What began as a promising new night out has rather swiftly become something closer to a local institution: an after-hours, close-quarters, high-voltage live show that feels like a chat show that’s escaped the studio, had a few drinks, and started telling the truth.

Dom Joly’s SpeakeaZy is, in his own words, a “Cabaret of Curiosities”, though it’s less cabaret in the feathered sense, and more a thrilling, unpredictable collision of comedy, music, storytelling, and the occasional cultural hand grenade. It’s intimate, anarchic, and oddly elegant in its chaos. Like a dinner party where the guests are famous, the host is mischievous, and no one knows who’s coming until they arrive.

And that, of course, is the whole point.

The guest list remains strictly under lock and key, partly because it’s fun, partly because it’s maddening, and partly because if you announced it in advance you’d ruin the delicious, high-stakes gamble that audiences now seem addicted to. People come without knowing who they’ll see, and leave feeling faintly superior to everyone who stayed at home watching Netflix and pretending they enjoyed it.

"Curating this show in my hometown has honestly been one of the highlights of my career," says Dom "I love bringing together people I admire; musicians, comedians, writers, and total wildcards. The joy is that nobody knows what’s coming next including me half the time!"

Past nights have featured everyone from comedy heavyweights like Seann Walsh and Jenny Éclair, to musical favourites including James Walsh (Starsailor), Tom A Smith, Babybird, and The Bluetones. There have been moments of proper hilarity, unexpected tenderness, and the kind of off-script magic that only happens when nobody’s quite sure what’s coming next.

It is, in short, the sort of live entertainment that reminds you why live entertainment exists.

Here’s all you need to know.

New Dates: Thursday 2nd July | Thursday 6th August | Thursday 3rd September
Venue: The Steam & Whistle
Where: 247 Gloucester Road, Cheltenham GL51 8NW

Doors: 6.30pm
Show starts: 7.30pm
Seating: unreserved: arrive early for the best spots

Artisan pizzas & bar from 4pm
Last orders for whole pizzas: 6pm
Pizza slices available from 6pm

Tickets on sale now - domjoly.tv/dom-jolys-speakeazy

We are incredibly fortunate in the Cotswolds to have so many brilliant events right on our doorstep as summer arrives in full. From food festivals and flower shows to classic car gatherings, country fairs, circuses, and open-air cinema beneath the stars, the season offers endless excuses to step outside, gather with friends, and make the most of the long days and warm evenings.

​​Here are 25 events to help you make the most of the Cotswolds outdoors this summer.
​

​THE CHURCHILL CAR SHOW
14 JUNE • CHURCHILL VILLAGE GREEN

A delightfully Cotswold affair, the Churchill Car Show returns to the village green of Churchill for a much-loved summer gathering of motoring charm and community spirit. From classic icons to modern supercars and one-off curiosities, the green becomes a living gallery of automotive design, set against the backdrop of an unhurried village day.

Alongside the displays, expect a relaxed atmosphere of food, drink, family entertainment and local fundraising in support of local charities.

TICKETS & INFO

​THE BLENHEIM PALACE FLOWER SHOW
19–21 JUNE • BLENHEIM PALACE, OXFORDSHIRE

A most elegant herald of the summer season, the Blenheim Palace Flower Show returns to the sweeping grounds of Britain’s grandest palace, where horticulture and heritage meet in suitably magnificent style. Across three days, the parkland is transformed into a world of colour and creativity, from the grandeur of the Floral Pavilion to the artistry of show gardens, specialist growers, and immersive displays that celebrate the very best of British gardening.

TICKETS & INFO

THE CHELTENHAM FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL
19–21 JUNE • MONTPELLIER GARDENS, CHELTENHAM

The Cheltenham Food & Drink Festival returns to the elegant surrounds of Montpellier Gardens, where the town’s Georgian grace provides a fitting backdrop for three days devoted to flavour, craft, and indulgence. Across the weekend, acclaimed chefs and local producers gather to present live cookery demonstrations, wine and spirit tastings, and a rich programme of talks and masterclasses, all set within a lively open-air market of artisan food and drink.

From the aromas of street food drifting through the trees to the hum of the Festival Stage and the relaxed pleasure of sampling something new in good company, it is a celebration of the region’s culinary talent in its most generous form.

TICKETS & INFO

CHARLBURY BEER FESTIVAL
27 JUNE • CHARLBURY CRICKET CLUB

The Charlbury Beer Festival returns on Saturday 27th June 2026, transforming the grounds of Charlbury Cricket Club into a cheerful celebration of great drink, good music, and local tradition. Expect 60 cask ales, 20+ craft beers, plus ciders, perries, wine, gin and Pimm’s, alongside excellent food (including veggie and vegan options). Run entirely by volunteers, the festival proudly raises funds for local and overseas causes, with live entertainment and the ever-popular World Aunt Sally Singles Championship adding a wonderfully English flourish to the day.

TICKETS + INFO

TOM JONES
​28 JUNE  •  KINGHOLM STADIUM

A voice that has long since become part of the British summer fabric returns to Gloucester as Sir Tom Jones takes to Kingsholm Stadium for a headline evening of unmistakable charm and enduring showmanship. As part of the Kingsholm Summer Series, the Welsh icon brings a catalogue spanning more than six decades — from early rhythm and blues to the unmistakable hits that have defined generations.

