Rochester Sweeps Festival

The Rochester Sweeps Festival is a free celebration of folk music and dance in historic Rochester, Medway, held over three days of the early May bank holiday weekend, Saturday to Monday. Revived by historian Gordon Newton in 1981, it rekindles the May Day customs of the town's chimney sweeps and is one of the largest May Day festivals of its kind.

The history of the Sweeps Festival

The festival pays homage to the old rituals of Rochester's chimney sweeps. In Victorian times, May Day was the sweeps' one day off in the year, and they celebrated it by parading through the streets, dancing and singing, often behind a Jack-in-the-Green. The custom faded in the later 19th century, after the law ended the use of young climbing boys in the sweep trade.

Newton's efforts in the modern day have kept the celebration alive. He began with a small parade that included Morris dancers from his own side, Motley Morris, and Medway Council has run the festival alongside him since 1981. The heart of the tradition is the Jack-in-the-Green, a walking bush of leaves around eight feet tall. He is "awakened" at dawn on May Day at a ceremony on Blue Bell Hill, outside the town, and then leads the grand procession through Rochester on the bank holiday Monday.

What to expect at the festival

The festival turns Rochester High Street into an open-air arena of music and dance. Dozens of Morris sides perform through the day, alongside folk musicians on several stages, including one in Castle Gardens beside Rochester Castle, plus international dance groups, workshops, street entertainment and food stalls. Most of the programme is free to watch, and the crowds run into tens of thousands over the weekend.

The Monday procession is the highlight: the Jack-in-the-Green, sweeps and Morris sides wind through the old town, and the best viewing spots along the route fill early. Local museums such as the Guildhall Museum and Eastgate House have run family trails during the festival, so it is worth checking what is on for children.

Getting there and planning ahead

The festival usually falls on the early May bank holiday weekend, but check exact dates, times and the programme on the Medway Council and Visit Medway websites before you travel. Rochester station is a short walk from the High Street, with direct trains from London and across north Kent, and public transport is the best choice because parking is limited and roads around the High Street close for the event. The council has run a park-and-ride service on festival days, and details are published each spring.

With music and dance acts, food stalls, and street entertainment in Rochester High Street, the festival offers something for the whole family. With large crowds expected, arrive early, agree a meeting point with children in case you get separated, and bring water and layers for changeable May weather.