What is Lichfield Festival
Lichfield is not short of a festival or two. From Food to Fuse, Cars in the Park and Lichfield Folk Festival, there’s a lot going in our wonderful, vibrant city. However, Lichfield Festival has an identity all of its own and, whilst there is room and appetite for us all, it’s useful to know what exactly defines Lichfield Festival.
Describing it as succinctly as we can… Lichfield Festival adds to the region’s rich arts and music scene through a literary celebration in March; a musical, performance and arts festival in July; a series of chamber music concerts in October; and the occasional additional performance at other times of the year, particularly around the festive period. We literally span the seasons with many days and events dedicated to an eclectic mix of inspirational and feel-good entertainment.
Its 41-year-old heritage makes Lichfield Festival one of the city’s oldest; and year on year it features some seriously impressive artists. In fact the opening year, 1982, saw the Festival welcoming Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson in a Cambridge Footlights Revue, along with the Hallé and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras. Continuing its legacy, our Festival Director, Damian Thantrey, curates a diverse and exciting programme, attracting a wealth of talent from all over the world.
There’s also a keen sense of local community involvement with an army of volunteers and Lichfield Festival Friends comprised of supporters and a membership scheme. The Festival is funded through generous corporate sponsorship, fundraising, ticket sales and lots of goodwill.
Whilst Lichfield’s magnificent Cathedral and the outstanding Garrick Theatre are both established Festival hosts, some of our events take place in more intimate venues such as The Hub at St Mary’s, The George Hotel and Wade Street Church. These venues are all within easy walking distance of each other so you can choose to enjoy one event and then go on to another. Our literature weekend takes place over four days with several one-hour events which lends itself to this approach very well.
One of the key aims of the Festival, a registered charity, is to be open to all as we strive to appeal to different tastes and age groups. The Festival presents an array of opportunities to unwind and relax – with all of the associated benefits on our well-being and mental health. Taking some time to ourselves, sharing Festival occasions with friends and family – listening to fantastic music, a great author or immersing ourselves in a play performed in the fresh air – all present ways to unwind and feel better. The chance to try something new is also really good for the soul.
A festival is defined as ‘an organised set of special events, such as musical performances’ by the Cambridge Dictionary. Lichfield Festival is most definitely special. The many strands of the Festival run through the city and harness a great energy. If you are ever asked what exactly Lichfield Festival is, you can answer with confidence – knowing it’s three seasons of arts, performance, music and literature – and so much more.