Skip to main contentEnter
Join 7,550+ people who care about this town
Ipswich.co.uk logoSupport our work
News

Ipswich May Day Festival returns to Alexandra Park this Sunday

The country's longest-running May Day music festival will take place at Alexandra Park on Sunday, 4 May 2025, from midday.

Why it matters: Founded in 1978, the free annual festival celebrates International Workers Memorial Day while providing a platform for local musical talent and family entertainment.

The details: The Ipswich May Day Festival will feature three areas of live music, stalls, food vendors, DJs, and fairground rides in a family-friendly environment.

Visitors at the Ipswich May Day Festival in 2024
A previous Ipswich May Day Festival(Peter Everard Smith)
  • Two emerging acts from Suffolk New College have earned spots in the lineup through a recent battle of the bands competition.

  • Independent judges, including BBC Introducing DJ Angelle Joseph, selected A Love for Money and Indigo Lillies as winners from five competing college acts.

Supporting local talent: Eva Wayland, 17, from Ipswich, who represents A Love For Money alongside four fellow students, said: "We are so grateful for this opportunity. People can expect to hear a bit of everything from us. We will be playing mostly original music and a cover."

Lily Kemp, 17, from Leiston, will perform with her duo Indigo Lillies. "Our genre incorporates indie, folk and rock," she said.

A Love For Money will be performing at the Ipswich May Day Festival after winning a battle of the bands competition held at Suffolk New College
A Love For Money will be performing at the Ipswich May Day Festival after winning a battle of the bands competition held at Suffolk New College(Suffolk New College)

Georgie Fawley, music performance lecturer at Suffolk New College , said: "I'm really proud of my students. I feel this year we have a large proportion of really good musicians and songwriters. It's lovely to hear their music. What an experience for them. Hopefully they can all build a fanbase as a result of playing this festival."

The bottom line: The festival continues its tradition of being free to attend while offering diverse entertainment including music, food, and activities for the whole family, alongside a platform for emerging local artists.

You can read it for free thanks to the generous support of Lanman Solar and Start, Build & Grow

Despite a lack of promotion, the big reveal drew a good crowd of passersby

We're regenerating Ipswich – but we can't do it without you!

People tell us every day that our work matters – that it's making Ipswich better; that it's needed. But our work costs money, and unlike the Ipswich Star, we're not funded by national advertisers or owned by corporate US overlords. For just £4.75 a month, you can help fund our mission to restore pride of place and accelerate the much-needed regeneration of the town we call home.
Become a member →

In other news...

News

University of Suffolk puts Grade II listed church up for sale

The University of Suffolk is selling the former St Clements Congregational Church on Back Hamlet after purchasing the Gothic-style building in 2021, with plans to develop new student facilities elsewhere on campus.
by
Continue reading →
News

Underwater hockey event to raise funds for Broomhill restoration

More than 90 junior players from nine clubs across the country will compete in the East Anglia Junior Regionals for underwater hockey at Crown Pools this Saturday, with refreshment proceeds supporting the campaign to restore Broomhill Pool.
by
Continue reading →
News

East of England Co-op awards £110,000 to charities across East Anglia

Twelve Suffolk charities have been allocated grants from the East of England Co-op's latest Community Cares Fund, announced on Tuesday, 4 February, which distributes part of the retailer's annual profits to support local community projects.
by
Continue reading →
News

Three Ipswich charities to be awarded £72,000 in council grants

Ipswich Borough Council is set to approve £72,000 in Community Cash Grants to three voluntary organisations supporting vulnerable residents, homelessness services and advice provision across the town.
by
Continue reading →
News

Eunice Barker located following public appeal

Police have confirmed that Eunice Barker, the 81-year-old woman who went missing from Woodbridge Road this morning, has been found.
by
Continue reading →
Load more content
Our journalism is free thanks to
Our journalism is free thanks to
Want our best content delivered to your inbox every Friday?

Have you subscribed to our free weekly newsletter?

If you haven’t, you really should. You’ll get our best content delivered to your inbox every Friday afternoon, just in time for the weekend. You can unsubscribe at any time, although 99.7% of people don’t.

  • Lee Walker
  • Joe Bailey of Brighten the Corners
  • Mark Hubert
7,550+ people are already loving it