Dragon boat racing is the fastest growing water activity in Britain today – as well as the most fun! Up to 10 people paddle each 30’ boat with a drummer at the front beating time and our helm at the tail steering a straight course. No previous experience is required, just plenty of team spirit!
The 19th Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival takes place on Saturday 24th September 2022 at Willen Lake and up to 48 teams compete over the 200m race course, watched by several thousand spectators. As well as the exciting races, a wide range of bankside entertainment, food stalls and fun activities guarantee a fabulous day out for all the family! Read more about entry levels below.
The Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival is mainly aimed at corporate groups who are looking for a great team building day out whilst supporting and raising money for a charity of your choice. Upon entering, you can choose to upgrade your entry package to include a donation to the charity of your choice or you can simply raise funds in your own way! Read more about how you can help below.
You may have noticed a few changes here… Gable Events (the previous festival organisers) have now closed as the owners have retired. NewWave Events was created in June 2020 by two of Gable Events’ senior Event Managers with the full support of the owners of Gable Events. We have purchased their equipment and are taking on many of their annual events like this one. We cannot wait to deliver this amazing event again and we hope to see you all there!! Let’s make this year the one to remember and raise as much money as we can for the local charity. Want to find out more about NewWave Events? Visit https://newwave-events.co.uk/ or simply give us a call on 01536 674 748, we would love to introduce ourselves!
Alternatively, you can download our PDF Entry Form, fill in your details and send it to us by post at 8 Thornton Avenue, Barton Seagrave, Kettering, NN156QN or scan the entry form and send to dragonboatevents@newwave-events.co.uk.
Once, we receive your entry we will send you an email with a payment link for card payment (2% transaction charge), an invoice for a bank transfer or you can send us a cheque for the right amount (Please specify how you are going to pay on the entry form). You can also pay by card directly via the online entry form. Once the payment is received, we will send you an acknowledgement email with a confirmation of entry and further information on the event*. If you are the assigned Crew Manager, we will be contacting you with any new information related to the event.
*Please note that your entry is not confirmed until you've received an acknowledgment email.
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Entries will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. No refunds will be given once an entry has been accepted and there can be no refund if the Festival or racing has to be cancelled due to conditions outside the control of NewWave Events. For COVID-19 related cancellation view the last tab on the menu.
Standard entry plus £500 donation to your chosen charity, company logo on each side of one dragon boat, acknowledgment on the Festival website, online souvenir programme and commentary
All crews are encouraged to raise money for any MK charity using the online Just Giving website and/or sponsor forms provided. All the fees from standard entries go towards the costs of running the event. Charities only benefit from sponsorship money raised and from gold and silver entries.
Download PDF Sponsor Form
MK Charities was founded at the beginning of the pandemic after realising just how many charities are going to need support from our community. They are here to connect the dots and create opportunities for charities in Milton Keynes to raise their online presence. For more information go to www.mkcharities.com.
MKFM is the local radio station for Milton Keynes providing a mainstream service with all the latest news, weather and travel for the area. Broadcasting live daily from Stadium MK, MKFM supports the community in a number of ways including support for charities and local business. During the pandemic MKFM became the most listened to station locally with over 335,000 unique users visiting MKFM.com each month. With the biggest social media platform in Milton Keynes, MKFM provides a number of services for businesses including radio and digital media.
MKFM is proud to support the MK Dragon Boat Festival for another year. It’s always such a fantastic community event, and a great day out teambuilding and supporting so many good causes. We look forward to taking part (even when we come last place in the race), supporting another successful event in 2022 and for many years to come!
Business MK is the leading business newspaper for Milton Keynes, North Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire, reporting, reflecting and analysing the latest business news, views and comment from the area’s thriving business community. It is mailed to around 5,000 business decision-makers every month and is available online and at selected venues around the area
Business MK has been a proud media partner of the MK Dragon Boat Festival since 2015. The event is a fantastic fundraiser for local charities and brings colleagues together for some great teambuilding, morale boosting and fun. We are delighted to give it the promotion and coverage it deserves.
MK Pulse is the area’s ‘go to’ glossy lifestyle magazine. Published monthly, distributed to 32,000 homes across the Milton Keynes area and packed with superb features, information and a guide to what’s on locally each month. We are delighted to join our sister title Business MK as media partner for this year’s MK Dragon Boat Festival.
Priority positions will be given to Gold crews and those booking private catering (see separate forms). Crews expecting more than 75 guests must contact NewWave Events to book the additional land space required (extra fees apply).
