2025 Festival Dates: 5 & 6 July

BLACKBURN TOWN CENTRE – 5 & 6 JULY 2025

The National Festival of Making is a unique celebration of making, from the kitchen table to the factory floor.

Presenting a programme of work that combines art, manufacturing, making and communities, we commission international and national artists to create world class works, a year round programme and a participatory FREE FAMILY festival for all to enjoy.

 

Follow up-to-date festival announcements across social media channels and sign up to the newsletter to get the latest news straight to your inbox.


 


 

Sign up to our newsletter to find out the latest on the festival

Making Headlines

Events like this show me that there is cohesion in the community. The festival proves that all communities are working together to make Blackburn a great place to live. I am proud to be part of such a diverse community with a strong industrial heritage.

Visitor Survey

The sheer diversity of the activities on offer and the grand scale of it all. Awesome!

Visitor Survey

The festival felt like Blackburn had become a destination!

Visitor Survey

The Makers Market had a great atmosphere and a stupendous variety of quirky art and artefacts.

Festival Visitor

Great to see so many families from different communities coming together and enjoying the event. The enthusiasm of the people involved came across and the way they got the children interested and engaged in learning about new skills made it a really fun experience for them. It was very well organised and there was lots to see and do for all age groups.

Festival Visitor

I loved the variety of hands-on workshops, the fact that you couldn’t remain spectator, everything around you was full of life and joy. I also loved the yellow line drawn so you couldn’t miss anything.

Visitor Survey

Well I didn’t think the National Festival of Making could get any better this year but I was wrong! We’ve had a fantastic day and will be back again tomorrow. You definitely need two days to even see half of it ?

Katrina Shepherd | Facebook

It was great. I love the way that Blackburn tells the story of its making heritage too in a very 21 century way. You should go!

Marie Millward | Twitter

Brilliant to be @festofmaking & see so much creativity & unity. Heard two old ladies saying that they loved to see everyone joining in & the positive atmosphere in Blackburn. Dawinder Bansal’s South Asian Wedding installation is wonderfully provocative

Andrew Nicholas | Twitter

The Asian Wedding #themakingofasouthasianwedding installation was fab. Closet thing ill get to my parents mixed heritage wedding ? @festofmaking being a 1980s kid.

@Amyofthedean | Twitter

Fabulous day @festofmaking a celebration of art, creativity manufacturing and making. Blackburn you should be proud!

Jane Beardsworth | Twitter

@festofmaking this was yet again the most amazing day from clay to knitting rude words on a knitting machine – thank you to everyone who made it happen

@Bullette17 | Twitter

A must go to event!

The High Sheriff of Lancashire

We came down, it was a great day. Loved seeing the town full of people exploring the festival.

Plus, the street food was amazing!

Amy Young

Very glad I ignored my flu and went to @festofmaking today – amazing multilayered festival #thenorthcanbeproud

Johnny Bean

Great day out at #FestivalofMaking inspired by the creativity and passion of local people and entrepreneurs

Great Places

Fantastic activities @festofmaking – great to see hundreds of young people getting involved in making…& adults!! Promoting STEAM & amazing career opportunities

Lancashire Skills Hub

From formula one to copper art, lots to participate in at the Steam Pavilion. Engineering is really advancing at a pace – when young people see these processes it really develops an interest in advanced manufacturing.

Sayyed Osman | BwDBC

A very worthwhile visit to an inspired and inspiring event. The Festival was particularly interesting because of the links between artists and local manufacturers. It had very real relevance to the area and felt like a strong force for social and economic animation and regeneration. It was great to be a part of it.

Clayground

Had such fun @festofmaking in Blackburn…..introduction to traditional leather work, Girls Girls Girls Suffragette workshop & printing on the 19th Century Columbian press!

Amy Benstead | Twitter

So much love for my home town today. Blackburn was resplendent for @festofmaking weekend. So much good stuff to see & do. And lots of trips down memory lane, especially in Tony’s Empress Ballroom where I used to buy mint aeros during breaks from dance lessons in the room above.

Amy Leach | Twitter

After a busy day @festofmaking my 4 year old lay in bed tonight and told me how happy he was

Megan Price | Twitter

Great atmosphere and feeling of unity. #workingtogether #supporting #Lancashire

North West Food & Drink

The hugely visionary & engaging @festofmaking was a huge multi organisation & agency #humdinger of bobby dazzling proportions! Huge thumbs up!

Sir Bill Taylor

Quality activites, something for all & no screens in sight! Great example for #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

@communikat | Twitter

Great day yesterday at the #festivalofmaking 🙂 Amongst the many the things the kids made they loved getting a go at dads trade!

PPS Painters

Such a creative festival bringing diverse communities together! Brilliant all round. Been buzzing from yesterday’s performance and up close interactive audience participation dances. An Blackburn THANK YOU – magnificent community!

Sohal Kailey

Such a boost for civic pride in Blackburn!

David Coggins

A brilliant achievement; great potential for putting the town on the UK map for an international audience.

Festival Visitor

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the town so alive. Very excited about the future and all the town’s emerging creative possibilities!

 

SCOTT BRADLEY, FILMMAKER | NORTHERN HEART FILMS

We absolutely loved it. It far exceeded my expectations and made me really proud to be part of Blackburn.

Festival Visitor

Heart warming, inspiring, interesting. What a fantastic thing for Blackburn and its people, for local and national making of all kinds.

Festival Visitor

There was such a positive vibe and a beautiful diverse turnout that celebrated everything Lancashire is and was.

Zainab Bilal

Everything about the festival was so brilliantly done, and I have heard nothing but enormous positivity from everyone who attended. You’ve all done a huge thing for this town.

Patrick Grant

Funders

Sponsors

2019 Trusts & Foundations

The National Festival Of Making Delivery Team

National Festival of Making is supported by the Arts Council England, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Brian Mercer Trust and Foundations and Partners. This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Back to top