Today (Monday 22 September 2025), Barrow is getting ready for a day of celebration as the town prepares to welcome His Majesty The King to Barrow Town Hall this afternoon.
The visit marks the formal celebration of Barrow being granted Royal status for its port, announced in March 2025 in recognition of the town’s unique and critical contribution to the UK’s nuclear submarine building programme and national security.
As part of the public celebrations, there will be a full programme of activities from late morning, including a performance from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and a wide range of free street entertainment such as face painting, stilt walkers, and a drumming band. Traditional games, including hook-a-duck, will also be available.
This is a public event and is free for anyone who want to come and see The King at Barrow Town Hall.
His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria, Mr Alexander Scott, said:
“This is a historic day for the Port of Barrow and for the people of Barrow as we celebrate the Ports Royal status it really is a very prestigious honour. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to making this possible, the skilled shipbuilders, port staff, and the wider community whose dedication and hard work have brought us to this special moment. I hope everyone enjoys today’s celebrations and takes pride in this recognition of Barrow’s unique contribution to the nation as a whole.”
Barrow Mayor, Cllr Fred Chatfield, said:
“This is fantastic news for our town and, of course, for the port. It reflects the hard work, dedication, and talent of everyone in our community. I am thrilled that The King is joining us to celebrate this special occasion.”
The day’s celebrations have been organised by Westmorland and Furness
Council. Commenting on behalf of the council, Chairman Cllr Doug Rathbone
said:
“This is a tremendous honour for both the port and our town. Today’s event is also a unique opportunity to celebrate our town’s rich heritage and exciting future. I would encourage everyone to take part and come down to the Town Hall to show our appreciation for this significant honour that The King has bestowed upon us.”
Vanessa Reed, Chief Executive of Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, said:
“We are delighted to be a part of the celebrations in Barrow. We've been working in the community for almost three years now and have seen first-hand the transformative impact that increased access to live music has on the community. We look forward to welcoming His Royal Highness, who we know has a life-long love for classical music and we hope to also welcome him to our home in Liverpool Philharmonic Hall soon.”
Visits of this nature attract considerable attention and usually large crowds. So as a safety precaution a decision has been taken to temporarily close some of our buildings and car parks.
Plan your day
Members of the public who would like to take part in the celebrations are encouraged
to arrive on foot via Market Street Car Park.
- Parking: Market Street Car Park will be closed to vehicles for the duration of the event but will remain open as a pedestrian access point.
Barrow Town Hall:
- Access: Barrow Town Hall will be closed to staff and the public from 4pm on Saturday 20 September until 6pm on Monday 22 September.
- Customer Services: For today, Customer Services will be available at Barrow Library (five minutes’ walk from the Town Hall). For urgent HOMELESSNESS enquiries or emergencies, call 01229 87659 and for EMERGENCY council housing repairs, non-gas related call 01229 833311 and Gas-related, Sure Group 0151 728 5739 or freephone 0800 031 6578. For all other council housing repairs, please contact the Housing Service on Tuesday when our services will resume as normal.
- Toilets: Portable toilets will be available on site.
- Food: Catering will be available via a food stall supplied by Barrow Town Hall Café. Please note that the Town Hall café itself will be closed to the public during the event.
- Entertainment: All games and activities are free of charge. Entertainment will begin in the late morning in the courtyard at Barrow Town Hall.
- Road closures: The following road closures will be in place until 6pm on Monday 22 September - Cornwallis Street, Lawson Street, Market Street and Duke Street near the Town Hall from Schneider Square to Cavendish Street.