Old Riverport Ukulele Festival 2026

09/10/2025

Dear Uke friends, we have made a few timetable changes following the unfortunate cancellation of Danilo Vignola this year. We cannot post a spreadsheet version of the amended timetable, so please check your email and your group leaders for details. It has been mailed out to all those we have addresses for. As a result we will finish the day a little earlier, around 7:00pm, which will help those who have come far. Doors open at 09:00, as before.

We're really looking forward to welcoming you to our 5th Festival, don't forget to dress up - the theme is "Mods & Rockers"!

23/09/2025

Ok guys 'n gals, (and all other persuasions!), less than three weeks to go, to our *5th* festival in St Ives Cambridgeshire, on Saturday 11th October 2025.

International visit from our favourite Italian Daniel Vignola, work shop and performance from the incomparable Matthew Quilliam Music and his clever, quirky show, and 14 local and semi-local groups from the surrounding area, plus Open Mic, cafe, bar, local restaurants, what's not to like? The standard of all groups just goes up year by year.

If you don't have your ticket yet, you may be lucky and get one of the last few here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/eventsstives/

See you there!

Buy tickets for EVENTSSTIVES's upcoming events. Click the link for further information and to secure your tickets now!

29/03/2025

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard! Mer Taylor, Amos Price, Susan Elaine Jones

29/03/2025

Shout out to our newest followers! Excited to have you onboard! Mer Taylor, Amos Price, Susan Elaine Jones

29/03/2025

Well done, you lovely uke people! Eleven bands and a blinding finale by the amazing Lightwaves, I think we can say our first March date was a big success! The new "team tables" layout went down very well, and we propose to keep it.

Videos and stills will be available shortly, along with sound recordings. Meanwhile I can confirm that we are "Go" for phase 2, on 11th October. Same time, same place. Our headliner in the evening is the amazing Matthew Quilliam.

Tickets are on sale already: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/eventsstives/

See you there!

Buy tickets for EVENTSSTIVES's upcoming events. Click the link for further information and to secure your tickets now!

21/03/2025

About 18 hours to go, to our first Spring festival. We can't wait to welcome you all tomorrow at the Corn Exchange, St Ives!

05/03/2025

Only a little over a fortnight to go to our first Springtime Festival, uke lovers! Owing to a number of factors, Matthew Quilliam, who we wanted for the 22nd, will in fact be playing for us on 11th October, our Autumn date.

Our headliners will be the amazing Lightwaves, a local duo who are guaranteed to surprise you if you've not heard them before. They are slick, inventive and clever, playing a variety of well loved numbers in their own unique style. You will *not* be disappointed. They will be supported by local duo the Lobsters (yes, there is a back story!).

I'm delighted to report that we have a full house and timetable, with open mic, a workshop on uke setup, and all the usual fun and frolics with bands from near and far playing for your edification from late morning through to tea-time. As usual, there will be refreshments in the Riverport Cafe and later a bar service downstairs.

If you don't have your ticket yet, now's the time, while the last ones are still available:

Buy tickets for EVENTSSTIVES's upcoming events. Click the link for further information and to secure your tickets now!

24/01/2025

Ok everyone, a quick summary as we approach the end of January. The first date this year is 22nd March, as ever at the Corn Exchange, St Ives, Cambridgeshire. Excellent parking in the Farmers' Market car park about 200 yards away along the street.

Refreshments will be available in the Cafe/Bar upstairs, and there will be provision for an open mic session.

The evening concert attractions are the excellent and talented Matthew Quilliam, an expert in all styles of music and a superb teacher, plus the phenomenal local band the Lightwaves.

Workshops are from Matthew Quilliam on Spicing Up Your Strumming, and local group leader and co-organiser Will Cowell, who will teach basic uke setup skills to make chords and playing easier. Tickets are needed for Matthew's workshop. Will's workshop is free. It will appeal to the more experienced player.

We have space for 10 bands or groups. At the moment we have 8 bands already booked, so we are filling up fast. Tickets for the day and for Matthew's workshop are available through Ticketsource:

https://ticketsource.co.uk/eventsstives - note the two s's in the middle!

Group leaders, please ensure that your attending band members each have an individual ticket. This year we are celebrating the 600th anniversary of the Town Bridge, and there will be an ongoing celebration through the summer of the town's Civil War history, with battle re-enactments on the town's riverside meadows. So this year's theme is "Cavaliers and Roundheads" - there will be a prize for the best costume, as always.

We're looking forward to welcoming you!

Buy tickets for EVENTSSTIVES's upcoming events. Click the link for further information and to secure your tickets now!

25/10/2024

Stop press: because of popular demand, we are going to try two one-day festivals in 2025. One in April, the other in October. You heard it here first!

15/10/2024

Abbey Ukes doing "Nights in White Satin" 12th October 2024.

13/10/2024

Huntingdon's "steam" song from our 2024 Festival yesterday. Great stuff - the standard goes up year on year!