The sixth annual Yeovil Together Festival brought the community together on Sunday 5 July at Westlands Entertainment Venue for a vibrant day celebrating cultural diversity, creativity and community.
Organised by Yeovil’s Ethnically Diverse Communities the free, family-friendly festival welcomed people of all backgrounds to share experiences, celebrate their heritage and enjoy a sense of belonging and connection within the local community.
This year’s festival celebrated the incredible diversity of the area, with more than 50 nationalities represented throughout the day. Visitors enjoyed a wide range of culturally diverse food from local vendors and community groups, live music and dance performances, family-friendly creative workshops, wellbeing activities, talks, screenings, and opportunities to explore different languages, faiths and cultures. Whether attending for the full day or just a few hours, visitors experienced the rich diversity that makes Yeovil and the surrounding area such a vibrant community.
A wonderful new addition to the festival was Roo N’dzev, a community group representing Cameroon, who joined Yeovil Together for the first time. They shared their unique culture through traditional Cameroonian food, colourful clothing and energetic dancing, adding another vibrant dimension to the day’s celebrations and receiving a warm welcome from all.
One of the highlights of the festival was a performance by Stopgap Dance Company, whose acclaimed production RO-TES- captivated audiences. Inspired by the Cambodian heritage and personal journey of disabled dancer Nadenh, the performance combined powerful storytelling, innovative wheelchair choreography and dynamic movement.
New for this year’s festival were dedicated Faith and Language Exchange spaces, which proved to be extremely popular. We ran the Faith Room, which encouraged meaningful conversations and learning between people of different faiths and beliefs. At the same time, the Language Room allowed visitors to explore Braille alongside a variety of world languages. Both spaces fostered curiosity, understanding and connection.
The festival once again showcased Yeovil’s welcoming community spirit, bringing together people of all ages, ethnicities, abilities and backgrounds in a celebration of culture, creativity and shared experiences with its largest attendance of over 2,200 people. It provided a space where differences were embraced, traditions were shared, and new connections were formed.
The Yeovil Together Festival 2026 was made possible through the support of The Octagon Theatre and Westlands Entertainment Venue, Somerset Council, Thrive and Yeovil Diversity Project. The event remained free to attend thanks to funding from Yeovil Town Council, Somerset Community Foundation, Abri, Magna and LiveWest.