TICKETS & INFO

​GIFFORDS CIRCUS
JULY, AUGUST & SEPTEMBER • VARIOUS COTSWOLDS LOCATIONS

A travelling celebration of old-fashioned wonder and handcrafted spectacle, Giffords Circus brings its 2026 show Waterfield to the fields and parklands of England from spring through to early autumn. Under the big top you’ll find a blend of acrobats, jugglers, equestrian artistry, live music and comedy, all presented with a wonderfully English, village-green charm that feels both timeless and joyously alive. Founded on the idea of “a miniature village green circus” bursting with magic, character and warmth, this season’s tour pitches up in various locations around the Cotswolds this summer. 

TICKETS + INFO

​THE COTSWOLD SHOW & FOOD FESTIVAL
4–5 JULY • CIRENCESTER PARK

A fine Cotswold summer fixture, the Cotswold Show & Food Festival returns to the stately grounds of Cirencester Park for a weekend that blends rural tradition with a distinctly modern flourish. Expect a lively mix of arena spectacle, from country pursuits and livestock displays to high-octane entertainment, alongside a bustling food hall and artisan village showcasing the very best of local produce and craft. It is, in essence, the countryside on full display.

TICKETS + INFO

​2000 TREES
8 - 11 JULY • WITHINGTON, NR CHELTENHAM

2000 Trees returns this July, with Upcote Farm once again playing host to one of the UK’s most revered independent music celebrations; a weekend of raw energy, brilliant bands and unforgettable summer days and nights with friends. The 2026 line‑up is stacked with heavyweight names for fans of punk, indie and alternative rock, including Alkaline Trio, Pup, Superheaven, Glassjaw and Lambrini Girls, alongside raucous favourites like Cancer Bats, Bad Nerves, High Vis and Dinosaur Pile‑Up — plus a host of rising acts across multiple stages that make Trees a perfect showcase for both established and underground talent.

TICKETS & INFO

​THE RHS BADMINTON FLOWER SHOW
8–12 JULY • BADMINTON ESTATE

A striking new arrival on the horticultural calendar, the RHS Badminton Flower Show unfolds across the sweeping parkland of the Badminton Estate, where South Gloucestershire becomes, for a brief midsummer spell, a showcase of gardening at its most refined. From show gardens of real ambition to the immersive Floral Marquee, expect a procession of extraordinary planting, rare specimens, and designers and growers at the very top of their craft.

Beyond the blooms, the show takes on the character of a great country gathering with talks from leading horticultural voices, artisan food, and a sense of gentle discovery at every turn. 

TICKETS + INFO

THE CHARLBURY RIVERSIDE FESTIVAL
19–20 JULY • MILL FIELD, CHARLBURY

A rather splendid outpouring of community spirit, the Charlbury Riverside Festival returns to the Mill Field on the banks of the Evenlode, where for one summer weekend the watermeadows become a stage for music, mischief, and open-air merriment. Widely regarded as Oxfordshire’s largest free festival, it draws a lively mix of families, locals and wanderers for two days of live bands, multiple stages, and a distinctly easygoing charm.

Alongside the music, expect a generous spread of food stalls, a well-stocked beer tent, children’s entertainment, and the kind of unforced, riverside atmosphere that only Charlbury seems to do with such ease, all set just a short stroll from the station.

TICKETS & INFO

FOOL’S DELIGHT CIRCUS
23 JULY – 2 AUGUST • HAM COURT HOUSE, OXFORDSHIRE

A most curious and captivating summer interlude, Fool’s Delight Circus returns with its latest creation, Tyger, transforming the grounds of Ham Court House into a world of imagination, dining, and daring performance. Inspired by William Blake’s famous poem, this year’s show explores the “fearful symmetry” of the human condition through a series of spellbinding circus duos, where acrobatics and aerial artistry become a meditation on beauty, tension, and duality.

Alongside the main production, guests are invited to a refined three-course communal feast, with the season also expanding into daytime entertainments, including solo shows from legendary clown Tweedy, family-focused performances, and even two evenings of opera from Wild Arts beneath the Big Top. It is, in every sense, a richly layered cultural escape — part circus, part supper, part summer reverie.

TICKETS + INFO

​THE GUITING MUSIC FESTIVAL
24 JULY – 2 AUGUST • GUITING POWER

A quietly glorious fixture of the Cotswold summer, the Guiting Music Festival returns for ten days of intimate, world-class performance in the unspoilt village of Guiting Power. Set beneath canvas and open skies alike, the programme moves effortlessly from classical refinement to jazz and blues, drawing acclaimed musicians from across the UK and beyond into a setting that feels both personal and timeless. This year, you will find Mica Paris and Lindisfarne on the line-up.

TICKETS & INFO

WILDERNESS
30 JULY - 2 AUGUST • ​CORNBURY PARK

Wilderness returns to the magical parkland of Cornbury Park, inviting music lovers to lose themselves in a weekend of brilliant live performances, world‑class food experiences and the festival’s signature blend of creativity and culture. The 2026 line‑up features electrifying headline sets from iconic pop‑dance outfit Scissor Sisters, genre‑bending innovators The Last Dinner Party and legendary DJ‑producer Carl Cox, alongside acclaimed electronic duo Soulwax, indie favourite Saint Etienne and cult‑cool songwriter Baxter Dury, with dancefloor heat from Groove Armada and a host of eclectic acts across the stages.

