic music, Portland Stage & Bar for new musicians, and Revolting Youth for bands and talent under 18. Other stages feature many types of music and activities, like comedy and dance performances.

Organisation

Strawberry Fair is a special event held every year on the first Saturday in June at Midsummer Common in Cambridge, England. The fair is free for everyone and includes music, theatre, and many fun activities for the community, especially children.

The fair is organized by local people who choose leaders each year to help plan and run it. Many groups work together to organize different parts of the fair. About 1000 volunteers help make the fair possible, doing many jobs like setting up stages, helping visitors, and handling paperwork. Because of these volunteers, the fair can stay free for everyone. Special events are also held throughout the year to raise money for the fair, often featuring local bands who also perform at the fair.

Band competition

Strawberry Fair also organizes the Cambridge Band Competition, which started in 1984. Each year, there are preliminaries at The Portland Arms music venue, and the final is held at Cambridge Junction. All the bands that reach the final are invited to perform at the Fair.

There is usually first aid provided by St John's Ambulance, and a special tent for anyone who needs care.

Merchandise

At Strawberry Fair, you can buy fun items like T-shirts, badges, programmes, and posters. These are sold in special tents during the fair and at events leading up to it. In 2019, the fair's theme was "Love".