Please note that pre-paid crew gazebos will be situated on the main event field in 2022 due to changes at Willen Lake.
The gazebos will be delivered and erected for you before the event and taken away at the end and all come with your company name attached. We have managed to negotiate an excellent rate with our supplier and are providing them at cost plus a small administration fee.
Gazebos will be allocated on a first come, first served basis (max one gazebo per team entry) on receipt of the completed booking form below together with appropriate payment.
Please note, crews may bring their own gazebos (max 3m x 3m).
To purchase a gazebo if you haven't already included it in your online booking form you can download the Crew Gazebo Order Form, fill in your details and send it to us by post at 8 Thornton Avenue, Barton Seagrave, Kettering, NN156QN or scan the document and send to dragonboatevents@newwave-events.co.uk.
All crews wishing to have private catering at the 2022 Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival must book this through NewWave Events. It is not permitted for teams to bring their own commercial caterers to the event as this is against Parks Trust rules and there is not space in each team’s marked out 3m x 3m area for additional catering gazebos.
There is only a limited number of plots available for private catering so please book early to avoid disappointment. These plots can only be reserved on receipt of the booking form below together with your deposit. The minimum order for private catering is 25 guests.
Food will be cooked at a nearby bbq station by our professional caterers and will need to be collected at an agreed time. Priority position for pre-paid crew gazebos will be given to Gold crews and those booking private catering on a first come, first served basis. Please note that crew gazebos will be situated on the main event field in 2022 due to changes at Willen Lake.
An additional charge for land space is applicable for larger numbers and is detailed with the private catering menus and drinks packages.
Download Private Catering Booking Form or book via our online booking form along with your entry.
Download Private Catering Menus and Drinks Packages
A selection of food & drinks cash stalls will also be available on the day exclusively for the crews and their supporters
*Please note own BBQ's are now not permitted on site*
The Race Schedule is usually created 2 weeks prior to the Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival and will be accessible to view on here once finalised.
PDF Crew List
We are introducing a new online version of the souvenir programme for 2022!! There will be a limited number of printed Souvenir Programmes to help the environment and encourage sustainability. We’ve also introduced a LIVE RESULTS page for up-to-date race results on the day. The QR code will be given out on the day so it’s easily accessible by crews and spectators.
Advertise in the souvenir programme and promote your company’s services or products at Milton Keynes’ largest corporate team event
If you haven't already included it in your online booking form you can download Souvenir Programme Advert Form fill in your details and send it to us by post at 8 Thornton Avenue, Barton Seagrave, Kettering, NN156QN or scan both documents and send to dragonboatevents@newwave-events.co.uk.
Crews comprise of up to 10 paddlers plus a drummer – squads may be larger (max 15 persons). Crews can be mixed, all female or all male and organisations may enter more than one crew. The minimum age is 16 and no previous experience is required. All crew members must be confident in cold water conditions, wearing light clothing and in moving water and compete entirely at their own risk. BDA qualified helms, buoyancy aids and water safety cover are provided by the organisers. All crews accepted for entry must abide with the competition rules and entry details on this website. Each crew is guaranteed a minimum of 3 races (subject to conditions).
The Crew Manager will receive a full Crew Managers Information Pack a month prior to the event.
TBC
Photos from the day will be available to view and download for free in full-resolution after the Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival. Link to follow...
Please share them on your social media and tag NewWave Events and festival partners 🙂
#miltonkeynesdragonboatfestival
Our photographer for 2022 Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival is the award winning photographer Magdalena Sienicka.
TBC
Address: Willen Lake, V10 Brickhill St, Milton Keynes MK15 0DS
Parking: Please visit Willen Lake The Parks Trust website for more details https://willenlake.org.uk/discover-willen-lake/plan-your-visit/car-parking/
In the case that we, NewWave Events, have to cancel the event due to government rulings or restrictions against COVID-19, the below will apply;
If the event is cancelled on or before Thursday 25th August 2022, teams will be eligible for a full refund.
If the event is cancelled on or after Friday 26th August 2022, teams will be eligible for a 25% refund of their entry fee.
Please note, the above refunds would not include any donations made to the charity via gold and silver entries, they would be from the entry fees alone.
If the event has to be cancelled for any other reason out of the organisers control, or you (the team) have to pull out for any reason, the usual cancellation terms apply.
Entries are officially open for the annual Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival which returns to Willen Lake on Saturday 24th September 2022 and, new festival
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