Feasting is taken seriously too, with celebrated culinary names and creative food offerings ensuring that long afternoons are as delicious as they are musical, while talks, comedy and immersive arts experiences add extra colour to four unforgettable summer days under the trees.

TICKETS & INFO

OUTDOOR CINEMA AT WESTONBIRT
31 JULY – 2 AUGUST • WESTONBIRT ARBORETUM

A rather enchanting escape, the Westonbirt Outdoor Cinema transforms the heart of the arboretum into a woodland theatre beneath the stars, where film and nature share the same gentle spotlight. Set among thousands of rare trees in one of Britain’s most beautiful botanical landscapes, guests are invited to settle with blankets and picnics as the sun slips through the canopy and the screen comes to life. Films include Dirty Dancing, Jurassic Park and a Sing-A-Long showing of Encanto for the younger viewers.

TICKETS & INFO

​CHELTENHAM CRICKET FESTIVAL
8 - 24 AUGUST • CHELTENHAM COLLEGE

A pillar of the English summer sporting calendar, the Cheltenham Cricket Festival returns to the elegant surrounds of Cheltenham College between Saturday 8th August to Friday 24 August, where it has been staged for generations on one of the country’s most historic cricket grounds. Dating back to 1872, it remains the oldest festival of its kind, pairing top-tier Gloucestershire cricket with a distinctly genteel sense of occasion.

Across the festival, expect a sunlit mix of County Championship and limited-overs fixtures, framed by traditional hospitality, lively marquees, and that unmistakable festival atmosphere where the boundary rope feels close enough to touch. 

TICKETS + INFO

THE BIG FEASTIVAL
28 - 30 AUGUST • KINGHAM

With the 2026 Big Feastival line-up now live, yet another unforgettable long weekend of music, food and fun awaits us on Alex James’ idyllic Cotswolds farm during the August Bank Holiday weekend. Across three days you’ll be treated to headline sets from dance-pioneers Basement Jaxx, UK rap-poet favourite The Streets and indie-pop hitmakers Bastille, alongside an eclectic mix of artists including RUDIM3NTAL, Perrie, Doves, White Lies, Freya Ridings, Mimi Webb and The Coral, ensuring there’s something for every musical taste.

But Big Feastival isn’t just about the beats, it’s a true celebration of flavour too, with acclaimed chefs and food experiences that have become just as legendary as the music. Expect chef demos, incredible street food and inventive culinary showcases that make grazing around the festival one of the highlights of the weekend.

Comedy lovers are also well-served, with live sets from names like Joel Dommett, Ivo Graham and Suzi Ruffell adding laughter to sun-soaked afternoons and balmy evenings

TICKETS & INFO

MORETON SHOW
5 SEPTEMBER • MORETON-IN-MARSH

A cornerstone of the Cotswold rural calendar, the Moreton Show returns for its celebrated one-day gathering in the heart of Moreton-in-Marsh, where the fields once again become a grand stage for British agriculture at its finest. Since 1949, it has championed the very best of farming, equestrian skill, and countryside tradition, drawing together livestock classes, arena displays, and over 300 trade stands in a lively yet unmistakably traditional spectacle.

From champion livestock parades to the thunder of arena attractions and the gentle bustle of the Home & Garden marquees, it is a day that distils the countryside into its purest form. For many, it remains the definitive late-summer gathering of rural England.

TICKETS & INFO

​BLENHEIM PALACE INTERNATIONAL HORSE TRIALS
17 - 20 SEPTEMBER • BLENHEIM PALACE

Get ready for an unforgettable experience this year at Blenheim Palace! Experience four days of exhilarating eventing, including Dressage, Cross Country, and Showjumping, set against the stunning backdrop of Blenheim Palace – one of Britain’s most beautiful and historic venues.

TICKETS + INFO

Cheltenham is an incredible town, full of culture, character, and that feeling that there’s always something going on. With its brilliant festivals, outstanding restaurants, and a social scene that knows exactly how to deliver a good night out, it’s a place that wears its sophistication lightly.

And now it has one more reason to go out midweek.

Le Giggle is the new Parler Comedy Night, created in collaboration with local comedian Burt Williamson which promises to bring a fresh, sharp-edged burst of live comedy to one of the town’s finest spots.

Parler has become one of the most popular spots in town since opening last year. It has the atmosphere, the style, and those effortlessly good vibes from morning through to night.

The first of three Le Giggle nights launches on Wednesday 3rd June, with a line-up that’s both intelligent and joyfully unhinged: Amelia Hamilton and Alex Farrow, hosted by Burt himself.

Burt Williamson: Host, Curator, Local Instigator

Burt Williamson is a Gloucestershire-born stand-up comedian, improviser and comedy producer known for sharp writing, offbeat observations and densely packed punchlines. He’s one of those performers who can make you laugh at something you didn’t even realise you thought, and his stage presence has the energy of a man who has absolutely muttered “for God’s sake” at a parking meter recently.

He’s been steadily building his name on the UK comedy circuit, earning acclaim for his Edinburgh Fringe shows, and has been described by The Scotsman as “unexpectedly hilarious at every turn.”

Amelia Hamilton: Moral Support

Amelia Hamilton is not your average comedian, she’s a rap comedienne with the delivery of a gunslinger and the writing of someone who has been paying close attention to the absurdity of modern life.

