Dunbar · Festival

Heart of Dunbar Festival 2026

15–23 August 2026

Heart of Dunbar Festival returns with nine days of community events across the town, including live music, family activities, sport, arts and the festival’s opening parade and fun day.

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Festival Highlights

Highlights from the 2026 programme. Open any card for full details.

Bark in the Park Dog Show
Date and time
Sun 16 Aug, 10:30am - 12:30pm
Venue
Lauderdale Park, Dunbar
Price
£5 per dog
A prize dog show at Lauderdale Park with competition categories for four-legged festival fun.
More details
Pix in the Stix: Encanto
Date and time
Sat 22 Aug, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Venue
Lauderdale Park, Dunbar
Price
£3 per person; £10 family of four
An outdoor screening of Disney’s Encanto at Lauderdale Park as part of Heart of Dunbar Festival.
More details
Big Bairns Little Bairns Mixtape
Date and time
Sun 23 Aug, 11:00am - 1:00pm
Venue
Lauderdale Park, Dunbar
Price
£6 children; £3 adults
A family daytime disco at Lauderdale Park, mixing music for grown-ups with Disney favourites and songs children will know.
More details
Hoolie in the Park
Date and time
Sun 23 Aug, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Venue
Lauderdale Park, Dunbar
Price
£5 per person
A family-friendly outdoor ceilidh at Lauderdale Park closing Heart of Dunbar Festival 2026.
More details
SoundWaves: Cloud House with Vega and Martha Cornish
Cancelled
Date and time
Sat 22 Aug, 7:30pm - 11:00pm
Venue
Dunbar Parish Church Hall, Dunbar
Glasgow indie-rock band Cloud House headline SoundWaves at Dunbar Parish Hall, with support from Dunbar musicians Vega and Martha Cornish.
More details

Official Festival Programme

The official Heart of Dunbar Festival programme is reproduced below for visitors who prefer browsing the printed schedule.

The programme is colour coded and the printed back page folds horizontally. The images below have been arranged for easier viewing.

Browse Festival Events

All published festival events, grouped by date. More listings will appear here as the full programme is added.

15 August

Event · Free
Parade & Funday
Sat 15 Aug · Dunbar Town Centre
Community parade and funday with activities and prizes for best interpretation.
Outdoor

16 August

Outdoor · Free
Hub to Horizon
Sun 16 Aug · Sport and Fitness Hub, East Links Family Park
Guided outdoor hybrid training at East Links Family Park — walk or run, beach workout and Pilates recovery. Free for ages 16+.
Outdoor
Outdoor
Bark in the Park Dog Show
Sun 16 Aug · Lauderdale Park, Dunbar
A prize dog show at Lauderdale Park with competition categories for four-legged festival fun.
Outdoor · Family-friendly
Outdoor · Free
Sandcastles, Stones and Surf
Sun 16 Aug · Belhaven Beach and Belhaven Surf Centre
Sandcastle competition, ELAF stone balancing, and Surf Centre bake sale, table-top and sauna at Belhaven Beach and Belhaven Surf Centre. 13:30–15:30; free; all ages.
Outdoor · Family-friendly
Outdoor · Free
Dunbar Petanque – Come and Try
Sun 16 Aug · Lauderdale Park, Dunbar
Come and try pétanque at Lauderdale Park. Equipment and tuition provided; children must be accompanied by an adult.
Outdoor
Sport
SUP Dragon Race
Sun 16 Aug · Belhaven Surf Club
Team stand-up paddleboard dragon race heats at Belhaven Surf Club. Teams of 4; age 7+. £40 per team.
Outdoor
Event · Free
St Anne's Church – Church Service
Sun 16 Aug · St Anne's Church, Westgate
All-age church service at St Anne's Church, Westgate, with activities, talks and singing.

17 August

18 August

19 August

20 August

21 August

22 August

23 August

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