Canterbury Festival 2025 presents over 120 events including classical, contemporary music, performance, comedy, talks and literature, family fun and community celebrations.
In her first year as Festival Director, Susannah Stevenson presents world-class names including Imelda May, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Richard Ayoade with Bob Mortimer, Sebastian Faulks, The Sixteen, Newton Faulkner and Hugh Bonneville, alongside rising stars Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, Sam Lee, Hollie McNish and Raymond Antrobus. From classical brilliance to contemporary icons, other music highlights include The Tallis Scholars celebrating Orlando Gibbon’s 400, United Strings of Europe’s Renewal: The Lark Ascending, guitarist Raphaël Feuillâtre and Canterbury Choral Society performing Haydn’s Nelson Mass.
There are gigs galore with concerts from Turin Brakes, Dreadzone, The Fat River Band, Black Voices, The King’s Singers and Moscow Drug Club. In performance audiences can enjoy Paper Cinema’s Short Tales From Other Worlds, Gandini Juggling’s Smashed, Olivier Award-winning Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, and interactive theatre hit The Money. Stand-up fans will love comedy from Alistair McGowan, Troy Hawke, Elf Lyons, and Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Friends with Kool Story Bro.
The largest talks programme yet welcomes writers and thinkers across history, politics, science and the arts. Highlights include Sebastian Faulks discussing his new novel, Lady Hale on law and society, Alison Weir with Queens at War, Helen Carr on medieval history, Frank Close reveals the development of nuclear power, Gyles Brandreth on Winnie The Pooh, David Spiegelhalter explores living with uncertainty, Natasha Brown discusses her new novel Universality, plus appearances from Natalie Haynes, Raymond Antrobus, Alice Vincent, Monica Feria-Tinta and more. Half Term is sorted with the Festival’s first Family Takeover day at the Malthouse featuring Draw with Rob, Mischief and Mayhem in Moominvalley, Waterperry Opera with The Winnie The Pooh Songbook and lots of free events to keep your little ones entertained.
Across the Festival families can also enjoy Bach to Baby, The King’s Singers’ Disney Family Concert, plus free creative community events including The Big Draw, Open Clay, Beautiful Noise and more. With new curated strands, free community events, and £10 tickets for under-30s, Canterbury Festival 2025 promises two weeks of culture, discovery and fun for all ages.
Check individual events
Address
Canterbury Festival 2025
8 Orange Street
CT1 2JA
Links
