Blog Festivals is one of the stories, places or details that helps explain why the Cotswolds stays with people long after they leave.
You will find the background, local detail and small points of interest that make Blog Festivals worth knowing about, especially if you enjoy the stories behind the Cotswolds.
Church Times Festival of Faith and Literature returns to Bloxham
14/02/2020
The Church Times Festival of Faith and Literature 2020, the popular literary festival with a theological twist, will take place from 21-22 February at Bloxham School, Oxfordshire.
Novelists, broadcasters, journalists, actors, poets, historians, theologians, artists, priests and a bishop are among the wide range of speakers taking part in this month’s festival.
Novelists, broadcasters, journalists, actors, poets, historians, theologians, artists, priests and a bishop are among the wide range of speakers taking part in this month’s festival.
Countdown to Cornbury Music Festival
18/06/2019
There’s less than three weeks to go until a galaxy of stars appear at the 16th Cornbury Music Festival.
The festival takes place at Great Tew Park, near Chipping Norton, from July 5 to 7.
The festival takes place at Great Tew Park, near Chipping Norton, from July 5 to 7.
Cornbury’s ‘Fabulous Finale’ lives up to its name
10/07/2017
The sun has set on the final Cornbury Music Festival, described as the most successful in its 14-year history.
Thousands of music lovers flocked to the Great Tew Estate, near Chipping Norton, over the weekend to have a great time and see an eclectic range of superstars such as Canadian rocker Bryan Adams (pictured top), The Kaiser Chiefs (bottom left) and Jools Holland (bottom right) play their hearts out.
The weather was glorious and the entertainment on offer to all ages was first class.
So it’s with great sadness that thousands of devoted Cornbury-goers will have a gap in their diaries next July as festival organiser Hugh Phillimore has decided to rest the festival.
He described it as a “bittersweet” occasion but said this year’s finale had been a wonderful occasion with some amazing performances.
Pictures by Ben Phillips Photography.


Thousands of music lovers flocked to the Great Tew Estate, near Chipping Norton, over the weekend to have a great time and see an eclectic range of superstars such as Canadian rocker Bryan Adams (pictured top), The Kaiser Chiefs (bottom left) and Jools Holland (bottom right) play their hearts out.
The weather was glorious and the entertainment on offer to all ages was first class.
So it’s with great sadness that thousands of devoted Cornbury-goers will have a gap in their diaries next July as festival organiser Hugh Phillimore has decided to rest the festival.
He described it as a “bittersweet” occasion but said this year’s finale had been a wonderful occasion with some amazing performances.
Pictures by Ben Phillips Photography.


Toyah & War Horse to kick off Cotswold Hare Trail 2017
20/03/2017
The National Theatre’s life-sized puppet of Joey the War Horse will kick off the 2017 Cotswold Hare Trail in Woodstock on Wednesday (March 22) in the garden between the Oxfordshire Museum and the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum.
Ably assisted by artist Toyah Willcox, Joey will reveal the four Woodstock giant hares to the public for the first time. This will also mark the official launch of this year’s Hare Festival and will precede the opening of the public trail on March 25.
Ably assisted by artist Toyah Willcox, Joey will reveal the four Woodstock giant hares to the public for the first time. This will also mark the official launch of this year’s Hare Festival and will precede the opening of the public trail on March 25.
Stars come out for Cornbury farewell
11/02/2017
A fantastic all-star line-up of artists will gather at Great Tew Park this July for Cornbury Music Festival’s Fabulous Finale.
Joining Canadian superstar Bryan Adams for the Festival’s farewell weekend on 7-9 July, will be big band supremo and national treasure Jools Holland, Chrissie Hynde’s perennial Pretenders, and a host of Cornbury favourites including Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Jack Savoretti and Scouting For Girls.
Joining Canadian superstar Bryan Adams for the Festival’s farewell weekend on 7-9 July, will be big band supremo and national treasure Jools Holland, Chrissie Hynde’s perennial Pretenders, and a host of Cornbury favourites including Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Jack Savoretti and Scouting For Girls.
Cheltenham Literature Festival full programme announced
14/09/2016
A dazzling array of prize-winning novelists, agenda-setters and opinion-formers, historians, filmmakers, artists, academics, journalists , poets, musicians and comedians will come together in celebration of the spoken and written word this October (7-16) for the 67th The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival.
The programme, announced yesterday and available in full at www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature, embodies Cheltenham’s spirit of enquiry featuring some of the world’s most exciting thinkers and commentators, debating the most pertinent issues of our times.
The programme, announced yesterday and available in full at www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature, embodies Cheltenham’s spirit of enquiry featuring some of the world’s most exciting thinkers and commentators, debating the most pertinent issues of our times.
Star-studded line-up for Blenheim Palace Festival of Literature, Film and Music
30/08/2016
One of the highlights of the autumn literary season, the boutique Blenheim Palace Festival of Literature, Film and Music will return to the stunning grounds of Blenheim Palace from Thursday, October 13, to Sunday, October 16, with a fascinating programme of events, discussions and debates.
Fabulous Friday line-up at the Cornbury Music Festival
03/12/2015
Soulful piano virtuoso Jamie Cullum, 80s acid jazz pioneers Soul II Soul, R&B; troubadour Lemar and rock ‘n’ roll survivor Wilko Johnson combine to make a fabulous Friday line-up for the 13th Cornbury Music Festival on July 8th 2016.
The Big Feastival is a star-studded affair
04/09/2015
2015 marked The Big Feastival’s best event to date with weekend tickets sold out well in advance for what has become one of the Cotswolds’ biggest annual events.
Festival organisers IMG were thrilled with an attendance of 55,000 across three days, as Alex James and Jamie Oliver played host to the fourth edition of the festival at Alex James’ farm at Kingham.
