Etchingham Music Festival

13/07/2026

As another wonderful Etchingham Music Festival draws to a close, we would simply like to say… thank you.

Thank you to everyone who came through the doors of St Mary’s Church during the festival. Whether you attended one concert or joined us for the entire festival, your presence created the warm, welcoming atmosphere that makes this festival so special.

To our wonderful musicians, thank you for sharing your extraordinary talent, passion and artistry. You filled our beautiful church with music that moved, inspired and united us, and we are deeply grateful.

To our volunteers and everyone working quietly behind the scenes, thank you for your time, energy and generosity. Festivals like this are built on the kindness and dedication of people who simply want to create something worthwhile for others.

Finally, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Patrons of Etchingham Music Festival. Their generosity allows us to continue presenting concerts of the highest calibre while keeping ticket prices as accessible as possible. Without their unwavering support, the festival simply could not continue in its current form.

For nearly 660 years, St Mary’s Church has stood at the heart of the village. This past week it has once again echoed with conversation, laughter, friendship and, above all, wonderful music. It is a privilege to continue that tradition and to see so many people come together to share these moments.

Thank you for being part of Etchingham Music Festival 2026. We hope to see you all again next year.

26/06/2026

A reminder, during this completely unnecessary South East heatwave, that medieval churches were essentially the original air conditioning.

While modern houses trap heat like an ambitious conservatory experiment, St Mary’s Church in Etchingham — built between 1362 and 1375 — remains gloriously cool nearly 660 years later.

Sir William de Etchingham may not have anticipated climate change, but those thick stone walls are currently outperforming most modern architecture.

Quiet atmosphere. Ancient craftsmanship. Beautiful acoustics. No tiny fan from Argos rotating sadly in the corner of the room.

So if you are currently lying motionless indoors wondering whether Britain has accidentally become southern Italy, may we gently suggest escaping to a wonderfully cool medieval church for an evening of live music instead?

Honestly, Beethoven sounds significantly better when you are not overheating.

Etchingham Music Festival begins this week.

25/06/2026

25/06/2026

One of the slightly strange things about live music is that no recording ever quite captures it properly.

You can stream Beethoven from your kitchen while unloading the dishwasher.
You can listen to jazz through headphones while replying to emails.
You can even watch concerts online while simultaneously looking at property prices and eating toast.

But it is not the same.

A real concert has atmosphere. Anticipation. Silence. Acoustics. The sound moving through the room. The tiny imperfections that make live performance human and exciting.

And perhaps most importantly — it gives you an evening that actually feels different from every other evening.

That is why festivals like this still matter.

Etchingham Music Festival begins this week and we cannot wait to fill St Mary’s Church with music, conversation and people sharing something real together.

24/06/2026

A ticket to Etchingham Music Festival costs £24.

To put that into perspective, £24 now gets you:

• a pint, a gin and tonic, and somebody saying “we may as well stay for another”
• a sandwich, crisps and drink at a motorway services
• parking literally anywhere in Britain for over 11 minutes
• one emergency trip to the village shop for “just a few things”
• or a scented candle called Cashmere Fireplace

For the same money at Etchingham Music Festival you get:
• internationally acclaimed musicians
• Beethoven
• jazz
• a beautiful church
• actual human interaction
• atmosphere
• a bar
• and an evening you might genuinely remember instead of immediately regretting

Quite honestly, the candle never stood a chance.

23/06/2026

People are always saying:
“We must support local events.”
“We need more community spirit.”
“Someone should organise things around here.”

Well… unfortunately for you, someone did.

So now you actually have to come.

Etchingham Music Festival 2026 begins in less than a week with world-class musicians, beautiful summer evenings, jazz, Beethoven, wine, conversation, atmosphere and a church full of people pretending they totally understand chamber music.

Independent local festivals only survive because people turn up, bring friends and support them — and we promise this one is rather special.

So this is your official opportunity to support the community while also having an excellent evening out.

Honestly, it’s basically volunteering.

Admittedly, slightly unusual volunteering because you do still have to buy a ticket… but sadly the Steinway hire company remains stubbornly committed to capitalism.

(For legal reasons and piano-related karma, we should add that we absolutely love Steinway and are very grateful for their magnificent pianos.)

22/06/2026

Less than a week to go until the opening concert of Etchingham Music Festival 2026…

Which means it is now perfectly acceptable to:
• dramatically listen to Beethoven while making tea
• pretend you know what “opus” means
• tell people you are “attending a recital”
• and spend an evening in a beautiful church with a glass in hand listening to world-class music instead of watching rubbish on television

Come on — get out of the house, bring your friends, support live music, support local events and experience something real.

We’ve got orchestras, chamber music, jazz, rising international stars, a lovely atmosphere… and yes, there is a bar.

St Mary’s Church is only a short walk from Etchingham station, so even the train can do most of the hard work for you.

19/06/2026

Did you know that Sergei Rachmaninov once performed here in East Sussex?

During the golden years of Hastings’ classical music scene, Rachmaninov appeared at the White Rock Theatre in both 1935 and 1936, performing with the Hastings Municipal Orchestra to great acclaim. At that time, Hastings was a major cultural centre, attracting some of the greatest musicians in the world to the Sussex coast.

It is remarkable to think that audiences in our corner of Sussex once experienced one of history’s greatest pianists and composers performing live just a short distance from Etchingham.

Today, that rich musical tradition continues through organisations such as Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra and festivals like Etchingham Music Festival — bringing world-class musicians back into intimate local spaces where live music can still be experienced up close and shared as a community.

There is something rather special about knowing that this part of Sussex has such a deep and enduring musical heritage.

18/06/2026

In a world where more and more of life is lived through screens, messages and remote conversations, there is something truly special about coming together to share a live experience.

Etchingham Music Festival is more than a series of concerts — it is a gathering of people who love music, atmosphere, conversation and community. An opportunity to pause, listen, connect and feel something together in real time.

There is nothing quite like live music filling the beautiful space of St Mary’s Church — the sound, the energy, the silence between notes, the shared experience with friends and strangers alike.

Whether you come for the orchestra, the chamber music, the jazz supper or simply the atmosphere, we promise an unforgettable experience that will stir the senses and lift the spirit.

And yes… there is a bar.

Come and be part of it.

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16/06/2026

Let the train take the strain and enjoy a summer evening at Etchingham Music Festival 2026.

St Mary’s Church is just a short walk from Etchingham railway station, with convenient direct services from London, Tunbridge Wells, Hastings and surrounding areas — making it wonderfully easy to enjoy world-class live music in the heart of the Sussex countryside.

Leave the car behind, step off the train and into an unforgettable evening of music in one of Sussex’s most beautiful historic churches.

Tickets are on sale now:
https://wegottickets.com/EtchinghamMusicFestival

Buy tickets for music, comedy, theatre, film, festivals and much more - with the best service in UK ticketing