Her show Moral Support is bold, unpredictable and sharply funny, packed with lyrical punchlines that hit hard and land clean. Winner of the 2025 ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer, she’s been praised as “the rapping comic you instantly adore” and has appeared on BBC Radio 4 and BBC iPlayer.

Expect a show that dismantles modern morality with glee, covering everything from bad men with excellent manners to competitive happiness, gravedigging’s inevitable rebrand, and why mental health might need a touch less branding and a touch more honesty. Smart, subversive, and gloriously strange.

Alex Farrow: Disorder (Sex, Money & The Philosopher’s Graveyard)

Alex Farrow is a former philosophy teacher turned stand-up, which already tells you he’s comfortable staring into the void — and making it funny.

His upcoming 2026 show Disorder (Sex, Money & The Philosopher’s Graveyard) has earned him serious critical attention, described as “an intelligent new star with a skill for strong joke writing.” His work has featured on Mock the Week and Have I Got News for You, and he’s even been highlighted in The Times for Best Jokes of the Fringe.

His comedy is sharp, thoughtful, and brilliantly written - the kind of set that makes you laugh, then immediately feel slightly guilty for not reading more books.

Tickets are £14.50 and £8.50 for students.
Doors open at 7pm with the performance starting at 7.30pm.  

​Come for the comedy, leave with sore cheeks and a renewed faith in midweek decisions.

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE

​www.parlerbar.co.uk

A quarter of a century after Trigger Happy TV first unleashed its glorious chaos onto unsuspecting members of the public, the Cheltenham-born comedian is marking the milestone with a full-blown national celebration: a huge 100-date UK tour, honouring the hidden camera phenomenon that went on to sell to 80 countries and reshape modern comedy.

Before “viral” was a career path and before YouTube became the world’s stage, Joly was already out there creating the blueprint, armed with an absurdly large mobile phone, a suspicious number of squirrels, and a giant snail that somehow became national treasure status. His anarchic, intelligent style didn’t just define the early 2000s, it quietly set the tone for an entire generation of prank comedy and meme culture that followed.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of a major appearance at the Royal Albert Hall, where Joly hosted and performed at the Teenage Cancer Trust comedy night, curated by Robert Smith of The Cure. Sharing the bill with comedy royalty, he revived some of his best-loved characters to a rapturous response - proof, if any were needed, that the world still has an appetite for well-executed mischief.

Now, for the first time in decades, those characters are returning properly, live, in person, and with a few surprises. The Trigger Happy TV 25th Anniversary Tour promises behind-the-scenes stories, bloopers, unseen original footage and, perhaps most excitingly, brand-new material. Expect fresh tales of the Giant Snail’s painfully slow zebra-crossing journeys, Dom’s arrest while dressed as a KGB spy, and the long-running obsession with the elusive “grey squirrel.” And yes, the giant mobile phone will, inevitably, feature.

For Cheltenham, however, this isn’t just another tour date. It’s personal.

Joly has already been making waves locally with Dom Joly’s SpeakeaZy, his cult comedy night at the fiercely independent Steam & Whistle. Approaching its one-year residency this April, it has become something of a town secret, the sort of thing people mention in lowered voices, usually followed by: “You’ll never get a ticket.”

The Trigger Happy tour arrives at the Parabola Arts Centre on Saturday 5th December 2026, and with its intimate atmosphere and famously fine acoustics, it’s the perfect venue for two hours of nostalgia, new material, and utter comedic mayhem.

While the tour spans 100 dates nationwide, the Cheltenham show is shaping up to be the jewel in the crown, a homecoming in every sense, and arguably the most anticipated night of the entire run.

As Joly himself puts it:

"I can’t believe it’s been twenty-five years since I first started shouting into a giant mobile phone. Trigger Happy TV changed my life, and bringing these characters back for a massive anniversary tour is a total blast. Cheltenham is my home, and while the SpeakeaZy at the Steam & Whistle has been incredible, bringing the full Trigger Happy chaos to the Parabola is going to be a level up. I can't wait to share some brand-new mayhem with my hometown audience."

For all the info and tickets, please visit www.domjoly.tv

There are villages in the Cotswolds that regularly change hands; Guiting Power is not really one of them.

Houses here do not so much come onto the market as quietly re-enter circulation. People wait for them, sometimes for years, not in the hopeful, weekly refreshing of Rightmove way of the modern buyer, but with the patience of someone who understands that certain places operate on their own terms. You don’t simply decide to move to Guiting Power. You are, eventually, allowed to.

It is not a place arranged for admiration, nor one that has been coaxed into prettiness by committee. Instead, it has carried on, through decades, through fashions, through the quiet churn of modern life, and in doing so has arrived at something far more convincing than charm. It feels intact. Neither preserved nor polished, just… working.

Guiting Power did not always appear so steadfast. The agricultural depression of the 1870s left the village reeling, and by the early 20th century many of its houses were in a sorry state. In the 1930s, Moya Davidson began quietly buying properties to ensure they remained homes for locals, and in 1958 Raymond Cochrane took on the estate, continuing the restorations she had begun. A slow, careful stewardship that still shapes the village today.

That sense of continuity is not accidental. Today, much of the village is held by the Guiting Manor Amenity Trust, which does something rather radical by modern standards: it looks after the place without trying to improve it beyond recognition. Houses rarely, if ever, come onto the open market, and many who live here have done so because their family have lived there for centuries, they've married someone in the village or by way of patience rather than purchase, joining waiting lists and taking their turn when it comes.

