The 2026 Winter Droving in Penrith planned for next month will not mot take place in Penrith as Eden arts moves the event to Carlisle.
The move follows a new partnership between Eden Arts and the Great Border City BID, supported by a substantial grant from the Arts Council of England, with a shared ambition to bring more people into the city centre, encourage them to stay longer and explore, and make major cultural events work for Carlisle's businesses as well as its audiences, increasing Carlisle's cultural offer and visibility.
Eden Arts Director Adrian Lochhead said:
"Events evolve. Partnerships change, circumstances change and new opportunities emerge. After fourteen editions in Penrith, 2026 gives us the chance to bring Winter Droving to Carlisle and build something new around it.
"Penrith is where Winter Droving was born and it will always be an important part of the event's story. We are enormously proud of what has been created there over the years. Unfortunately, the scale of the event and the consequential financial security needed to make it happen has not been possible this year in Penrith.
"This year the opportunity is in Carlisle. There is a real appetite for more major cultural activity in the city, and we want to carry the spirit, scale and glorious strangeness of Winter Droving into Carlisle while making something that feels genuinely of the place."
The programme will retain the heart of Winter Droving, including work led by internationally renowned theatre-maker Adrian Schvarzstein, alongside the Drovers Cup, music, performance and the event's distinctive mix of spectacle, participation and surprise.
A new large-scale finale will also be created for the twilight procession, adding a fresh dimension as the event takes to the streets of Carlisle.
At the heart of Eden Arts events is the idea that people should be able to join in, not simply watch. People can join the procession, carry a fire torch, wear a mask, dress up, dance, volunteer or simply find themselves swept up in what is happening around them.
Lochhead said:
"That's really what Winter Droving is about. You don't just stand at the side and watch somebody else have the fun. You can put on a mask, carry a torch, join the procession and become part of it.
"Our best events bring people together — different ages, different communities, visitors and people who live here — and for a day everyone gets to share the city together. That's what we want to bring to Carlisle."
And 24 October is shaping up to be a big day and evening out across the city. Alongside Carlisle Carnivale there will be other great activity happening at venues across the city, giving people plenty of reasons to come into Carlisle, stay, explore and move between different parts of the city.
Joe Harrison, Co-Founder of West Walls Brewing Co. and Great Border City BID Director said: "We're delighted the BID is helping bring events of this quality to Carlisle. An event on this scale is a real opportunity to bring thousands of new people into the city centre and give a boost to businesses across Carlisle, and I'd encourage everyone to get involved and make the most of it."
The ambition is not simply to draw a crowd to one event, but to create a busy, sociable city centre throughout the day and into the evening — with people seeing performance, eating, drinking, shopping and discovering what else Carlisle has to offer.
That shared experience is also part of supporting the city itself. Bringing people into Carlisle, encouraging them to stay for longer and explore different streets and venues helps support the businesses, organisations and cultural venues that are here all year round.
Businesses will be encouraged to get involved too, whether through special offers, food and drink, displays, activities, themed menus or simply by making the most of a busy city centre.
Opportunities to get involved are all listed on our website page https://www.edenarts.co.uk/projects/carlisle-carnivale-2026
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