Derby’s Darley Park Concert: who’s playing on 23 August

Families and music fans can hear Sinfonia Viva, guest vocalists and young local performers at The Darley Park Concert 2026 on Sunday 23 August. The event takes place at Darley Park in Derby, with gates opening at 4pm and the concert beginning at 6pm. Advance entry costs £8 for adults and £5 for under-16s, while tickets bought at the gate will cost £11 and £6 respectively.

Derby City Council is organising the concert as the grand finale of The Darley Park Weekender. The programme is open to the general public and is intended to bring families and friends together for an evening spanning orchestral music, film scores, musical theatre and local performances.

Sunday schedule and ticket options

The £30 VIP Darley Garden Experience includes fast-track entry, an exclusive area with a private bar, dedicated flushing toilets and prime views of the main stage. The council’s published announcement did not specify transport or accessibility arrangements.

Sinfonia Viva leads the Derby line-up

BBC Radio Derby daytime presenter Ian Skye will host the Sunday concert. At the centre of the programme is Derby’s award-winning orchestra Sinfonia Viva, which has been part of the Darley Park event for more than three decades.

British conductor Stephen Bell returns to lead the orchestra. The council’s announcement lists him as Principal Guest Conductor of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Associate Conductor of the Hallé, with previous work including the BBC Proms, the Queen’s Jubilee and royal galas.

Soloist Juliette Crosbie will perform selections including John Barry’s Goldfinger and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Memory. Vocalist Red also joins the bill after attracting more than 250 million video views and an online following of two million; her previous appearances include sharing stages with Diana Ross, Ed Sheeran and Alicia Keys, as well as touring Europe with Andrea Bocelli.

Young Derby musicians join the main stage

The UHDB Staff Wellbeing Choir will bring a community performance to the programme. Formed in 2021 through the Air Arts programme supported by Derby and Burton Hospitals Charity, the choir returns with five years of experience performing together.

Derby Harp Ensemble will also appear under the direction of local professional harpist Lucy Nolan. Its musicians are aged from six to 18, with an announced repertoire ranging from South American pieces and familiar classics to pop music by Justin Bieber.

Film themes and classical works build to the finale

The musical programme stretches from the main theme of Apollo 13 to Defying Gravity from Wicked. Works by Mozart and Tchaikovsky will add a classical strand before the evening culminates in a pyrotechnic and laser light display over Darley Park.

Sunday closes a weekend that begins on Friday 21 August with Billy Ocean and special guest Marti Pellow. JLS headline the Saturday programme on 22 August before the orchestra and guest performers take over for the final night.

Advance booking avoids the higher gate price

Tickets for Sunday and the other Weekender dates are on sale through the Derby LIVE website. For the Darley Park Concert, buying in advance saves £3 per adult and £1 per under-16 compared with paying at the gate.

Source: Derby City Council