Having enjoyed visiting the previous year, I decided to visit the Newark Steampunk Festival again in 2025. I attended both Saturday and Sunday (24th & 25th May) to take some street portraits. One year I must try and visit the evening entertainment as well since they do a Gala Ball which would also provide some interesting photo opportunities. The event is free to attend during the day but the special evening events are ticketed.
For anyone interested in getting into Steampunk, the Newark group would be a very good one to get to know for a number of reasons. Firstly they have a very active Facebook group where details about events and photos are shared. I’ve always found members of this group to be very friendly, to the extent that I now know a number of them by name and bump into them at various Steampunk events across the UK.
As well as their May event the group also hosts a popular Christmas Weekend in early December which includes a Gala, Fashion Show and a torchlight procession. I’ve yet to attend the December event and unfortunately I can’t make it this year due to prior commitment but I hope to keep the dates free in 2026.
Newark Steampunk Festival 2025 Gallery
Most of the action at the Newark Steampunk Festival seems to take place around the Market Place. There is often some live music and this is the best area for street portraits of those attending who are dressed in Steampunk attire. The Town Hall is also in Market Place and it’s where the traders set up, selling things like Steampunk jewellery, clothing and accessories. The ballroom on the upper floor of the Town Hall is where Newark Steampunk Society hold their evening Gala Ball. Their general regular monthly meetings take place at The Flying Circus pub.
The images in the gallery below were all taken in and around the Market Place. Another area of Newark where Steampunks gather is the Castle.
Other Popular Steampunk Events In UK
For those new to Steampunk who are thinking about attending their first event, I can recommend the Newark Steampunk Festival. There are a number of other great Steampunk events within the UK, some of which you can find by reading other articles on this blog. Two of the better ones that I feel will be a great introduction to Steampunk include:
