If you love family friendly festivals, and are on a budget, then come to Coventry!  Feeder will headline the festival in 2019 and crowds of over 40,000 are expected on the Saturday alone.  There are many other bands playing during the festival so you can experience different styles of music during the three days of the event. Families with children can enjoy a funfair and lots of other activities dotted around the site. The Godiva Festival is a festival that caters for everyone and we hope you enjoy your visit.

2019 headliners are: Levellers on Friday, Feeder on Saturday and Busted on Sunday.

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The Godiva festival has taken place every year for over 20 years. The location is Coventry’s War Memorial Park, just outside the centre of Coventry, on the Kenilworth Road.  This year’s event is happening from 5-7 July 2019.

For the first time this year there are charges, but it is only £2 per person, per day – it must be the cheapest festival tickets in the UK?  Tickets can be bought at the gate, but to ensure you get in it’s probably best to buy in advance online. Car park charges on-site are £10 per day, however, expect to queue.  It might be easier to park in one of the city centre’s many car parks where parking is easier and fees are less. It’s a pleasant 1 km stroll to the park from the city centre. If you come by train then it’s an even shorter stroll to the park. There is no camping available. Tickets available from this site: https://godivatickets.co.uk/

History of Godiva

If you’ve read the “About Us” section on our site you will see that we’ve called our blog  “Godiva Travellers”. Lady Godiva is Coventry’s symbol and it why so many local events, such as the Godiva Festival, are named in her honour. 

Lady Godiva and her husband Earl Leofric are real historical figures from pre-Norman England of 1030-1060s.   Earl of Mercia Leofric was one of the most powerful nobles in the country. The legend says that during a banquet feast Lady Godiva pleaded with her husband to reduce the heavy taxation on the people of Coventry.  Maybe having had too much wine, Leofric joked that he would reduce Coventry’s taxes but only if Godiva agreed to ride naked, on horseback, through the city’s streets.

To Leofric’s astonishment, this is what Godiva did.  Out of respect, the townsfolk closed the shutters on their windows so no one would see Godiva as she rode by.  Only Peeping Tom opened his shutters to gaze on the naked Lady Godiva and for this, God is said to have blinded him.  Leofric kept his promise and reduced the town’s taxes.

Leofric’s family lost power after the Norman conquest of 1066.  There is another legend that says Lady Godiva and Earl Leofric were the parents of Hereward the Wake, the leader of the last English resistance to the Normans.   The historical evidence for this legend has not been verified. It is a good story though so we believe it!

If you go into the city centre you will see a statue of Lady Godiva and the Peeping Tom Clock.

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Running at the War Memorial Park

This is the place where the Coventry Parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9.00 am.  It’s a free 5k run around the park. It’s one of the largest parkruns in the UK attracting hundreds of runners of all abilities every week. 

We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Please share with anyone you think may be interested. See you again soon!