Darley Park Weekender is coming

The countdown is on to Derby’s summer spectacular, the Darley Park Weekender. Ticket holders will be treated to three days of five-star, family-friendly music, set in the beautiful surroundings of Darley Park.

Jason Donovan, Chesney Hawkes and DJ Scott Mills will appear at the 80s Mix Tape on Fri 30 Aug, with support from The 80s Reunion and Cassette Roulette, while Honeyz, DJ Chris Moyles and special guests Blue take to the stage, alongside The Ultimate Boy Band Party Show and Cassette Roulette, on Sat 31 Aug for Ultimate 90s. Tickets for both nights, priced at £29.50 for adults and £15 for children – and free for under-fives – are already flying out.

The Darley Park Concert will round off the weekend on Sun 1 Sep with classical music from Sinfonia Viva and a dazzling display of fireworks.

As ever, the Darley Park Weekender is organised by Derby LIVE, Derby City Council’s events arm. It will be sponsored by Circulayo, Fortitude MSP, HUUB, Sami Tipi, Tomato Energy and the University of Derby.

Circulayo provides a complete technology solution for businesses looking to eliminate single-use plastic waste and integrate sustainability into everyday life. We are working alongside Circulayo to eliminate single-use plastic waste at the event.

Fortitude MSP, one of Derby’s leading IT support companies, will be running competitions at their gazebo space for people to win some great prizes – including headphones, Amazon Kindles and much more.

HUUB is a proud Derby-based sportswear company for the swim, bike and run communities, while the family-friendly Weekender fits perfectly with locally-based Sami Tipi’s values of creating memorable experiences in beautiful settings. 

As a company dedicated to empowering sustainable communities, Tomato Energy will be engaging with people about their innovative energy solutions. The University of Derby continues to play its part in the prosperity and wellbeing of the city by supporting the event.

This year’s event will also see further improvements to make it a better experience for everyone. As the weekender evolves and attracts more people to the site, changes have been made to allow more people on Friday and Saturday nights, and more seating on the Sunday. The dance floor area in front of the stage, which proved popular with the crowds last year, will be back on Friday and Saturday. 

The layout of the site has also been tweaked to improve the flow of people and exit gates have been expanded. There will also be a taxi/drop-off point at Parkers Piece.

Further details of what you can expect when attending The Darley Park Weekender, including what can and can’t be brought into the event, can be found online.

We’ve worked hard to make sure the Darley Park Weekender is accessible, so it can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. There is a pre-bookable wheelchair viewing platform with charging points for power wheelchairs and an accessible viewing area.  There will be a dedicated accessible entrance situated on the main pathway through the park, which will allow easy access and mean customers won’t need to negotiate the regular queues for bag and ticket checks. There will also be a lowered counter at our main bar and VIP area bar to improve accessibility for customers wishing to purchase refreshments.

The site will have accessible toilets and a Mobiloo – a mobile Changing Places toilet designed to ensure that people who need additional support with their personal care can attend outdoor events and festivals. There will be a separate accessible entrance and dedicated pre-bookable Blue Badge holder car park.

Fully qualified British Sign Language interpreters will be on the main stage over all three days of the event and a hearing loop system will be installed at the access entrance, at the main bar and also the on-site box office.

We are also improving the sustainability of the event, by utilising solar and hybrid power sources whilst transferring from diesel to HVO in all our generators, reducing our Co2 emissions by around 90%. We are again using re-usable cups at the event, to minimise single use plastics.

For those wondering about refreshments, there will be food and drink to suit all tastes, with a range of bars on site keeping prices on a par with local pubs.

Tickets for The Darley Park Weekender 2024 are on sale now. Advance tickets for Ultimate 90s or 80s Mix Tape are priced at £29.50 for adults and £15 for children aged 5-16. Under 5s are free. Buy tickets for both Ultimate 90s and 80s Mix Tape at the same time and save £5.

Tickets bought on the day are priced at £35 for adults. £15 for ages 5-16 with under 5s free. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult. 

Tickets for The Darley Park Concert bought before 31 Jul 2024 are from just £5 for adults, under 16s are £2.

The quickest way to book is online. You can also buy tickets from the Sales and Information Centre inside the Guildhall Theatre, Market Place, Derby, DE1 3AE or call 01332 255800.