Festival organisers IMG were thrilled with an attendance of 55,000 across three days, as Alex James and Jamie Oliver played host to the fourth edition of the festival at Alex James’ farm at Kingham.
Stroud gears up for three days of fabulous folk music
14/08/2015
Stroud Folk Festival returns over the weekend of September 18-20 with a lot of emphasis on the Saturday on local musicians and performers.
Proceedings start with the festival Ceilidh on the Friday at the Sub Rooms and the band this year is The Watch.
Proceedings start with the festival Ceilidh on the Friday at the Sub Rooms and the band this year is The Watch.
Cheltenham Dance Festival doubles in size
01/06/2015
Cheltenham Dance Festival will this year be twice the size it was in 2014 as it returns to Cheltenham Town Hall for the 24th year from July 31 to August 9.
The festival is set to once again attract attendees from across the UK with an exciting and diverse programme, including an evening of Strictly Hot Gossip with former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips on Sunday, August 2.
The festival is set to once again attract attendees from across the UK with an exciting and diverse programme, including an evening of Strictly Hot Gossip with former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips on Sunday, August 2.
Top acts added to The Big Feastival line-up
01/06/2015
A whole host of artists have been added to the line-up for this year’s The Big Feastival, which takes place at Alex James’s farm at Kingham from August 28-30.
Dig out your dancing shoes as warming up the Main Stage ahead of Paloma Faith on the Sunday will be indie-rockers The Feeling, with super-special guest Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
Dig out your dancing shoes as warming up the Main Stage ahead of Paloma Faith on the Sunday will be indie-rockers The Feeling, with super-special guest Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
Cotswold Show’s cookery programme is finalised
27/04/2015
The Cotswold Show & Food Festival has been busy working on its brand new cookery theatre for this year’s show and the line-up is now complete.
Chefs from some of the best hotels and restaurants in the Cotswolds will be appearing, including The Kings Head, Cirencester, Wild Garlic in Nailsworth, The Gumstool Inn at Calcot and The Potting Shed at Crudwell.
Chefs from some of the best hotels and restaurants in the Cotswolds will be appearing, including The Kings Head, Cirencester, Wild Garlic in Nailsworth, The Gumstool Inn at Calcot and The Potting Shed at Crudwell.
Food line-up gets even bigger at The Big Feastival
26/04/2015
More top chef names have been added to The Big Feastival 2015, the ultimate music, food and family festival of the summer, which returns for its fourth year on Alex James’ Cotswold farm from August 28-30.
The new batch of culinary talent that will be giving unmissable cooking demonstrations on The AEG Big Kitchen include restaurateur Mark Hix with fish maestro Mitch Tonks, food fashionista Gizzi Erskine, as well as The Fabulous Baker Brothers Tom & Henry Herbert.
The new batch of culinary talent that will be giving unmissable cooking demonstrations on The AEG Big Kitchen include restaurateur Mark Hix with fish maestro Mitch Tonks, food fashionista Gizzi Erskine, as well as The Fabulous Baker Brothers Tom & Henry Herbert.
The Sound of the Shire at Cornbury
16/04/2015
The cream of Oxfordshire’s music scene will be appearing at the the Riverside Stage at this year’s Cornbury Music Festival, which is set to feature music legends such as Sir Tom Jones, Martha Reeves and Billy Ocean.
Oxfordshire blues band King B make a nostalgic return to the Cornbury Music Festival, held at Great Tew, this year. Twelve years ago this popular local group were picked to open the very first Cornbury Music Festival. Now they’re back to headline the Riverside Stage on Saturday.
Oxfordshire blues band King B make a nostalgic return to the Cornbury Music Festival, held at Great Tew, this year. Twelve years ago this popular local group were picked to open the very first Cornbury Music Festival. Now they’re back to headline the Riverside Stage on Saturday.
Fish ‘n’ Frolics Festival set to be best ever
14/04/2015
This years Fish ‘n’ Frolics Festival in Shipston-on-Stour is set to be bigger and better than ever before with a mixture of angling, entertainment and live music to satisfy the crowds.
This fun event has raised money for local good causes and this year is for Shipston Home Nursing as well as for the Shipston Junior Anglers.
This fun event has raised money for local good causes and this year is for Shipston Home Nursing as well as for the Shipston Junior Anglers.
Schoolchildren plant wheat for The Big Feastival
08/04/2015
The Royal Agricultural University (RAU), along with FWP Matthews Millers and Hobbs House Bakery, has launched The Wheat Project, which will take over The Big Feastival’s allotment patch this summer.
Building on the success of last year’s inaugural Potato Patch, Alex James was joined by Fabulous Baker Brothers Tom and Henry Herbert and children from Kingham and Bledington primary schools’ gardening clubs to plant wheat, rye and spelt varieties that will be ready to harvest at this year’s The Big Feastival, taking place at Alex James’s Kingham farm from August 28-30.
Building on the success of last year’s inaugural Potato Patch, Alex James was joined by Fabulous Baker Brothers Tom and Henry Herbert and children from Kingham and Bledington primary schools’ gardening clubs to plant wheat, rye and spelt varieties that will be ready to harvest at this year’s The Big Feastival, taking place at Alex James’s Kingham farm from August 28-30.
Line-up announced for The Big Feastival
04/03/2015
A fantastic line-up has been announced for The Big Feastival, the ultimate music, food and family festival taking place in the Cotswolds this summer.
Paloma Faith and Groove Armard (DJ Set) will be among those performing at Alex James’s farm at Kingham for The Big Feastival’s fourth year from August 28-30.
Paloma Faith and Groove Armard (DJ Set) will be among those performing at Alex James’s farm at Kingham for The Big Feastival’s fourth year from August 28-30.
