Carols at Clitheroe Castle cancelled for 2026 due to refurbishment uncertainty

The annual Carols at the Castle concert has been cancelled for 2026 after organisers made the decision not to hold the event this year.

The decision comes as work to refurbish the Clitheroe Castle bandstand nears completion, with refurbishment set to conclude in mid-November.

The £600,000 project, due for completion in November, will see the bandstand has been repainted, the stage resurfaced and distinctive tiered steps have also been repaved.

New permanent lighting columns will be installed in the New Year, while railings, benches and pathways will be replaced and resurfaced around the bandstand and throughout the castle grounds over the coming months.

Ribble Valley Borough Council’s refurbishment of the Castle bandstand comes as the latest of their £2.3m investment in Clitheroe Castle.

Clitheroe castle’s 800-year-old keep was shrouded in scaffolding and covers for much of the year, while specialist contractors fixed crumbling stonework, fitted new flashing to prevent water damage and thinned surrounding overgrown foliage.

Love Clitheroe, who organises Carols at the Castle, said the decision was made over uncertainty whether the new bandstand would be ready in time. “The council are investing massively in the entire castle park, including the bandstand,” Love Clitheroe said on their Facebook page. “Soon, it’s going to be back better than ever, but unfortunately, there’s a chance that it won’t be ready in time for our usual CATC weekend. As such, we’ve made the decision to skip a year and be back bigger, better and more festive in 2027 - see you there!,” they finished.

The council added in a post on Facebook: “We’ve been working with the organisers of the annual Carols in the Park concert and reassured them that the bandstand would be completed in time; however, the organisers have taken the decision not to hold the event this year. We look forward to supporting this brilliant event next year.”