Let’s Go Fly! Dorchester Kite Festival
POSTPONED
A message from the Dorchester Kite Festival team:
We’re very sorry to announce that the Dorchester Kite Festival, scheduled for this Saturday (6 June), has been postponed due to forecast high winds and rain.
With sustained wind speeds expected to reach around 20mph and gusts up to 40mph, it would be unsafe to erect gazebos. This means we would be unable to host food stalls or provide the planned free kite-making activities.
While wind is essential for kite flying, very strong winds can prevent large, spectacular kites—often a highlight of the festival—from being displayed.
The safety of our visitors, traders, and volunteers must come first, and we want to ensure the event can be enjoyed in full.
We are working on confirming a new date and will share an update as soon as possible.
Thank you for your understanding, and we hope to see you soon for a fantastic day of kites, activities, and family fun.
A brand new festival is coming to Dorchester on Saturday 6th June 2026. Let’s Go Fly! Kite Festival is being hosted on The Great Field between 11am and 4.30pm.
On the day, you’ll find…
- Huge stunt kites with commentated flying
- Art in the Park with Kites
- A flying area with space to launch your own
- A selection of market stalls and food
- Arts and crafts activities
- A special reveal of The Big Dorchester Kite
The wonderful White Horse Kite Flyers will be bringing some amazing kite displays and free kite making activities. Poundbury Events have put together the very best stallholders for the festival. Art in Poundbury are going to be running their very popular Art in the Park events as part of the festival with lots of great prizes.
Expect giant kites and incredible shapes soaring overhead, a great atmosphere, and a fun day out.
Organised by Dorchester Tourism Partnership, Dorchester Town Council with White Horse Kite Flyers.
Art in the Park with Kites!
Join us for a creative day in the park where artists of all ages and abilities are invited to paint the beautiful surroundings. With so many inspiring views to choose from — distant hills, colourful wildflower meadows, the lively market and refreshment stalls, and the spectacular mega kites flying high above the Great Field — there will be something to spark every artist’s imagination.
Bring your paints, pencils, or sketchbooks and capture the atmosphere of the day. At the end of the event, excellent prizes will be awarded across five different categories, celebrating creativity, skill, and unique perspectives.
Come along, enjoy the scenery, and be part of a wonderful day of art, colour, and community!
Art in the Park isn’t just for grown-ups. We welcome artists from the ages of 5 to 17 and registration is free. Just bring along some art materials (or we can supply!) and a grown up. There will be family activities, kites, the park and PiP café will be open.
REGISTER AT: Art in the Park with the mega kites – Art in Poundbury
Our Sponsors
A huge thank you to our local sponsors who are helping to make the Dorchester Kite Festival happen!
Our Platinum Sponsors
- Dorchester Timber – Suppliers of Construction Timber, Landscaping & Fencing Materials, Cladding, Decking, Sheet Materials, and associated products. DORCHESTER TIMBER was created back in 1987 with the vision of supplying both Trade and DIY enthusiast.
Our Gold Sponsors
- Poundbury Community Trust – Established in January 2016 for the benefit of Poundbury residents.
- Battens Solicitors – As a reputable Dorset law firm, we’re dedicated to serving the unique needs of clients in Poundbury and the surrounding Dorchester area, including Weymouth, Portland and local villages.
Our Silver Sponsors
- Symonds and Sampson Estate Agents
- Poundbury Garden Centre – The Gardens Group
- House of Dorchester Chocolates
- Grassby Funeral Service
Our Bronze Sponsors
- Move Clinic – osteopaths and sports massage
- Robert Frith Opticians
- Ellis Jones solicitors
- Places for People
Getting here
Cycle
Bike parking is available on the Great Field near Pips Café, the Lynch Gate, and St Johns Way.
Walk
The Great Field is an easy walk from Dorchester Town Centre, just follow signs to Poundbury!
Train
Hop on the train into Dorchester, then either walk or catch the bus up to Poundbury. Use the Number 6 bus directly from Dorchester South Station. If coming from Dorchester West Station, the nearest stop is Trinity Street.
Drive
Limited on street parking is available around Poundbury. Please be mindful not to block driveways and leave enough space for emergency vehicles to pass.
Bus
From Weymouth: 10
From Weymouth, Axminster, Lyme Regis, Bridport plus villages in between: X51
Design a Kite Competition!
Help launch Dorchester’s first ever Kite Festival by designing a kite to represent our town. Take inspiration from the landscape, places, and people to create ‘A Celebration of Dorchester’. Use your creativity and imagination to decorate the template on the reverse of this sheet.
Designs will be judged by the Mayor of Dorchester. The winning design will be made into a real kite by an artist and flown by the Mayor to start and end the festival!
Please don’t forget to fill in your contact details so we can get in touch with the lucky winner.
To enter, send your entry form and design to us by Email: conniehollings@dorchester-tc.gov.uk or Post/drop-off: Dorchester Town Council, 19 North Square, Dorchester, DT1 1JF
Enter by Midday Friday 15th May 2026. Entry forms below.
PDF – email entry | PDF – print entry | Word – email entry | Word – print entry | Template Only
Apply to have a stall at the Dorchester Kite Festival
We are delighted to be working with Poundbury Events to bring together the very best stallholders for the fesitval. If you would like to be considered for a trading space at this year’s Kite Festival, please complete the form below.
Please note that they are not accepting bookings from the following types of traders:
- Face painters or glitter tattoo artists
- Funfair rides or lucky dip stalls
- Third‑party selling companies such as Avon or weight‑loss brands
If you have been selected we will be in contact within 10 working days.
Also we don’t not accept applications via email or social media posts, applications are only considered via this form. You will be invoiced by Poundbury Events if accepted.
For future information please contact Charlotte at Poundburyevents@hotmail.com.