The city’s historic Midsummer Fair has returned to Midsummer Common this week until Sunday 22 June, for its 812th year.

Organised by the Showmen’s Guild, the fair is one of the largest gatherings in the Travelling Communities’ calendar. It is a time for social connection and provides joy and entertainment for Travelling Communities and non-travelling communities alike. Midsummer Fair has been held at the weekend around midsummer each year for over 800 years.

The official proclamation of this year’s fair took place on Thursday morning (19 June). A party including the Mayor of Cambridge, Cllr Dinah Pounds, formed a procession to the fair from Wesley Methodist Church, ahead of the proclamation and the traditional distribution of coins to children.

The proclamation was arranged by the Showmen’s Guild in partnership with the Cambridge Rutherford Rotary Club to coincide with their annual ‘Kids Out at the Fair’ session on Thursday, which gave around 60 local schoolchildren with special education needs and/or disabilities the chance to experience the fun of the fair.

As with all large events the council is working closely with partners, including Cambridgeshire County Council and the other local organisations, to prepare for one of the city’s most popular annual outdoor events.

The council is encouraging visitors and residents to plan their trips in and around the city during the fair, using public transport where possible, especially across the weekend when it is expected to be busy.

It is forecast to be a warm and sunny weekend with highs of 32°C, so fair goers are encouraged to drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated in the heat.  

If residents wish to report anything related to this event which may require a response from the council over the weekend, please use our out of hours phone number 0300 3038389 from Friday 5.15pm onwards, or report it on our website at www.cambridge.gov.uk/report-it