Ramsgate Day – 15th August 2026
Click here for the Ramsgate Day Trail.
🎉Step Right Up! Ramsgate Day Returns with a Spectacular Circus 🎉
Programme for Ramsgate Day 2026
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls… step right up and join us for a day of colour, creativity and community as Ramsgate Day transforms the town centre into a giant circus-inspired celebration on Saturday 15th August.
Ramsgate Day is a celebration of the town itself: its residents, independent businesses, community groups, young performers, creative organisations and local spirit. This year’s theme gives a playful nod to Ramsgate’s remarkable connection to Sanger’s Circus, once one of the most famous travelling circuses in the world.
Many people are surprised to learn that Ramsgate was home to a permanent Sanger’s Circus amphitheatre in the High Street, built in 1883. Some of the building still survives today, and local historian Ralph Hoult will be giving free talks at Silvers from 11am to 11.45am and 1pm to 1.45pm, where he will also be handing out free postcards showing the incredible building as it once stood.
One of the most fascinating figures in circus history, Ellen Sanger, later known as Madame Pauline de Vere, the Lady of the Lions, will be brought to life through a special costumed guided walk and talks exploring the extraordinary story of Ramsgate’s circus heritage. Visitors can join the Walk & Talk with Madame Pauline de Vere, meeting outside Nationwide at 12 noon and 3pm for a 45-minute “High Street gossip” exploring Ramsgate’s remarkable circus past.
The Mayor of Ramsgate will officially open the event at the Harbour Street gate just before 10am, and everyone is encouraged to come along preferably in circus costume and be part of the opening photoshoot.
Throughout the day, visitors can enjoy a packed programme of free family-friendly activities, performances and workshops across the town centre.
Young aspiring performers can learn new tricks with circus skills specialists This Bean Spins who will be running circus skills workshops in the High Street from 11am to 4pm, with a quieter SEN-friendly session from 10am to 11am. Phases Margate, will also be offering aerial circus skills in Charlotte Court from 1pm to 4pm.
At Arts in Ramsgate, families can take part in creative workshops from 10am to 4pm, including tiger mask making, circus bunting and clown nose design. The first hour, from 10am to 11am, will be a quieter SEN-friendly session.
There will also be Cheeky Chops face painting, Rainbow Sand Art, hook-a-duck, cup and saucer rides, candyfloss and popcorn in the High Street.
Adding a touch of science, creativity and discovery to the programme, Discovery Planet will invite visitors to uncover the secrets behind some of the circus’s most impressive feats. From testing your balance like a tightrope walker and exploring the science of juggling to creating giant and unusual-shaped bubbles, children and adults alike will have the opportunity to experiment, learn and play while discovering the STEAM principles behind the spectacle.
Creative activities will also take place in local venues, including glass-making workshops at Turner Rowe Gallery and leather-making workshops at Limarni. Little Ravens will host a ticketed circus craft workshop for children aged 5–11+, where young makers can create juggling balls, funny nose-growing clown toys and more.
Local businesses are joining in across town. Plunder will host Pirate Circus at Plunder!, featuring sword skills, loop-a-hook, stocks, walk the plank, books, treats and the Thanet Smuggler Experience. Taylor Meats will be serving jumbo hot dogs and cheeseburgers, while Ramsgate Tandoori will host a live Chana Masala cookery demo. Penelope Wine Bar will offer freshly shucked oysters and Chablis from 1.30pm to 5.30pm.
More than 30 stalls will fill the town centre as the Ramsgate Handmade & Vintage Fair showcases independent makers, performers, businesses and community groups from 10am to 5pm.
Live music and performance will run from 12.30pm to 4.30pm, featuring Kingfisher, Pie Factory Music, Annia and headline act Cor Alley, who will bring the event to a close before the parade begins.
Annia, a rising reggae singer-songwriter from Antigua and Barbuda now based in Ramsgate, recently appeared on BBC Introducing. The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority will also attend in support of Annia’s performance and will be set up outside Ramsgate Pharmacy.
Other daytime highlights include Zumba with Zumba Zoe at 11.30am on Harbour Street and Cabaret Chaos with Screaming Alley from 2pm to 2.30pm on Queen Street.
Adding to the spectacle, Looping the Loop will bring the magic of the circus to life with magnificent life-sized elephant and lion puppets, a ringmaster and colourful encounters throughout the day.
Children can also take part in the Ramsgate Day Trail, collecting letters from seagulls in participating shop windows to solve the secret message and win a badge.
The day will culminate in the joyful Parade of a Thousand Bubbles. Families are encouraged to gather at the Harbour Street gate from 4.30pm before the parade sets off at 4.40pm, led by Looping the Loop’s ringmaster, life-sized elephant and lion puppets, Madame Pauline de Vere and the infectious rhythms of Samba Ya Wantsum.
The parade will travel up through town to the top of High Street, loop round and return to the centre for a magical bubble-filled finale, with performers, participants and spectators coming together to fill the air with bubbles — including giant bubbles floating high above the crowd.
Everyone is encouraged to join the parade in circus-themed fancy dress, with prizes for the best costumes. Children taking part can collect a goody bag, with the first 90 also entered for the chance to win one of two Santus Circus family ringside ticket packages.
Whether you’re trying your hand at circus skills, discovering a piece of local history, enjoying live performances, following the Ramsgate Day Trail or simply soaking up the atmosphere, Ramsgate Day promises a fantastic day out for all ages.
For one day only, the spirit of Sanger’s Circus returns to Ramsgate, bringing together history, creativity, performance and community in a celebration that promises fun for all ages.
So dust off your top hats, gather the family and join us as we celebrate Ramsgate’s rich circus heritage in style.
Ramsgate Day
📅 Saturday 15 August 2026
🕙 10am – 5pm
📍 Ramsgate Town Centre
🎪 Free Family Event
Free parking is available at Cannon Road Car Park.
Ramsgate Night
As the daytime event winds down, Ramsgate Night will keep the town buzzing with live music, DJs and performances at venues across Ramsgate.
Evening events include live gigs at Thorley Tavern pubs including the Red Lion, Queen’s Head and Elephant & Castle, plus Ramsgate Arts Club presents Eidophusikon, with DJs, visuals, trip hop, electro and break beats.
There will also be Silvers DJ Night, Penelope Wine Bar with Phil Mison of Café Del Mar Ibiza from 6pm to 10pm, and Michael, Starring Ben at the Granville Theatre.
Ramsgate Tunnels will also host Isaac Naylor’s evening talk, Standing Against the Flames: Ramsgate’s Fire Brigade, 1939–1945, at San Clu from 6.30pm.
🎟️ Tickets are available here.
Ramsgate Day Trail
To celebrate Ramsgate Day, we’ve created a special trail that spells out a secret message.
To claim your badge, visit the places on the trail, find the letter attached to each seagull in the window, write down the letters to work out the secret message, then hand your completed flyer in to Potters in Queen Street.
For location and description information on all the places taking part, see map below :
Visit Ramsgate Trail
- Click on menu icon (top left corner) to view Map index.
- Click on the green icon (in map, bottom right) for Map information
Ramsgate Day is funded by Ramsgate Town Council, with live music sponsored by Thorley Taverns and This Bean Spins sponsored by Ramsgate Town Team.