Hopes for festival to celebrate 200 years of docks

A council has unveiled plans for a six-month programme of events to celebrate 200 years since a famous canal and docks opened.

Gloucester City Council hopes to organise a celebration in 2027 to mark two centuries since the opening of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, which allowed large ships to bypass the River Severn for the first time.

Organisers said it would feature performances, public art, guided walks, community events and sports activities.

Councillor Caroline Courtney, the cabinet member for culture and leisure, said the proposal would "hopefully see the whole city come together to celebrate".

Opened on 26 April 1827, the full Gloucester and Sharpness Canal was built to allow sea-going vessels to reach Gloucester, making it the most inland port in the UK.

Organisers said the anniversary event would build on the success of the Tall Ships Festival and take inspiration from other programmes such as those staged during the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

The Canal and River Trust, Gloucester Cathedral, University of Gloucestershire and Gloucester BID are already involved in the project but Courtney said it needs other organisations to "help make it happen".

"We're asking groups, organisations or individuals who would like to help make it happen to get in touch," she said.

"For this to be the exciting and ambitious celebration we know it can be, it needs to be a city-wide event," she added.

Courtney said the anniversary "should truly reflect the people of Gloucester and create a lasting legacy for the city".

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