If you don’t have a ticket and still want to be part of the action during Games time, there will be festival sites in Warwick and Royal Leamington Spa where you can experience all the action.

From Thursday 28 July – Monday 8 August, there will be two festival sites in Warwick District, one in Pump Room Gardens in Royal Leamington Spa operated by Warwick District Council and another in Market Square in Warwick operated by Warwickshire County Council; both will have big screens, open from 10am – 10pm and are free to attend, to celebrate the region’s hosting of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The festival site at the Pump Room Gardens will have several activities for families as well as an opportunity to try bowls at one of the pop-up bowls greens provided by Bowls England, where you can challenge your family and friends and get a feel for the sport. There will also be a great choice of food and drink stalls available at the site.

Ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony on 28 July, there will be a jazz and samba band, dancers, stilt walkers and jugglers providing entertainment from 5pm before the Opening Ceremony at 8pm.

Cllr Liam Bartlett, Warwick District Council Portfolio Holder for Economy and Culture, said:

 “Come down to the Commonwealth Games festival sites in Warwick and Royal Leamington Spa this summer to experience the atmosphere and big moments of the Games, where there will be something for everyone, from having a go at bowls to relaxing in the Pump Room Gardens with a picnic.”

Cllr Heather Timms, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate & Culture, said:

"We are very happy to be working with our partners at Warwick District Council to deliver these festival sites for the duration of the Commonwealth Games. The sites in Warwick and Leamington will bring the excitement of the Games to our residents and let them be a part of this once in a generation spectacle of sport and entertainment. From the opening ceremony on Thursday 28 July to its close on Monday 8 August, we hope as many of our residents as possible come out to enjoy the carnival atmosphere at our festival sites."

At the Leamington Spa site on Saturday and Sunday over both weekends of the Games, there will be activities for children between 10am – 12pm, 2pm-4pm and 6pm-8pm, including medal making, creating commonwealth countries’ flags and bunting and much more.

The festival site in Market Square, Warwick, will be open daily from 10am to 10pm, with refreshments available from local businesses. Further information relating to this site will be announced closer to the Games.

In addition to the festival sites, CultureFest will take place from Saturday 16 July to Sunday 21 August 2022. Showcasing and celebrating the arts and heritage venues, artists, and creatives in the area, with events and activities taking place across Royal Leamington Spa, Warwick, Kenilworth and Whitnash.

CultureFest aims to encourage the people who live, work and visit the area to discover or rediscover world-class venues and artists across the four towns, finding new stories and experiences by young people and emerging talent.

For further information on the festival sites, visit www.warwickdc.gov.uk/cg2022.

For further information on Warwick DC CultureFest, visit www.warwickdc.gov.uk/culturefest