Boston International Hanseatic Day 2026
The return of the Boston Hanse Festival on Saturday 30 May 2026, bringing colour, music, heritage and creativity back into the heart of Boston’s town centre.
A Celebration of Colour, Creativity and Centuries of European Connection
Running from 10am–1pm (with the parade at 12:40pm), this free event is one of the loveliest dates in our calendar – an annual moment for the town to come together and celebrate Boston’s rich medieval past and its vibrant, diverse present.
Thanks to an Arts Council England Project Grant, we’re thrilled to once again collaborate with the brilliant volunteers of the Boston Hanse Group and Boston Borough Council to deliver a festival full of craft, creativity and community pride.
Why the Hanseatic League Matters to Boston
Boston’s history is woven with stories of trade, travel and exchange. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Boston was one of the most important ports in Britain – a bustling gateway linking Lincolnshire to the great trading cities of northern Europe.
The town exported Lincolnshire long‑wool, a highly prized commodity, and in return received goods such as timber, dried fish, furs and luxury items. The merchants who travelled through Boston left their mark on the town’s architecture, culture and economic growth. These international relationships helped Boston flourish and shaped its identity for centuries.
In 2015, Boston joined the New Hanse, connecting the town with nearly 200 cities across Europe who share this common heritage. The modern network exists not only to honour history, but to continue the spirit of cooperation, cultural exchange and shared celebration that defined the medieval Hanse.
The Hanse Festival is our annual chance to bring that history to life.
Looking Back: Highlights from Previous Years
Each year, the festival has grown more ambitious, more creative and more joyful.
In 2025, the medieval market on the square around the Ingram Memorial was alive with:
- Looking Back: Highlights from Previous Years
- A working blacksmith’s forge, complete with glowing coals
- Woodcarvers, spinners and mosaic artists demonstrating traditional skills
- A jester entertaining families
- Heritage‑inspired food tastings
- Free creative activities, including sheep-themed headdresses inspired by Lincolnshire’s wool trade
- Dance and live music infusing the market with energy
The day culminated in a stunning parade led by Mayor Barrie Pierpoint, featuring:
- The Derwent Valley Drummers, wearing extraordinary wool-inspired headdresses created by artist Ruth Pigott in workshops with local residents
- The Lincoln Waites, filling the streets with medieval rhythms
- Dancers from the Josie Clarke Dance Academy, performing routines choreographed by Beth Williams
- Ten vibrant silk-painted flags, designed with the public in silky batik-style workshops by artist Donna Fox
The result was a truly Boston celebration – proud of its past, shaped by its communities, and overflowing with creativity.
This year, we’re building on everything that made last year so special. The area around the Ingram Memorial will once again host:
- A medieval market full of craftsmen, makers and re-enactors
- Blacksmithing, bowmaking, woodturning and mosaic demonstrations
- Live performances, stilt walkers and juggling from AurorasCarnival
- The Lincoln Waites with music inspired by Boston’s heritage
- Medieval recipe tastings
- Interpretation tents exploring Boston’s Hanse history and archaeology
- Creative activities for families and festival-goers of all ages
- Percussion drumming
- Costumed dancers with choreography by Beth Williams
- The return of last year’s colourful banners and silk-painted skirts
And at 12:40pm, the streets will burst into life with the Hanse Parade – a riot of colour, movement and sound winding through the town centre and ending at the Stump.
Transported is proud to be working with local residents in the months leading up to the festival to create new banners, costumes and parade pieces through hands‑on workshops with professional artists.
We’re thrilled to have on a offer a series of free workshops for the community to help create the artwork that will appear in the festival and parade.
Collage Workshop with Aga Kowalska
Aga is a collage illustrator who works with hand-painted papers in rich colours and layered textures. In this full-day workshop, she will guide participants in creating their own painted papers and collage artworks inspired by Hanseatic Boston.
Quilting Workshops with Vicki Reid
Vicki, semi-finalist of BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee, will introduce participants to scrap machine quilting. Together, you’ll create fabric sections that Vicki will later transform into the festival’s parade banners.
These banners and costume pieces will form the heart of the 2026 parade – and will be designed to travel to future International Hanseatic Day festivals across Europe.
Be Part of Something Big
The Boston Hanse Festival is a celebration of creativity, community and pride in our shared heritage. It is a moment to come together – whether you’ve lived in Boston all your life or moved here from elsewhere in Europe – and celebrate the connections that have shaped this town for over 800 years.
We cannot wait to celebrate with you.
Join us on Saturday 30 May 2026. Bring your enthusiasm, bring your family, and be part of Boston’s living Hanse story.
