Polka Theatre has announced full details for the return of its Early Years Theatre Festival Big Dreams, taking place on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026.
The festival will once again celebrate the best in early years performance, with a packed programme of UK and international shows, interactive events and free creative activities for children aged 0–8 and their families.
An industry day will also be held on Friday 18 September, bringing theatre-makers together to celebrate and explore early years theatre practice.
Across the weekend, audiences can expect imaginative performances, playful installations and opportunities to create and explore together throughout the venue.
Saturday’s programme includes performances from MC Grammar, who brings music and wordplay to the stage for ages 3–7, alongside The Tale of the Loneliest Whale for ages 4–8 and international puppet show Multicolore for ages 18 months to six years.
A free, all-day cinema-style experience, Hopeful Monsters, will run across both days, offering a different way for families to engage with theatre and puppetry.
On Sunday, the programme continues with Family Rave for ages 0–4, Nick Sharratt’s Once Upon a Drawalong for ages 3–7, After Party for ages 0–2, and Dancing with Colours from Mind The Gap for children aged 18 months to six years.
Tickets for performances and talks are priced at £13, with multi-buy discounts available when booking more than one event.
The Big Dreams Industry Day on Friday 18 September will feature scratch performances from artists on Polka Theatre’s Catapult development programme, alongside workshops, panel discussions and networking opportunities.
Catapult artists presenting work include Arlo Wilson, Inna Cebotari, Minhee Yeo and Kassna, Little but Fierce, Jeanzia Guan, Izzy Jiang and Yunshu Jiang, and Layla Madanat with Roann Hassani McCloskey.
Helen Matravers, Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive of Polka Theatre, said: “Big Dreams is a chance to celebrate all things theatre and performance for the youngest of audiences and shine a light on the creation process for artists.”
She added: “Every single corner of Polka comes alive during Big Dreams weekend, and we are able to present work at such brilliantly varying scales to inspire everyone with all tastes.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
