Buckingham thrills with art and culture at Summer Fringe Week

Highlights of the week included:

The return of the Oxford Fiddle Group

The Radcliffe Centre hosted a sold-out performance by the Oxford Fiddle Group, a regular event since 2009, captivating the audience with lively tunes from England, Scotland, Ireland, and the USA. The ensemble featured instruments including the fiddle, harp, concertina, and mandolin. Adding to the evening's entertainment, the audience were treated to a display of Appalachian dancing.

Art in the Market

Families and children young and old enjoyed an afternoon of arts and crafts in the sunshine at Art in the Market surrounded by the “Totally Me, Totally Buckingham” art installation adorning the Cattle Pens. Activities included wand making, where children used their creativity to make a wand using coloured fabrics and feathers, reflecting their unique style and personality. Another favourite was painting and colouring with a variety of art materials. The entirely free event was extremely well attended and opened early due to an excited queue of children who couldn’t wait to get started. The busy afternoon concluded with the last child sitting down to create a painting with only 10 minutes remaining.

Drag Night at the Grand Junction Buckingham

Hosted by MK's renowned Drag Royalty and MK Pride Ambassador, guests enjoyed a spectacular show filled with laughter, innuendo, and singing, featuring numerous diva costume changes. Miss Sandy Flaps had everyone dancing and singing along to favourite tunes, making it a night to remember.

Disco Bingo at the Kings Head

A busy night of Bingo-with-a-twist took place at the Kings Head Coffee and Gin Bar the Friday evening of Fringe Week. Combining the best of pop music and bingo, players created a great atmosphere singing along to the tunes, with some fabulous prizes won for a row and a full house.

Comedy Night

Comedy fans were treated to an evening of laughter at Buckingham University’s historic Tanlaw Mill Building. Artists MC Russell Hicks, Eva Bindeman and the returning Angela Barnes had the large crowd in hysterics with their impromptu wit, hilarious insights and lively energetic delivery. Audience participation was a feature of the night for some of those lucky enough to choose front row seats.

The rest

In addition to the above, numerous other events delighted families. The Family Fun Day at Lace Hill Sports & Community Centre and the first summer session of Buckingham Play Days both attracted hundreds of families who enjoyed arts, crafts, traditional games, and inflatables.

Chantry Chapel, the town's oldest building, hosted free craft activities where National Trust volunteers and children got creative. The first of our free basketball sessions this summer hosted by Coach Jenner saw an impressive turnout for both the 8-12 and 13+ age groups, with participants eager to learn and improve their skills.

There was also Busking by Gracenotes, a Summer Lecture on Sulgrave Manor in the University’s Vinson Centre, and a sensory Summer Club for SEND children aged 3-12 years.

The Town Council extends its gratitude to everyone who contributed to this year's Fringe Week celebrations. We appreciate all who attended, purchased tickets, and volunteered their time to help host and organise activities for the community's enjoyment.

Councillor Robin Stuchbury, Chair of Buckingham Town Centre & Events Committee said “Everyone within the Events Committee who attended Fringe Week have said how pleased they were not only with the attendance, but the quality of the events facilitated by the officers of the Town Council and our partner organisations.

"It is important that we thank everyone who took part and for all the effort they personally gave to ensure we had a successful Fringe Week, and we now look forward to planning how we grow this event in the coming year.

"If you missed the opportunity of taking part this year, please don’t hesitate to contact the officers at the Town Council as this is a growing event and the more people involved the better for the town, it’s economy and its sense of community.”

Future Events

To stay informed about Buckingham Town Council's events, please visit our events page and calendar on our website: Events Information - Buckingham Town Council (buckingham-tc.gov.uk)