ROAD closures will be in place during the forthcoming Winchester Hat Fair outdoor arts festival.

Celebrating its 48th year with venues across the city, the festival is the UK’s longest continually running outdoor arts festival.

This year due to a recent funding cut, the festival will be smaller running over two days Friday June 30 and Saturday July 1.

Events ranging from theatre, music, dance, art and more are set up in the city. This includes The Hush Club Disco, a collective best known for their Bournemouth cliff top parties and festival appearances around the UK, taking place on Saturday July 1 from 9pm in the Broadway.

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Playmakers’ Top Hat, a showcase of outdoor performance work from past and present students of University of Winchester also takes place on Saturday July 1 from 1.40pm in the Broadway.

In order for the event to take place safely, various road closures will be in place over the weekend. The Broadway and Town Centre area will be affected, on Friday from 12noon to 11pm on Saturday, Busket Lane in its entirety will be closed.

On Friday the 30th from 12.20pm–12.30pm there will also be temporary traffic hold for the carnival to pass along a 15m section of Market Street.

Then on Saturday from 6am until Sunday at 2am The Broadway will be closed entirely.

There will also be parking suspensions on Thursday June 29 from 8am until Sunday 2nd July at 3am. Parking will be suspended within the road closure area in The Broadway.

Access for business deliveries and servicing to Market Lane, Market Street and The Square will be maintained throughout via a signposted diversion route along Colebrook Street.

A bus lane will also be created to allow buses a dedicated route into the bus station, as the station falls within Saturday’s Broadway Road closure area. This will be operational throughout Saturday up until 9pm when the bus lane will be removed and the road closed fully to allow for the evening event in The Broadway. Buses running during this time will access the bus station via the rear entrance on Friarsgate. 

The Hat Fair office will be open 24 hours a day, on 07467 423845.