Gloucester Brewery welcomed the 2024 Gloucester Tall Ships Festival, as hosts of its preview event on Tuesday.

The dockside location at Warehouse 4 was the perfect venue for the celebration of the freshly re-imagined Gloucester Tall Ships Festival, which takes place from May 25-27 and promises Gloucester's largest music-line up ever!

Guests from across Gloucestershire enjoyed the new Gloucester Brewery, Gloucester Tall Ships Ale and maritime-themed canapés from Coal Kitchen, also based in the Docks.

Live entertainment was provided by local performer Flora Fiora, who will be playing the main stage at Gloucester Tall Ships Festival, on Saturday, May 25.

Attendees had the chance to find out all about the new look and feel festival, organised by Gloucester City Council and partners Canal & River Trust, Gloucester Quays and Gloucester BID, and offering everything from circus, comedy, acrobatics, theatre, workshops, two stages of live music and, of course, tall ships!

Event producer Poppy Handy commented: "We were delighted to welcome so many people from across Gloucestershire and beyond, to get a taste of Gloucester Tall Ships 2024 at the preview event.

"The festival promises to be something completely new and different for the city and the county, with tall ships centre stage and one of the most eclectic music programmes ever to be hosted in Gloucester, with 'Wellerman' headliner Nathan Evans and acts including Thrill Collins, Nordet and Apple Circus, The Old Time Sailors and many many more!"

Alongside a stunning main stage music line-up, which features chart-topper Nathan Evans, and festival favourites such as Brassienda and The Old Time Sailors, the festival is fit to bursting with street theatre, interactive installations, playgrounds, funfairs and a submarine that will be skippered by a DJ!

A new outdoor performance space - the Mariners Theatre - will host a programme of exhilarating live street theatre and walkabout performances, with highlights including Simple Cypher; a fusion of hip-hop and circus performed by a talented trio combining explosive tricks and playful interactions.

The Acro Sailors will also be displaying their incredible strength and agility as they create human towers and showcase feats of balance and coordination that defy gravity.

Step Hop House will help audiences get into the festival spirit with a feelgood and funky performance around the maypole, blending traditional hip-hop and folk-dance styles into a high-energy spectacle, accompanied by live fiddle and beatboxing. Also watch out for HMS Punafore - a unique take on a Gilbert and Sullivan classic!

Young shipmates can get hands-on in the Kids Zone, with the UK premier of Friends of Cruso, an interactive installation featuring large-scale games inspired by a shipwreck, as well as joining Gloucester-based company GAS Projects for craft workshops where children can let their creativity set sail and make their own nautical-inspired arts and crafts.

A series of interactive installations will come to life around the Docks to spark festival goers' imaginations. Meet the Dragon Whisperer in the wonderful Wagon of Dreams, a converted retro caravan, where a playful and inventive family show is packed with puppetry, music and laughter, presented by Jellyfish Theatre, while those in search of family fun will enjoy The Whale, a giant metal sculpture which will playfully swallow audiences whole to take part in a mini theatre experience!

Get Ready to Rock the Dock | Gloucester Tall Ships