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Looking Back on Lichfield Festival 2025

A lively audience applauds during a concert at Lichfield Festival in a historic, stone-arched setting.

As the final piano notes from Jeneba Kanneh-Mason faded into silence within Lichfield Cathedral, we reflected on what had been an exceptional summer of creativity and community. Lichfield Festival 2025, held from 8 to 20 July, stood as a testament to our continuing commitment to artistic ambition, inclusivity, and to celebrating the enduring spirit of Lichfield.

Since its founding in 1981, the Lichfield Festival has grown into an eleven-day multi-arts celebration encompassing music, literature, theatre, visual arts, dance, and more. Each summer, we welcome artists of national and international standing to perform in the city’s historic venues, and this year was no exception.

From its opening night, the 2025 Festival set its sights high. A new dance work by Strictly Come Dancing’s Neil Jones premiered in the Cathedral, while Festival Patron Tony Hadley delivered a memorable concert that had audiences on their feet and dancing. Performances by Sir Willard White, Tenebrae, and Jeneba Kanneh-Mason enriched our classical programme, alongside a powerful evening with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, who performed Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony and Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy, featuring violinist Hana Chang.

We were also delighted to welcome back Festival favourites The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, Joe Stilgoe, and historian Tracy Borman, each bringing their unique artistry to the programme. Across the city, families joined us for lively performances of The Wizard of Oz and Winnie the Pooh’s Songbook, which filled Lichfield with music, laughter, and joy.

At the Lichfield Festival, we believe that the arts should be accessible to all. In 2025, with the generous support of our Audience Development Partner, Executive Carers, we were able to expand our discount schemes. Concessions for under-30s, students, carers, and essential companions helped reduce barriers to attendance and enabled more people than ever to enjoy world-class live performance.

As we conclude our reflections on the 2025 season, our gratitude is immense — to the artists who entrusted us with their work, to the audiences who listened, applauded, and engaged, and to the volunteers, staff, partners, sponsors, and venues whose dedication made the Festival possible.

Preparations are already underway for our upcoming events; Lichfield Chamber Music Weekend, Lichfield Literature Festival, and, of course, the Lichfield Festival 2026. We look forward to welcoming audiences back for more world-class performances, new artistic discoveries, and moments of shared inspiration.