Burlesque Festival

About Burlesque Festival

The Drill was ceremonially opened in 1890, long before its later turns as a community hub and not-for-profit venue. For 2027, Burlesque Festival runs at The Drill, Free School Lane, Lincoln LN2 1EY, with an arts format centred on burlesque, cabaret, drag and sideshow. Its 2027 date is Friday 25 June.

Lincoln's first ever Burlesque festival is produced by Miss Whiskey Twist and Themme Fatale Mx Pixi Styx. Capacity is around 500 people.

Who Is It For?

The format is 18+.

It is aimed at adult cabaret and burlesque fans, with drag and sideshow in the genre mix. Daytime workshops and a bazaar sit alongside the shows, and ticket tiers cover low-income day entry, standard day entry and weekend entry. Entry is restricted to over-18s.

The Venue and Site

Free School Lane puts The Drill in central Lincoln, close to the station and city-centre car parks. The venue has step-free access to key public areas, accessible toilets and a cloakroom at the Box Office during events. Tickets and bars are cashless.

The room's archive includes The Rolling Stones' New Year's Eve concert in 1963. Lincoln College Group took over the building in 2021 to reopen it as a not-for-profit venue. Capacity is around 500 people.

Travel

The Drill is on Free School Lane in Lincoln, LN2 1EY. Lincoln Central railway station is about a 5-minute walk.

• Rail: Lincoln Central is roughly five minutes on foot.
• Road: Access is via Free School Lane, with the A46, A15 and A57 serving Lincoln.
• Parking: The closest car park is on Free School Lane next to the venue; Lincoln Central Car Park (LN5 7HW) and St Rumbold's St car park (LN2 5AP) are within a 5-minute walk.
• Blue-badge parking: Bays are further down Freeschool Lane, and an NCP car park is directly next to the venue.

Lincoln is 40 miles northeast of Nottingham, 48 miles southeast of Sheffield and 50 miles north of Peterborough.