The Belfry says visitors rose 35% on the opening Saturday of Redhill Arts Takeover, its busiest day in six months. What the fourth festival brought to town.

Redhill’s Belfry shopping centre says it had its busiest day in six months on the opening Saturday of this year’s Redhill Arts Takeover. Its general manager said visitor numbers were up 35% on the same Saturday last year.

The figure comes from Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s round-up of the festival, published on Monday. The council organises the week-long event, which ran from 5 to 12 September and is now in its fourth year.

It is a welcome number for a town centre that lost its theatre. The Harlequin has been shut since September 2023 because of RAAC concrete, and its roof replacement plans are only now in front of planners.

What the week included

The council says more than 40 events took place in venues across the town centre, in the streets and through the Belfry. Among them:

  • an opening performance of an original song, Redhill Rising, by the People’s Choir with support from the Include Choir
  • three walkabout performances by Eko the Sea Giant, a 13-foot puppet worked by five puppeteers from Autin Dance Theatre
  • live music on the Redstart Community Stage, including the ska acts Potato 5 and The Deltones
  • sold-out headline events with Blur drummer Dave Rowntree and author Ben Aaronovitch
  • the return of the Recycled Fashion Show, in which 11 designers turned junk into outfits in front of four judges at Unit 45
  • workshops including Neon Life Drawing, and a Spoken Word Cafe

The council says charges for performances and activities were kept as low as possible and set to cover expenses.

What local businesses said

Posadero Lounge ran an outdoor bar and barbecue beside the community stage. Its general manager told the council it was “a record-breaking day for sales”.

The Belfry’s general manager said the centre had “nothing but positive feedback”, with visitors up 35% on the same Saturday in 2025.

Both figures are the businesses’ own. Neither the council nor the centre has published footfall data we could check, so treat them as their assessment rather than an independent count.

Council leader Cllr Richard Biggs said the festival “gets bigger, bolder and better each year” and showed “how much creative talent we have in the town”.

What it means for you

If you missed it, the council has posted a photo album of the week on its Flickr account.

If you want to take part next year, watch the council’s news page. No 2027 dates have been announced.

For what else is on, our things to do in Reigate page covers the borough through the autumn.

Sources