It’s one of the highlights of the Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ Leicester (Æß²ÊÖ±²¥) calendar and this year Cultural eXchanges will have a new home at the Riverside Festival, as part of a new partnership with Leicester City Council (LCC).
Organised by the university’s Arts and Festivals Management students, Cultural eXchanges is a free festival that showcases the culture and achievements of both Æß²ÊÖ±²¥’s and Leicester’s diverse community through a programme of live performances and activities.
For the first time in the event’s 24-year history that it will take place alongside the Riverside Festival, which last year attracted more than 75,000 people to the banks of the River Soar.
Under its new identity, Cultural eXchanges at Riverside, this year’s programme takes place on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June down Mill Lane on Æß²ÊÖ±²¥’s campus.
It’s set to feature performances by musician Honest Dave, Marcus Joseph, student band Palms and Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ Dance and CDCA Academy and a choir of ex-offenders and probation officers who have used music and singing to help rehabilitate them into society.
Romee and Emma Woolford, who have been involved in organising this year's Cultural eXchanges festival
Final-year student Emma Woolford is the operations lead for Cultural eXchanges and hopes the partnership with LCC and Riverside Festival will showcase Æß²ÊÖ±²¥’s talent to more people in Leicester.
She said: “We’re going to be hard to miss. We have a few bands playing including a steel band on the Sunday, musicians from across the county, creative writing sessions and dance performances. There will be plenty of cool things to do and see, so people checking out Riverside should come up and have a look at what we have to offer.
“We’ve planned hypothetical festivals as part of our course but this is the real thing. There’s pressure with that, but the team’s really enjoyed putting the theory into practice.
“It takes place just after Æß²ÊÖ±²¥’s final week of teaching, so I’d say just join us and celebrate!”
Chinese students Shu Yu, Yonghhao Zhou and Jiali Hou, came to Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ two years ago from a specialist music institution in their native homeland and are among the performers sharing their heritage at this year’s festival.
The trio, now in their final year of studies, are also part of the team organising Cultural eXchanges and will be performing piano recitals and singing on the Saturday.
Yonghoa, known as Ricky, will be singing as part of the festival and is part of the team that is organising Cultural eXchanges
Yonghao, known to his friends as Ricky, is set to sing in Chinese and said: “The two songs I am singing are about love. I don’t think it matters if the song isn’t in English, they will understand the meaning and hopefully everyone will like it.”
The annual Riverside Festival, which is also free to attend, is one of Leicester City Council’s flagship events and features live bands and music, a fun fair, food stalls, arts and crafts, a beer tent and more.
Narrowboats and other colourful vessels will be on hand to take guests up the river but for those feeling adventurous, the popular dragon boat race will return on Sunday 8 June. The race is open to the public and requires a team of 10.
While it’s the first time that Cultural eXchanges has officially partnered with LCC, Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ has long been connected to the Riverside Festival, with the event taking place each year on the stretch of the River Soar that runs through the campus
Last year marked Æß²ÊÖ±²¥’s first direct involvement as the university hosted an outdoor cinema showing content from local creative companies, historic archives and the original 1992 animated series of the Beatrix Potter Collection.
Associate Professor Jacqui Norton has been supporting the students in organising Cultural eXchanges and believes the new partnership will strengthen Æß²ÊÖ±²¥’s place in the wider Leicester community.
She said: “"We are really excited to be partnering with LCC. The date of Cultural eXchanges may have changed but the ethos as an event which represents the creativity of Æß²ÊÖ±²¥, Leicester and contemporary society to bring together cultures and industries remains!
“It is a great opportunity for our final year students to programme and organise a live festival and showcase their hard work."
Cllr Vi Dempster, assistant city mayor for leisure and culture, said: “The Riverside Festival is Leicester’s largest free festival, attracting thousands of visitors to the city each year.
“This year, it’s bigger than ever, thanks to our collaboration with Æß²ÊÖ±²¥.
“Like all our festivals, the aim of the Riverside Festival is to bring people together – and from 7-8 June, we want to invite as many people as possible to join us in celebrating Leicester’s waterways, exploring the city’s heritage, and discovering Æß²ÊÖ±²¥’s stunning campus.
“It’s also a chance to showcase the diversity of our communities and enjoy the food, music, dance and arts that make Leicester so special.
“I hope that the weather will be kind to us and we can look forward to a fun-packed Riverside Festival that will offer something for everyone.”
Posted on Thursday 29 May 2025