The Trust also runs the surrounding farm, employing locals and keeping the village tied, quite literally, to the land beneath it. There is something faintly old-fashioned in the arrangement, in the best possible sense; rents feeding into the estate, the estate sustaining the farm, the farm sustaining the village. It creates the impression, not entirely fanciful, that Guiting Power could carry on quite happily even if the rest of the world became a little less organised.

And then, at the end of harvest, the whole thing resolves itself in the most civilised way imaginable: a free supper at The Hollow Bottom for those who have worked the land. No speeches, no banners, just food, drink, and the quiet acknowledgement that effort has been made and appreciated.

The Hollow Bottom has, in recent months, remembered exactly what it is supposed to be. When Nathan Eades and Liam Goff took it over last July, they found, with a mixture of disbelief and opportunity, that much of the pub’s horse racing memorabilia had been unceremoniously discarded, sitting in a skip as though it were of no consequence whatsoever. They rescued it, returned it to the walls, and in doing so restored not just decoration but identity. No wonder, perhaps, that things had gone slightly off track before for its previous tenants.

Now, the pub feels entirely itself again. A free house in every sense, with beers named after horses and spirits that nod toward the village’s past without over doing it. During the Cheltenham Festival, it became something of an epicentre for the racing world, the bar packed as it was a couple of decades ago, this time celebrating local jockey Tom Bellamy's first Festival victory.

The pub also boasts six recently finished bedrooms that are all named after racecourses (of course they are), superb "double spud" Sunday roasts, and with summer on the horizon, a garden decking area with a boules pit and wonderful wooden shack bar. It is the sort of place where one drink becomes several, and several become an evening that just seems to have happened without anyone really noticing.

At the opposite end of the village, The Farmers Arms offers a slightly different proposition, but no less essential. Owned by Donnington Brewery, it is a proper pub in the most reassuring sense: honest food, good drink, and absolutely no desire to be anything other than what it is.

There is a piano in the corner, which is either charming or dangerous depending on who is playing it. There's a skittle alley that the village team uses with admirable seriousness, although standards fluctuate depending on the amount of beer consumed: for some, a sudden flourish; for others, a remarkable decline.  If a player scores zero with all three balls, they will have to wear a remarkably warm beaver hat as if to mark the occasion. When the first two balls inevitably register nothing, teammates break into the chant of “BEAVER",  hoping for the worst, cheering his failures as though they were triumphs.

If The Hollow Bottom hums with racing stories, The Farmers Arms anchors the everyday; steady, familiar, and exactly what you hope to find when you push open the door.

Village life, of course, is not sustained by pubs alone.

The Cotswold Guy has become something of a quiet success story, though not quite in the way outsiders imagine. Yes, it is occasionally mentioned in connection with David Beckham and his apparent fondness for the sausage rolls, but this is treated locally with a level of interest that might best be described as polite neutrality. One suspects there are residents who are either unimpressed or only vaguely aware of who David Beckham is.

​The shop itself is far more interesting than any passing celebrity endorsement with exceptional coffee and brunch and lots of outstanding produce, from meat, veg and jars full of everything delicious. It took over from the village bakery, which is remembered with genuine affection and only the gentlest caveat that the bread was not its strongest point. Still, residents continued buying a loaf each week, supporting the business in the quiet English way that keeps small communities alive.

When The Cotswold Guy first opened, someone chalked “go away” on the wall, a bold if slightly unnecessary piece of feedback. Another villager was later seen attempting to scrub this off before the owner arrived, which feels like a perfect summary of rural conflict resolution: disagreement, followed swiftly by tidying up.

These days, the shop does excellent breakfasts and lunches alongside its produce, and has settled into the village as though it had always been there; a place to pick up something for supper or linger over coffee.

The post office performs a similar role, quietly indispensable and slightly underestimated until you realise how often you rely on it. It serves very good breakfasts, draws a steady stream of locals, and on most mornings will feature at least one cyclist in Lycra sitting outside with coffee, their bicycle leaning nearby like a patient accomplice. No one comments. This is England. We observe everything and mention nothing.

Beyond the buildings, there are walks that require nothing more than sensible shoes. Circular routes thread along Castlett Street or Tally Ho in the other direction. Dogs are optional and polite hellos to fellow walkers mandatory as you wander through countryside that feels untouched, unspoiled, and very much unconcerned with the rest of the world.

Life here is not dramatic, which is precisely its appeal.

Even its brush with notoriety, the infamous 1962 summer camp, is remembered more with a wry shake of the head than alarm. The British neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement had chosen the village as a meeting point for fascists from Europe and the U.S. Around a hundred villagers, led by publican Walter Morley, armed themselves with pitchforks, shotguns, and the kind of moral impatience only a small village can muster, marched to confront the intruders and send them on their way.

And then, as ever, things returned to normal.

Normal, in Guiting Power, means the village calendar: music festival, pantomime (where opening night is a spectacle, with the hall packed with villagers, friends, and relatives, ready to cheer, boo, or groan at the traditional jokes, while a few seasoned performers take delight in flouting the script), fireworks, dog show, the festive light switch-on, and a steady stream of other events that make village life feel far more lively than it has any right to be.

Spend time here and you begin to notice what isn’t present. There is little urgency (unless you're running late for Happy Hour at The Hollow), no sense of performance, no need to prove anything to anyone. People are simply getting on with things; running the farm, opening the shop, pulling pints, walking dogs, waiting, perhaps, for a coffee, to pick a child up from the hugely popular nursery, or for a house that might one day become available.

