Medway will come together for a weekend of extraordinary events to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort.
A wide range of festivities will be held across Medway to mark the momentous occasion including street parties and large outdoor celebrations, from Saturday, 6 May to Monday, 8 May.
Join Medway’s party in Rochester Castle Gardens over the bank holiday weekend with live coverage of Their Majesties’ Coronation on the big screen on Saturday, 6 May from 10am. Bring a picnic or enjoy food and drink from stalls in the grounds.
There will be fun for all the family including a fun fair, face painting, a children’s arts and crafts tent, children’s entertainment, royal stilt walkers (Saturday only), bubble shows (Saturday only), and Punch and Judy shows.
The Coronation Concert will also be streamed in the castle gardens on Sunday, 7 May, with the picturesque grounds remaining open until 10pm.
Discover Medway’s royal connections with an amazing Union Jack themed open-top bus on Saturday and Sunday, 6 and 7 May. An actress, dressed as Queen Victoria, will give a live commentary about Medway’s royal history – the hop on, hop off bus tour will run hourly services from 10am at Rochester Visitor Information Centre. Tickets cost £6 for adults and £3 for children 15 and under.
The Guildhall Museum will also proudly display its own replica crown jewels, which were made in 1931, over the Coronation weekend.
Our Child-Friendly Medway and Medway Youth Service teams have organised dedicated parties to celebrate the Coronation with Medway’s children and young people. There will be cooking, arts and crafts including bunting making.
They will be held at:
- Rochester Youth Club, St Luke’s Methodist Church Centre, City Way, on Tuesday, 2 May between 6.30pm and 8pm.
- Parkwood Youth Centre, Parkwood Green Shopping Centre, on Wednesday, 3 May between 6pm and 9pm.
- Woodlands Youth Centre, Woodlands Road, in Gillingham on Wednesday, 3 May between 6pm and 8pm and between 4.30pm and 6pm on Thursday, 4 May.
- Junior session, for children aged eight to 12, at Strood Youth Centre, Montfort Road, on Friday, 5 May between 5.30pm and 7pm.
- Peninsula Celebration at Strood Youth Centre, Montfort Road, on Tuesday, 9 May for young people aged 10 to 19, between 6.30pm and 8.30pm.
- Senior session at Strood Youth Centre, Montfort Road, Strood, on Wednesday, 10 May, for young people aged 13 to 19, between 6pm and 8pm.
A Coronation themed archery session will also be held at Strood Youth Centre on Thursday, 11 May, for young people aged 13 to 19 between 7pm and 9pm.
There is also plenty of fun to be had at Medway’s libraries. Drop-in Coronation poem writing sessions with Sam Rapp, The Dyslexic Poet, will be held at Gillingham Library on Saturday, 6 May, between 10.30am and 12pm and between 2pm and 3.30pm. The library will also be screening the Coronation ceremony.
Children will be able to dress up as kings and queens and take part in drop-in crown decorating workshops during Baby Bounce and Rhyme, Toddler Shake and Boogie and Pop in and Play sessions which are held in libraries across Medway. Find out more about these exciting sessions.
Delve into Medway’s royal history at the Medway Archives Centre in Strood, where rarely seen Royal Charters will be on display on Tuesday, 2 and Thursday, 4 May between 2pm and 4pm.
Visitors of all ages can also take part in the centre’s Jewel in the Crown drop-in colouring sessions which are being held between 9.30am and 4.30pm on weekdays (except Wednesdays when the centre is closed) and between 10am and 12pm on Saturdays, until the Coronation. Colour a paper jewel for Medway’s community art crown.
The streets of Medway will also be turned red, white and blue over the historic weekend, with 30 street parties being held. If you’re celebrating at one of the street parties, be sure to share any pictures with the hashtag #CoronationMedway.
Range of brilliant events
Dee O’Rourke, Medway Council’s Assistant Director of Culture and Community, said: “We are delighted to be hosting a range of brilliant events to mark the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. This is a historic moment for the country and we are looking forward to seeing Medway’s communities come together for the momentous occasion. I am especially pleased that we are holding some special activities for Medway’s children and young people to celebrate the Coronation. Providing more opportunities for our young people supports our ambition to make Medway even more child-friendly.”
This summer there will also be opportunities for residents to meet monarchs at Medway’s fantastic heritage attractions. Queen Elizabeth I will visit Upnor Castle on Tuesday, 30 May, James I is visiting Eastgate House on Wednesday, 31 May and meet King John at Rochester Castle on Thursday, 1 June. Children will also be able to make their own royal crowns at The Guildhall Museum between Tuesday, 30 May and Thursday, 1 June.