Festival of Chichester

31/08/2026

Thank you all for a wonderful festival, it's been such an incredible year of performance, art and more. We loved seeing each one of you and looking forward to doing it all again in 2027.

21/07/2026

And so another Festival of Chichester comes to a conclusion!

We have had some wonderful events….. and very, very happy times.

Thank you all for being part of five weeks of great fun.

We have a fantastic Festival committee that makes it all happen – and they are wonderful to work with, committed and enthusiastic and tireless.

Huge thanks also to Chichester City Council for the wonderful support it always gives us.

They have been incredibly generous to us over many years. They are vital to the festival. And I love the fact that they are vital to the festival. Their encouragement has always meant the world to us – and I love the fact that we are both so close in what we try to do. We both want to make Chichester an even better place and to keep on strengthening its community. It feels absolutely natural that the City Council should be our closest ally.

And massive thanks too to the Chichester Observer for its astonishingly generous coverage. I know obviously that I am in the fortunate position of writing it all! But it is the freedom and the space in the paper that I am talking about – and that I don’t take for granted.

I can’t imagine that there is another newspaper in the country that supports its city/town festival more generously than the Chichester Observer does.

And also huge thanks too to our principal sponsor Edward Cooke Family Law, back with us this year for a second year. Again, Edward, your support is vital to the cause!

So thank you all – until next year

Phil Hewitt, Festival chairman

17/07/2026

Very fitting that our hugely-valued principal sponsor Edward of Edward Cooke Family Law will offer the final event of this year's Festival.

Festival of Chichester principal sponsor Edward Cooke, of Edward Cooke Family Law, combines with his brother Matthew to give a very special concert for this year’s Festival.

Called Piano and Organ Duets for a Summer’s Afternoon, it will be on July 19 at 15:00 at St Paul’s Church, Chichester where solicitor Edward is one of the organists.

They are promising a programme of duets to include works by Rossini, Bach, Johann Strauss II, Debussy, Dvorak and Mozart, with tea and cake served afterwards.

No tickets are required, but there will be a retiring collection for Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice.

17/07/2026

Wishing Tim all the best for tonight's recital!

Late-night piano recital for the Southern Cathedrals Festival

Tim Rumsey offers a late-night piano recital for this year’s Festival of Chichester as part of the Southern Cathedrals Festival.
He will be performing in Chichester Cathedral’s South Transept, offering a programme including music by American composers Charles Griffes and Earl Wild – on Friday, July 17 at 9pm.

Tim Rumsey offers a late-night piano recital for this year’s Festival of Chichester as part of the Southern Cathedrals Festival.

16/07/2026

Enjoy an inspirational mix of words and music on pastoral and urban themes by classical guitarist Linda Kelsall-Barnett and poet Barry Smith. Linda is the director of the West Sussex Guitar Orchestra and Barry is the director of the South Downs Poetry Festival, with two acclaimed poetry collections.

Tickets at https://www.ticketsource.com/southdownspoetryfestival

16/07/2026

Continuing as part of the Festival...

Chichester’s Oxmarket Contemporary marks 50 years

Chichester’s Oxmarket Contemporary has launched its 50th anniversary retrospective exhibition.

Chichester’s Oxmarket Contemporary has launched its 50th anniversary retrospective exhibition.

16/07/2026

Pavlos returns to the Festival of Chichester this Friday for the last of his four performances.... always a great friend to the Festival!

https://festivalofchichester.co.uk/event/event-m52-echoes-and-dreams-an-evening-of-nostalgic-greek-music/

14/07/2026

Cooke brothers combine for Festival of Chichester concert

Festival of Chichester principal sponsor Edward Cooke, of Edward Cooke Family Law, combines with his brother Matthew to give a very special concert for this year’s Festival.

Called Piano and Organ Duets for a Summer’s Afternoon, it will be on July 19 at 15:00 at St Paul’s Church, Chichester where solicitor Edward is one of the organists.

The 2026 Festival of Chichester is delighted to welcome back Edward Cooke Family Law as its principal sponsor. The Festival is also generously supported by Chichester City Council, firm friends to the Festival since its inception.

Chichester City Council
Edward Cooke Family Law

Summer concert

14/07/2026

Serene Sounds and deep relaxation at the Festival of Chichester

It will be healing. It will be relaxing. And it is coming to the Festival of Chichester.

Serene Sounds offers a Classical Music Sound Bath on July 18 with two sessions in the day, blending soothing sound bath vibrations with classical voice and piano.

The 2026 Festival of Chichester is delighted to welcome back Edward Cooke Family Law as its principal sponsor. The Festival is also generously supported by Chichester City Council, firm friends to the Festival since its inception.

Chichester City Council
Edward Cooke Family Law

Classical Music Sound Bath

14/07/2026

The Skylark and The City offers an inspirational mix of words and music on pastoral and urban themes by classical guitarist Linda Kelsall-Barnett and poet Barry Smith.
It will be a key event in this year’s Festival of Chichester, taking place on July 17 at 15:00 in
St John’s Chapel, St John's Street, Chichester, PO19 1UR, with tickets available on https://www.ticketsource.com/southdownspoetryfestival

Barry Smith
Linda Kelsall-Barnett

The 2026 Festival of Chichester is delighted to welcome back Edward Cooke Family Law as its principal sponsor. The Festival is also generously supported by Chichester City Council, firm friends to the Festival since its inception.

Chichester City Council
Edward Cooke Family Law

The Skylark and The City offers an inspirational mix of words and music on pastoral and urban themes by classical guitarist Linda Kelsall-Barnett and poet Barry Smith.