You can’t drive past Crescent Gardens in Harrogate without noticing the Spiegeltent.
It went up in just 8 hours on Wednesday (27 June 2017), the spiegeltent is named “Idolize” and is a unique baroque style with a capacity of 450.
Harrogate International Festivals have bought the spiegeltent to Harrogate for a number of years and is back this year, with some support from Arts Council Funding.
The venue will feature shows over this weekend, each evening and some free shows at lunchtime – 29 June to 8 July 2018.
It aimed at children and adults alike. The evening are about encouraging people to dip a toe into seeing a performance in a relaxed environment, maybe an act that they may not otherwise see.
Have a look at our video of the spiegeltent going up, it started at 8am on Wednesday and was completed by about 5pm. Today and tomorrow will see the sound system and bar go in.
Lizzie Brewster of the Harrogate International Festivals said:
We have all worked really hard on the programming of acts for the spiegeltent. Many are a repeat of acts that have been many times before, but some are a legacy of others that have performed before. Benoit Viellefon has been every year for instance.
It really has something for everyone, from the Gypsy Queens, The Hosue of Burlesque to a Jimmy’s Reunion night.
It’s a friendly venue that opens things up to a whole new audience – we find some just turn up for every night.
It’s an intimate venue where you can enjoy a bottle of wine or a beer and just enjoy the acts.
The HIF pride themselves on some of the most up to date acts around.
Lizzie added:
Binker & Mosses have won a MOBO Award for best jazz act, having an award winning act in Harrogate is just wonderful. They are an act that are new to us, but follow in the footsteps of Abraham Wilson who played with us many times and has now sadly passed away. Binker & Mosses met Abraham Wilson in a rehearsal and that’s how they have come to perform at the Harrogate spiegeltent.
Helen Donkin from the HIF has lead the Children’s Festival in the Spiegeltent, running Saturday and Sunday 9am until 4pm (30 June and 1 July)
Helen said:
This year we are really building on what has gone before.
The children’s festival runs both days over the weekend and is for children from 0 to 10 plus, although many of the adults tell us they enjoy the events.
There are events every hour and are all about getting people involved in science, literature and history – trying to keep it very relevant to our other festivals.
The Rainbow Factory run an interactive visitor attraction in Leeds and have bought that to our children’s series with interactive story telling of Little Red Riding Hood and the Gruffalo.
Saul Eisenberg is a former Stomp and Blueman member will give an opportunity to make music from junk. Sword School will show you how to use a sword and explain the importance of them in history. Secrets, Spies and Espionage is all about Bletchley Park.
The weekend will end on a bang (literally) with the Fun Science Show. That’s always a crowd pleaser.
See www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/spiegeltent-childrens-festival/ for full details or call the box office on 01423 562303.