And in that absence of noise, something else becomes clear, this is a village still shaped by the people who live within it rather than those passing through. 

With that you realise that what makes Guiting Power unique is not its beauty, though it has plenty of that, nor its history, though it has that too. It is the simple, increasingly rare fact that it works. Not loudly, not perfectly, but properly.

And in modern Britain, that is about as close to perfection as you are likely to find.

With the first hints of longer days upon us, it’s impossible not to start looking ahead to summer. The season of golden evenings, open-air stages and weekends that blur into one unforgettable soundtrack is almost within reach. Think cocktails and sunset sing-a-longs with friends as world-class artists light up some of the most beautiful festival settings in the country. Summer 2026 is already shaping up to be a standout, and we honestly can't wait. 
​

The Big Feastival
28 - 30 August 2026
​Kingham

With the 2026 Big Feastival line-up now live, yet another unforgettable long weekend of music, food and fun awaits us on Alex James’ idyllic Cotswolds farm during the August Bank Holiday weekend. Across three days you’ll be treated to headline sets from dance-pioneers Basement Jaxx, UK rap-poet favourite The Streets and indie-pop hitmakers Bastille, alongside an eclectic mix of artists including RUDIM3NTAL, Perrie, Doves, White Lies, Freya Ridings, Mimi Webb and The Coral, ensuring there’s something for every musical taste.

But Big Feastival isn’t just about the beats, it’s a true celebration of flavour too, with acclaimed chefs and food experiences that have become just as legendary as the music. Expect chef demos, incredible street food and inventive culinary showcases that make grazing around the festival one of the highlights of the weekend.

Comedy lovers are also well-served, with live sets from names like Joel Dommett, Ivo Graham and Suzi Ruffell adding laughter to sun-soaked afternoons and balmy evenings

bigfeastival.com

​Blenheim Palace Festival
27 June - 4 July
​Woodstock

With the first-ever multi-day festival set to light up the Great Court at Blenheim Palace, summer in the Cotswolds just got a whole lot more exciting. On the music front, global superstars and beloved voices take centre stage, from the pop magic of Katy Perry and the smooth classics of Michael Bublé to the genre-defying sounds of Teddy Swims and the orchestral dance experience of Pete Tong Ibiza Classics, with Alanis Morissette bringing her anthemic catalogue to the stunning backdrop.

www.blenheimpalace.com

​Wychwood Festival
29 - 31 May 2026
​Cheltenham

Wychwood Festival will once again kick off the summer season in style when it returns to Cheltenham Racecourse for its landmark 20th edition this May, and this year’s celebration promises a quality mix of music, comedy and family‑friendly fun. Over three glorious days you’ll find headline energy from Craig David presents TS5, indie favourites Kaiser Chiefs and folk‑rock icons Levellers, alongside a wonderfully eclectic roster that includes Sophie Ellis‑Bextor, Feeder, The Pigeon Detectives, Boney M, The Horne Section and Newton Faulkner, plus plenty more across multiple stages.

Wychwood has long been beloved for its welcoming, inclusive atmosphere, pairing great live performances with everything from comedy spots and creative workshops to chilled out spaces and activities for all ages, making it the perfect weekend for friends, families and music lovers alike to toast the start of summer together.

wychwoodfestival.com

​Wilderness
30 July - 2 August
​Cornbury Park

Wilderness returns to the magical parkland of Cornbury Park, inviting music lovers to lose themselves in a weekend of brilliant live performances, world‑class food experiences and the festival’s signature blend of creativity and culture. The 2026 line‑up features electrifying headline sets from iconic pop‑dance outfit Scissor Sisters, genre‑bending innovators The Last Dinner Party and legendary DJ‑producer Carl Cox, alongside acclaimed electronic duo Soulwax, indie favourite Saint Etienne and cult‑cool songwriter Baxter Dury, with dancefloor heat from Groove Armada and a host of eclectic acts across the stages.

Feasting is taken seriously too, with celebrated culinary names and creative food offerings ensuring that long afternoons are as delicious as they are musical, while talks, comedy and immersive arts experiences add extra colour to four unforgettable summer days under the trees.

www.wildernessfestival.com

​Cheltenham Jazz Festival
29 April – 4 May 2026
Cheltenham
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The Cheltenham Jazz Festival returns to the heart of Cheltenham, celebrating three decades of bold music, brilliant performances and boundary‑crossing creativity, and this year’s line‑up is already sounding unforgettable. From stirring headline sets by Van Morrison, Jessie J and pop‑soul favourite Joss Stone and Jack Savoretti to the genre‑defying sounds of Lady Blackbird and jazz luminaries like Joshua Redman and Bill Frisell, the festival continues to blend world‑class talent with fresh voices and new collaborations. Alongside classic and contemporary jazz, you’ll find everything from orchestral tributes to Miles Davis to soulful UK jazz from artists such as Courtney Pine, Emma‑Jean Thackray and Blue Lab Beats, giving you six days of music that run the gamut from timeless to trailblazing.

www.cheltenhamfestivals.org/festivals/jazz-festival

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​Forest Live
24 - 28 June 2026
Westonbirt Arboretum

