summer

What an incredible summer it has been! Play the Rig brought its upcycled musical playground to festivals and family days across the country, and the response was phenomenal! From the fields of Camp Bestival to the bustling heart of Southbank Centre, we were thrilled to see people of all ages discover the magic of making music together—using recycled materials, creativity, and a little bit of fun!

Here’s a look back at where Play the Rig was this summer:

Big Church Festival
We started our summer season at Big Church Festival, bringing a joyful noise to the celebration. Hundreds of participants—young and old—experimented with sounds, rhythms, and melodies in a vibrant, interactive experience that added even more harmony to the festival’s spirit.

Godiva Festival
At Godiva Festival, we joined the fun of their “world” theme giving a space for festival-goers to create music and make their own upcycled instruments within this theme.

Camp Bestival Dorset & Shropshire
We hit two amazing editions of Camp Bestival, first in Dorset which we had the joy of attending last year, and then Shropshire for our first time! Festival-goers couldn’t resist our hands-on, eco-friendly music installation in this family specific festival.

Southbank Centre
The iconic Southbank Centre was the perfect setting for Play the Rig to turn heads and spark creativity. Visitors enjoyed exploring new ways to make music, as we set our up our beautiful Rigs and arts and crafts zone in the atrium of one of London’s most celebrated cultural spaces.

Chrisp Street Market
Bringing Play the Rig to Chrisp Street Market wrapped up our incredible season and was a delightful urban experience! We set up our upcycled musical playground in the middle of the bustling centre, engaging local families, shoppers, and curious onlookers alike, turning an ordinary day into a lively community celebration.
Thank You for Playing the Rig!
We are deeply grateful to everyone who played, danced, and shared in the joy of our upcycled musical playground. Your enthusiasm for creativity and sustainability made every festival unforgettable.

Stay tuned for more exciting events coming soon! We’re already planning our next adventure, and we can’t wait to see you again.

Follow us: @playtherig

Festivals and Family Days

The summer kicked off with two brilliant family days- the Crawley Festival on 28th June and the Village Green Festival on 13th July.

We then went to WOMAD at the end of July – which has been a firm fixture in The Rig calendar for the last 5 years – and set up camp in the kids field. As usual there were some amazing outfits – check out the octopus playing the Pixie Rig!

We were also at the Smithfield Street Party on August bank holiday and finished our summer festival season of at the End of the Road festival at Larmer Tree Gardens.

Rig Makeover

We were very thankful to get funding from Arts Council England for some of our projects this summer which has included giving the Rig a little makeover! Amy and Marianne took a couple of days in August to add some additions to the Rig and make it look sparkly again!

Great Ormond Street Hospital

A summer highlight was spending the day with the patients and families at Great Ormond Street Hospital. We made shakers and explored the Rig… and a very cute family of mice was even made!

What’s next?

Keep your eyes peeled for our next Rig adventures. Our next event is 5th and 6th October 2019 at English Heritage site Wrest Park where we will be set up alongside a food festival!

You can keep up to date via the events listing on our website and via our various social media platforms.

https://www.facebook.com/PlayTheRig/

Rhythm of Summer

Summer fun for The Rig

Festivals and Family Days