About
Festival of Chichester: a month-long celebration of arts across all genres
The Festival of Chichester – not to be confused with the Chichester Festival Theatre – is one of the city’s cultural treasures. Taking place for around five weeks every summer, up to 100 independently organised events come together under its umbrella.
Run as a charity by a small, dedicated group of volunteer trustees, the Festival offers a smorgasbord of diverse events from music, talks and theatre to art-exhibits, walking tours and workshops.
Local, national, international
We are grounded in events showcasing local talent, but we also regularly welcome nationally and internationally renowned figures. We are very proud to have as our Festival President, best-selling author Kate Mosse and as Patron, beloved actor Dame Patricia Routledge.
Taking part is easier and cheaper than you might have thought
Aside from the costs of running the event, registering it with the Festival costs just £24 for a single event and £37 for an event that occurs more than once, which gives you a 1/6 page entry in the brochure plus listing on our diary and website plus the improved possibility of press interest.
See our Take Part section for more details.
Key dates
- The festival runs annually from mid-June to mid-July.
- Organisers/performers should register their events by the first week of February.
- Advertising copy should be received by the third week of February.
- Brochure distribution starts in early April continuing till the end of the festival. Around 15,000 are printed. In early April you will be able to view the range of events on offer on our website.
Benefits to the city
As well as the pleasure of having so many great events, the city benefits from the festival in other ways:
- Increasing summer footfall in the city helps bolster local business, with audiences typically drawn from an educated and economically affluent demographic.
- Advertising in our professionally produced brochure is cost effective as the brochure has a long shelf life, doubling as a programme of events as well as a booking tool.
- Providing an opportunity for local creatives, clubs and businesses to showcase their skills, their venues or their passions by offering a festival event for the programme.
Kind words
I felt proud to be part of this established cultural festival, Chichester is a growing performing arts city.
I love the diversity of the festival events. Being part of it added credibility to who and what I presented.
Opportunity to reach people outside my existing circle.
Kind words
Feeling part of the whole, like to celebrate Chichester and its many glories.
Kind words
I’d like to say I’ve loved being part of the festival for the first time – it was a real privilege. The success of my event and the enthusiasm of the audience, delighted me.
Everyone I dealt with on the organisational side (the festival organisers, staff at the Novium box office and those at the New Park Centre) was so helpful and efficient.
A very big thank-you to you all.
Kind words
I had two absolutely happy days in Chichester! Thank you so much for everything! My heart is full of joy! I will be waiting for another chance to return one day.
We like to think there will be something for everybody, whatever their age or interests
A quick glance at the event categories gives a sense of the scope: classical music, jazz, blues, folk, rock, pop and light music; spoken word; theatre; art and craft; cinema; walks and tours; food and drink; dance; church events; open days, fetes and much more.
Thank you!
The festival is a magnificent summer centrepiece, but it doesn’t happen without a huge effort behind the scenes.
Our wonderful festival committee all give their time freely to make this summer Festival the best it can possibly be. We must also offer our heartfelt thanks to the Chichester Observer.
We also owe huge thanks to Chichester City Council, which has been a steadfast supporter from the outset. Once again, it has supported us generously.
So too our business sponsors and supporters. We are extremely grateful to them all.