As summer unfolds across the Cotswolds and the woodlands of Westonbirt Arboretum come alive with greenery, Forest Live 2026 offers a magical way to enjoy long summer evenings with friends, music, food and laughter beneath the trees. This beloved outdoor series brings big‑name acts to one of England’s most beautiful natural stages, starting with dance‑floor legend Fatboy Slim and continuing with timeless anthems from Deacon Blue (with Lightning Seeds), reggae favourites UB40 feat. Ali Campbell (with Bitty McLean & Reggae Roast), pop icon Rick Astley (with The Lottery Winners) and closing with Richard Ashcroft alongside Tom Meighan & Apollo Junction, a line‑up that spans genres and generations under the canopy.

www.forestlive.com/westonbirtarboretum

2000 Trees
8 - 11 July 2026
Withington, Nr Cheltenham

2000 Trees returns this July, with Upcote Farm once again playing host to one of the UK’s most revered independent music celebrations; a weekend of raw energy, brilliant bands and unforgettable summer days and nights with friends. The 2026 line‑up is stacked with heavyweight names for fans of punk, indie and alternative rock, including Alkaline Trio, Pup, Superheaven, Glassjaw and Lambrini Girls, alongside raucous favourites like Cancer Bats, Bad Nerves, High Vis and Dinosaur Pile‑Up — plus a host of rising acts across multiple stages that make Trees a perfect showcase for both established and underground talent.

2000trees.co.uk

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Shindig
21 - 24 May 2026
Malmesbury
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As the May Bank Holiday approaches, Shindig Festival 2026 returns to the idyllic Charlton Park Estate with a vibrant and eclectic line‑up set to kickstart the UK festival season in style. Across multiple stages tucked into beautiful woodland and fields, expect sun‑soaked afternoons and late‑night grooves from standout names like punk‑funk crew Fat Dog, politically charge British punk rap duo Bob Vylan, genre‑blending innovators War, and heavyweight soundsystem favourites Mungo’s Hi‑Fi, MY BABY and Snapped Ankles, plus DJ‑led energy from the likes of Pola & Bryson, Stanton Warriors and Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy.

shindigfestival.co.uk

Cheltenham Jazz Festival returns from Wednesday 29 April to Monday 4 May 2026 for its 30th anniversary, marking three decades as one of Europe’s most distinguished celebrations of jazz and contemporary music. Across six days, the Festival will once again bring an eclectic programme of international headliners, leading jazz voices, innovative cross-genre artists and emerging UK talent to the town.

Thirty years young, the Festival reflects not only on a rich legacy of memorable performances but also on a clear-eyed view of the future. Its anniversary edition continues a long-standing tradition of artistic excellence, while welcoming new ideas, collaborations and voices that will shape the next chapter of jazz.

Central to this new chapter is the appointment of Corinne Bailey Rae as Guest Curator from 2026 to 2028. The double Grammy-winning artist succeeds Gregory Porter and joins the Festival in a year that also marks the 20th anniversary of her celebrated debut album. Bailey Rae will curate a series of specially commissioned performances and help guide the Festival’s artistic direction over the next three years, with her selections including Joss Stone, Lady Blackbird, Gotts Street Park, Ladies of Midnight Blue, Emma Jean-Thackray and Tinariwen.

The 2026 programme also honours the centenary of Miles Davis with Miles Davis Symphonic: Kind of Blue, presented by the Guy Barker Big Band and the BBC Concert Orchestra, featuring exclusive arrangements and guest performers in tribute to one of jazz’s most influential figures.

Headline performances at the Big Top will include Jessie J, Van Morrison, Earth Wind & Fire Experience by Al McKay, Joss Stone, the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra with special guests, 10cc, Jack Savoretti, Nigel Kennedy, ABC, Jalen Ngonda and James Morrison. The contemporary jazz programme welcomes artists such as Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell, Makaya McCraven and Lady Blackbird, alongside a strong representation of UK jazz and soul talent including Courtney Pine, Emma-Jean Thackray, Georgia Cécile, Blue Lab Beats and others.

New and returning venues across the Festival Village and town will host a diverse international and UK line-up, with the expanded DEYA Arena, the Dunkertons stage and the Parabola Arts Centre continuing to showcase adventurous programming and emerging talent. Alongside headline shows, the Festival will offer free events, family concerts, workshops, late-night sessions and performances across Cheltenham’s cultural venues.

Education and participation remain at the heart of the Festival’s mission, with year-round outreach through the Musicate programme, family-friendly events and opportunities for young people to encounter jazz in welcoming and inspiring settings.

As it enters its fourth decade, Cheltenham Jazz Festival remains both a celebration of tradition and a statement of intent, a place where world-class artists, bold ideas and new talent meet in one of England’s most graceful settings.

www.cheltenhamfestivals.org/festivals/jazz-festival

Wychwood Festival has unveiled a major wave of artists for its 20th anniversary celebration, as the beloved family-friendly event prepares to return to Cheltenham Racecourse from 29–31 May 2026.

Leading the celebrations, indie favourites Kaiser Chiefs will headline Saturday night, with legendary folk-punk outfit Levellers closing the festival on Sunday. Across the weekend, Wychwood will present its most expansive and diverse programme yet, featuring an impressive mix of established stars and crowd favourites including Feeder, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Boney M, The Pigeon Detectives, Newton Faulkner and Chesney Hawkes. Together with an array of emerging artists and unexpected additions, the lineup reflects the eclectic spirit that has defined Wychwood for two decades.

