Town centre 'Uplifted' with return of action-packed youth festival

Kick-starting the school summer holidays in style, highlights of the UPLIFT Festival included free skateboarding, BMX, roller-skating, parkour, dance, live music, and creative workshops.

Delivered by Rotherham Council's events team in partnership with Flux Rotherham and Children's Capital of Culture 2025, the event is now in its third year and saw a roller skating rink in All Saints’ Square, Bridgegate becoming a BMX, skate and scooter park and a skate park located at Upper Millgate.

Elsewhere in the town centre, The Minster Gardens was home to a Young Makers' Market spotlighting the creativity and talent of young entrepreneurs with handmade crafts, knick-knacks, crochet creations and unique jewellery for sale, all created by Rotherham’s next generation of makers including Dainty Fungi, Duo Doodlee, and Sugar Crash Club.

New for 2024, urban sports specialists from NovaCity Activity Centre demonstrated their jaw-dropping skills in parkour, street dance, tricking, and stunt fighting.

A live music stage on Church Street featured young musical talent from Rotherham and South Yorkshire, including The Banned, Tivolis, TowHead, and Pelican Crossing.

Esdlwehere in the town centre, Rotherham United Community Trust held freestyle skill sessions at Minster Yard which was also the site of creative workshops including woven wall hanging with artist Agnis Smallwood, button or pin badge making with the 'Radical Badger' AKA artist Natalie Allistone and free and fun sessions run by the 16 to-25-year-olds on the Children’s Capital of Culture traineeship programme.