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Milton Keynes International Festival Reveals Full Programme For 2025

The eighth edition of the biennial IF: Milton Keynes International Festival returns this July

By: Jun. 05, 2025
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The eighth edition of the biennial IF: Milton Keynes International Festival returns this July with an international programme of large-scale outdoor spectaculars, installations, performance, theatre, poetry, dance, circus, live music, family-friendly shows, comedy, and cabaret.

All in their different ways continue the Festival's mission: to engage audiences in surprising ways and add layers of meaning and memory to this new city. In a world in turmoil, the Festival celebrates the power of artists to inspire, provoke, and comfort.

Festival events appear across Milton Keynes, including:

  • centre:mk (headline partner)

  • Fred Roche Gardens

  • Xscape

  • Midsummer Place

  • Unity Place

  • Festival Square

  • Church of Christ the Cornerstone

  • Campbell Park (home to Festival Central, the Spiegeltent, Acoustic Stage, and more)

  • Wolverton

  • The Open University campus at Walton Hall

THE SPIEGELTENT

With its stained glass, velvet drapes, and mirrors, The Stables Spiegeltent is the atmospheric venue for live music, comedy, cabaret, and family shows.

Ticketed highlights include:

  • Lou Sanders

  • Lucy Spraggan

  • The Noise Next Door

  • The Selecter

  • Roachford

  • The Demon Barbers

  • Le Vent du Nord

  • Peat & Diesel

  • YUCK Circus

  • The Ceilidh Liberation Front (Festival Wrap Party)

  • Cabaret of Ideas

  • Family shows: Monski Mouse, Mrs Armitage on Wheels, Rubbish Romeo & Juliet, Shlomo's Beatbox Adventure

WORLD & UK PREMIERES

This year includes 2 world premieres and 4 UK premieres from across the UK, Germany, Spain, Catalonia, and France:

  • Klub Girko – Human Time Tree Time (Germany, UK Premiere)

  • Deabru Beltzak – Symfeuny (Spain, UK Premiere)

  • Pagrav Dance Company – One Sky (UK, World Premiere)

  • Kamchàtka – Fugit (Catalonia, UK Premiere)

  • Maureen Onwunali – Utopia in Verse (UK, World Premiere)

  • Transe Express – DNA, Vertical Odyssey (France, UK Premiere)

LARGE-SCALE OUTDOOR SPECTACULARS

  • Symfeuny – Deabru Beltzak’s drumming and pyrotechnic procession ending in a Campbell Park finale. (Friday 18 July)

  • DNA, Vertical Odyssey – Transe Express’ aerial show using a 200-ton crane and 40-metre sculpture beside The Point. (Friday 25 & Saturday 26 July)

INSTALLATIONS

  • Michael Pendry – Les Colombes (centre:mk)

  • Luke Jerram – Mars (The Open University & Church of Christ the Cornerstone)

  • Gijs van Bon – Nyx (with poetry by Maureen Onwunali)

  • Mark Anderson – Warning Notes (Fred Roche Gardens)

  • Architects of Air – Terceradix (Festival Central, Campbell Park)

  • Tania El Khoury – Memory of Birds (Campbell Park)

THEATRE / PERFORMANCE

  • Zwermers – Pan~//Catwalk (Netherlands)

  • Osadía – Whose Hair Dares (Catalonia)

  • Kamchàtka – Fugit (Catalonia, UK Premiere)

POETRY

  • Utopia in Verse – A poetry jam curated by Maureen Onwunali, featuring live music and emerging voices. (Thursday 24 July, World Premiere)

DANCE

  • Pagrav Dance – One Sky (Saturday 19 July, World Premiere)

  • SAY – the album: skool edition (Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 July)

CIRCUS

  • YUCK Circus (Friday 18 & Saturday 19 July)

  • Klub Girko – Human Time Tree Time (18–20 July)

  • NoFit State – Bamboo (18–20 July)

  • 15ft6 – Les Patineurs (19 & 20 July)

  • Gandini Juggling – You Too Can Tutu (26 & 27 July)

  • Joli Vyann – Drop Me If You Dare (26 & 27 July)

LIVE MUSIC

At the Spiegeltent:

  • The Demon Barbers (Saturday 19 July)

  • Le Vent du Nord (Tuesday 22 July)

  • The Selecter (Wednesday 23 July)

  • Peat & Diesel (Thursday 24 July)

  • Lucy Spraggan (Friday 25 July)

  • Roachford (Saturday 26 July)

  • The Ceilidh Liberation Front (Sunday 27 July)

Other music events:

  • Ensemble Augelletti performs under Mars (Friday 25 July)

  • The Stables Sessions on the Acoustic Stage (throughout Festival)

  • The Stables Midsummer Sessions (Saturday 19 July, Midsummer Place)

FAMILY-FRIENDLY & FREE

First weekend (18–20 July):

  • Noisy Noise Noise, Bamboo, Xics del Xurrac, Pan~//Catwalk, Les Patineurs, One Sky, Whose Hair Dares

Second weekend (26–27 July):

  • The Lost Colour, Space Chickens, Drop Me If You Dare, You Too Can Tutu, The album: skool edition, Wire Attire

FAMILY-FRIENDLY & TICKETED

Spiegeltent:

  • Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall (Sunday 20 July)

  • Quentin Blake’s Mrs Armitage on Wheels (Thursday 24 July)

  • Rubbish Romeo & Juliet (Saturday 26 July)

  • Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure for Kids (Sunday 27 July)

COMEDY / CABARET

  • The Noise Next Door (Friday 18 July)

  • Lou Sanders + support (Sunday 20 July)

  • A Night with La Voix + Tori Scott (Monday 21 July)

TALKS, PRESENTATIONS & WORKSHOPS

  • The Symbolism of the Dove (Thursday 17 July, centre:mk)

  • Unlocking the Secrets of Space (Friday 18 July)

  • Open University Lab Tours (Friday 18 & Saturday 19 July)

  • Cabaret of Ideas (Saturday 26 July)

  • Plus: dove making, peace haiku, songwriting, circus skills, kite-making and more.

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