New Lincoln Castle bandstand to provide summer entertainment

A new bandstand will be installed in Lincoln Castle temporarily this summer under the latest plans from Lincolnshire County Council.

The authority has applied to the City of Lincoln Castle to install the feature in two locations within the grounds between May 16 to August 31.

According to documents submitted to the council, it will provide a performance and focal point for key events including a Great British Jubilee Picnic celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee and a two week Picnic Social playing host to some of Lincolnshire’s finest food and drink producers.

“Lincoln Castle’s public programme this year continues to shine a light on the role that the Castle grounds have played over the past eighteen months as a safe, green space,” said the report.

“We wanted to ensure that this role continues and as such, our programme is reflective of two main themes that have come to encapsulate the key qualities of this space – of community and connections.”

If approved, the temporary stage will be installed on the South Lawn from May 16-July 4 before being dismantled and reinstalled on the North Lawn from July 11-August 31.

The bandstand the council wants to install at Lincoln Castle.

Council leaders announced a series of events focusing on the best food and drink Lincolnshire has to offer and hoping to attract more visitors to the area in October last year.

The aim will be to theme each event with food and drink from the county — for example for Wimbledon the event will feature British strawberries grown here.

The series of events will culminate with the return of Steampunk festival on the August bank holiday weekend.

The city council recently also gave permission for the installation of Lucy the Dragon, who will be  “breaking through” a section of the medieval wall at Lincoln Castle when she makes the iconic building her lair next month.

She will be located in the Cobb Hall area within the castle’s grounds from Saturday, April 2 and will provide a backdrop for a packed summer of events including Discover Lincolnshire Weekend, The Great British Jubilee Picnic, Classic Cars, The Asylum Steampunk Festival, outdoor Luna Cinema, and more.

She will leave the castle on Sunday, October 9.

Visitors can follow clues and solve puzzles to become a Victorian dragon hunter, or dive into an adventure story inspired by Lucy herself, with a castle activity book packed with puzzles, games, colouring sheets, and stickers.

The Victorian dragon hunter activity costs £2 per child. Castle activity books are priced at £2.99.