u3a Festival 26 has begun, with over 1,000 members gathering in York for three days of creativity, sport, learning and connection.

The event officially kicked off with an opening ceremony on Wednesday 1 July, where special guest Johnny Ball, cut a blue ribbon. Known for his career in which he championed a fun approach to learning, Johnny Ball is the perfect guest for u3a and will delivering a talk about his life at the Festival. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Iain Cassidy said, "This event showcases the u3a spirit on a national level. People across the UK have come together to learn, to laugh and live. A huge thank you to the volunteers and the staff - a special shout out to Karen, Margaret and Julie - without whom this event would literally not be happening."

Karen Sawyer is Chair of the Festival Working Team while Margaret Fiddes is the Festival Programme Coordinator and along with Special Events Officer Julie Travers, they have led the Festival Working Team. They have tirelessly worked to create an engaging programme that puts the members at the heart of the event.  

 Across the three days, over 120 activities are taking place with activities covering sport, music, art, history, and learning. There is a range of talks as well as interactive workshops, providing members with a variety of different ways to learn. Some of the more unusual activities members can sample include laughter yoga, a walking cricket tournament, and shinrin-yoku, more commonly known as forest bathing.