Bringing Black Shuck to Life: Festival Merchandise Made by Star Editions
There are few legends quite as atmospheric as the story of Black Shuck.
For centuries, tales of the mysterious black dog have been part of East Anglian folklore, and this summer the legend returns to the streets of Bungay for the annual Black Shuck Festival, taking place from 31 July to 2 August 2026.
We’re delighted to have played our own part in this year’s festival by producing the official Black Shuck Festival merchandise collection here at Star Editions.
From local artwork to a complete merchandise collection
The Black Shuck Festival celebrates one of East Anglia’s most famous legends: the story of the enormous black dog said to have appeared in Bungay during a violent storm in 1577.
Today, that wonderfully dark piece of local folklore has become the inspiration for a colourful, creative and family-friendly festival, bringing together artists, performers, musicians, businesses and visitors from across the region.
This year’s merchandise features fantastic artwork created by local artists and festival committee members Mariko Aruga , James Mayhew and Stuart Pearson Wright, which we’ve had the pleasure of bringing to life across a complete range of products.
The collection includes T-shirts, tote bags, mugs, tea towels, magnets, keyrings, postcards and more, giving festival visitors plenty of ways to take a little piece of the Black Shuck story home with them.
Black Shuck Festival T-shirts featuring artwork created by local artists Mariko Aruga and James Mayhew.
Merchandise that becomes part of the event
For us, great merchandise is about much more than simply putting an image onto a product.
When the artwork, story and product work together, merchandise becomes an extension of the event or brand itself.
A T-shirt becomes something somebody wears long after the festival has finished. A magnet might stay on a fridge for years. A favourite mug becomes part of somebody’s morning routine. A keyring travels everywhere with its owner, while a postcard might end up hundreds of miles from the place where it was originally bought.
Each one becomes a little reminder of an experience.
That’s exactly what we love about the Black Shuck collection. The artwork has such a strong connection to Bungay, its folklore and the festival itself that the finished products feel completely at home within the event.
A selection of official Black Shuck Festival products ready for the Shuck Shop in Bungay.
The Shuck Shop returns to Bungay
Visitors to this year’s festival will be able to find the official merchandise at the returning Shuck Shop, which for 2026 will be located in the Lamp Room at the rear of Crocks giftware shop on Earsham Street.
The pop-up shop will be open each day of the festival from 10.30am until 4.30pm.
Alongside the merchandise, the Black Shuck Festival will fill Bungay with performances, exhibitions and family activities.
One of the highlights will be the Saturday morning parade, travelling from St Mary’s Church through to Earsham Street and featuring costumed characters, musicians, dancers and, naturally, a mischievous appearance from Black Shuck himself.
Indoor venues across the town will also be joining the festivities, including a children’s art exhibition at the Fisher Theatre Gallery and an East Anglian Folktales display at the Broad Street Gallery.
From artwork to finished product
Projects like Black Shuck are a perfect example of what we love doing at Star Editions.
We work with artists, brands, attractions, events and intellectual property owners to turn existing artwork and ideas into high-quality merchandise collections across a huge variety of products.
For an event like Black Shuck, having one manufacturing partner able to produce products across multiple categories means the same artwork and brand identity can be carried consistently from clothing and bags through to mugs, magnets, keyrings, postcards and other gifts.
Whether it’s a carefully selected range for a local event or an extensive merchandise programme covering dozens of product categories, our aim is always the same:
Make the artwork look fantastic and create products that people genuinely want to own.
Looking for a UK festival merchandise manufacturer?
The Black Shuck Festival is a brilliant example of how distinctive artwork and a great story can be developed into a much wider merchandise collection.
At Star Editions, we help events, attractions, artists and brands develop and manufacture merchandise without the need to source every individual product from a different supplier.
From T-shirts, clothing and tote bags to mugs, magnets, keyrings, prints, postcards, homeware and gifts, we can help turn artwork into a cohesive product range ready for retail.
We’re incredibly pleased to see this year’s Black Shuck collection photographed, stocked and ready for the festival, and we hope everyone heading to Bungay from 31 July to 2 August has a fantastic weekend.
If you’re planning an event, developing a merchandise collection or looking for a UK festival merchandise manufacturer to bring your artwork, event or brand to life, get in touch with Star Editions to discover what we can create together.