Tens of thousands of people headed to Coventry’s beautiful War Memorial Park to enjoy a weekend full of amazing live music and fantastic family fun.
The festival continues to go from strength to strength with over 70,000 tickets sold for this year’s event, representing an increase from the 2022 edition.
The Friday night saw a thunderous headline performance from The Enemy. The band, appearing at the festival for the first time in 16 years, set the tone for a weekend which saw a dynamic mix of big musical names and the very best of the Coventry Music scene.
Across the weekend there were incredible performances from a host of stars such as Rudimental, Ella Eyre, Diversity, Trevor Nelson, The Selecter and Celina Sharma to name but a few. The event itself was capped by a showstopping performance from the iconic Melanie C.
Godiva Festival is of course about more than just music and attendees enjoyed plenty of excitement in the Coventry College Family Field. With roaming dinosaurs, stunning birds of prey and energetic performances from entertainers like Johnny and the Raindrops, the field certainly lived up to it’s ‘Let’s go wild’ theme.
This year’s festival also celebrated the city’s impressive cultural sector by devoting two stages to rising performance artists. The Ancient Futures Stage and Powerhouse Youth Zone saw an eclectic mix of singers, rappers, poets, spoken word artists, DJs and dancers performing throughout the weekend. In addition, the festival welcomed Imagineer’s Giant Godiva for the first time ever.
Councillor Abdul Salam Khan, Deputy Leader of Coventry City Council and Cabinet Member for Events, said: “The Godiva Festival continues to grow and is a fantastic celebration of everything that makes our city so special. I was delighted to see so many families and residents enjoying themselves across the weekend.
“I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who played their part in delivering a truly fantastic event, including sponsors, partners, our Council staff, the Police, our onsite security and the St John’s Ambulance. It’s thanks to their support that Godiva Festival continues to be a fantastic weekend for people of all ages.”
Highlights from the weekend can be found on the Council's Flickr.
Godiva Festival is brought to you by Coventry City Council in association with Free Radio, Greatest Hits Radio and Coventry College.
To keep up to date, head to the Godiva Festival website or follow Godiva Festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.