Rickmansworth waterways trust

The next Rickmansworth Festival is being held on the 18th and 19th May 2024 so book the date in your diary now!

The Rickmansworth Festival takes place on the third weekend of May every year and celebrates canals, the community and the environment.

The top attraction for many is the wonderful array of canal boats from across the country - a terrific spectacle, with at least 100 craft of many types and histories moored along the towpath up to four deep. But there are things to do, see and enjoy whatever your interests, and whatever your age.

The Rickmansworth Festival started as a purely canal based event in 1993, as part of the British Waterways “Canals 200” celebration that year.

The first was on a large scale, incorporating the Aquadrome as the main location for land based activities. Subsequent Festivals were much smaller, but they steadily grew in size and scope. At least 20,000 people now come each year. 

The Festival now occupies part of the Aquadrome, the towpath between Stockers Lock and Batchworth, and the area round Batchworth Lock. You’ll find a range of music and performing arts, displays and presentations, traders, boats and catering.   

If you're planning to visit the Festival, click here for more information on how to plan your day and the complete line up of entertainment for the weekend of the last Festival in 2023  can be found here.

If you want to take part as a performer, trader, exhibitor or boater, click here

You can get involved in the organisation – click here

Videos of the 2022 Festival

Saturday 21st May

Sunday 22nd May

Videos of the 2015 Festival

Festival opening

Environment tent, Main Stage

Batchworth Lock

Sunday Canalside

Video of the very first Festival

If you want to see how the Festival started out - click here. It has been transferred from VHS before the age of digital video so please excuse the quality!

Videos of 2012 and 2013

If you want a closer look at all there is to do take a look at videos taken by Rickmansworth Councillor Les Mead covering the Saturday and Sunday of the 2012 Festival and the Saturday and Sunday of the 2013 Festival.

If you want to read an account of the 2013 Festival - click here

Videos of 2014

Further videos by Les Mead taken at our record breaking 2014 Festival can be linked to here.

Trip up the Canal to Stockers

Opening Ceremony and Festival

Music on the Main stage

Our Sponsors

We are most grateful for the help and contributions, often over many years, of our Supporters and Sponsors. Without them the Festival could not happen, and the work of the Trust would be very greatly affected.

They include:

Also please visit the page of supporters for our most recent Festival