For the first time, the festival will extend to four days, opening on Thursday to offer festivalgoers an even longer weekend of music and camping. Dutty Moonshine Big Band will headline the inaugural Thursday evening, setting the tone for an extended anniversary celebration. With further acts and the Friday night headliner still to be announced, Wychwood 2026 is already shaping up to be its biggest edition to date.

The Sunday finale will see Levellers bring their distinctive catalogue of politically charged folk-punk to the Cotswolds, while Feeder’s anthemic alternative hits and Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s infectious disco-pop promise standout moments across the weekend. Boney M will deliver a dose of disco nostalgia, complemented by singalong sets from The Pigeon Detectives, Newton Faulkner and Chesney Hawkes.

Beyond the headline names, the lineup features respected acts such as The South, The Subways, Dub Pistols, The Wedding Present and Tankus, alongside a new generation of artists including Adult DVD, Elles Bailey, Pale Blue Eyes, Bloodworm, Hunny Buzz and Pia Rose. Continuing its commitment to local talent, Wychwood also welcomes Cheltenham band Nuns of the Tundra, whose debut album recently entered the UK Top 10.

Wychwood’s programme extends far beyond music. Returning favourites include The Horne Section, Shaun Williamson’s Barrioke and The Ogretones, alongside Hip Hop Karaoke, Mr B Gentleman Rhymer, 3 Daft Monkeys and Thrill Collins. The festival’s much-loved Comedy Tent will host nearly 20 comedians, led by Henning Wehn, with Patrick Monahan, Javier Jarquin, Jonny Awsum and Duncan Oakley among those confirmed.

Fresh from winning Family Festival of the Year at the UK Festival Awards 2025, Wychwood continues to build its reputation as one of the UK’s most welcoming festivals, offering an extensive programme of arts, workshops and family activities—free for children under 10. Set against the backdrop of the Prestbury Hills, it remains a defining start to the summer festival season and a cherished tradition for music lovers of all ages.

​wychwoodfestival.com

Cheltenham Jazz Festival has announce a new three-year partnership with DEYA Brewery, launching in 2026 as the Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary in fitting style with bold music, emerging talent and exceptional beer.

Marking a fresh chapter for one of the world’s most respected jazz festivals, the newly named DEYA Arena will take centre stage over the May Bank Holiday weekend, presenting a programme of genre-defying artists and high-energy performances in the heart of Montpellier Gardens.

To commemorate the partnership, DEYA will brew a limited-edition beer celebrating 30 years of Cheltenham Jazz Festival — a first for the Festival and a toast to its future. Festival-goers can also enjoy DEYA’s official bar in the standing venue, serving its acclaimed beers within an expanded 900-capacity Arena in the Festival Village.

Part of Cheltenham Festivals, Cheltenham Jazz Festival is one of the world’s iconic jazz festivals, having launched in 1996 the Festival has welcomed some of the globe’s biggest stars and jazz legends including Van Morrison, Dionne Warwick, Gregory Porter, Jamie Cullum. Last year saw David Gray, Roger Daltrey, Macy Gray and Lulu all take to the stage.

The full Festival line-up will be announced on 10 February at 10am.

Tickets go on general sale on 4 March, with Members’ access opening on 25 February. All tickets are available at cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz.

The Big Feastival have announced their full line-up ahead of a weekend full of music, food and good times at Alex James' Farm in Kingham over the August Bank.

Rudimental, Perrie, Red Rum Club, Freya Ridings, The Coral, White Lies and Ms Dynamite are just some of the acts joining the earlier announced headliners, Basement Jaxx, The Streets and Bastille. 

On the food front, you will find Anna Haugh, Emily English, Poppy O'Toole and Tom Barnes + many more in The Big Kitchen.

Laughs will be supplied by Ciara O'Connor, Harriet Kemsley and The Scummy Mummies and Scott Bennett, with a huge list of entainment including the brilliant Barrioke with Shaun Williamson, Taskmaster Club and closer to home, Adam Henson's Cotswold Farm Park.

The festival takes place from 28-30 August, 2026. 

You can find all the info and tickets here  - bigfeastival.com

There is something deeply satisfying about a year well planned. From the hum of a summer music festival drifting across open fields, to the theatre of a well-contested sporting fixture, 2026 promises a calendar rich in moments worth savouring.

This is a year for linen jackets and polished brogues, for early starts and late finishes, for weekends shaped by culture, competition and conviviality.

In this guide, we bring together the finest events of the year, from music, sport, heritage and the occasional indulgence, each chosen not for spectacle alone, but for character, craft and the pleasure of good company. Consider this your invitation to step out, lean in, and make the most of what lies ahead.

GLOUCESTER v TOULON
SATURDAY 17 JANUARY • GLOUCESTER

Gloucester Rugby face a tough Champions Cup test as they host Toulon on Saturday, 17th January. With Kingsholm backing them, Gloucester will look to combine grit and flair against a star-studded Toulon side in what promises to be a thrilling contest.

TICKETS + INFO

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GLOUCESTER v BATH
FRIDAY 23 JANUARY • GLOUCESTER

Gloucester Rugby host Bath at Kingsholm on Friday, 23rd January, as the West Country derby comes alive with a full house under the lights. It's a game that no Gloucester fan will want to miss, and one that will sell out very quickly!

TICKETS + INFO

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BURNS NIGHT AT HIGHGROVE
SATURDAY 24 JANAURY

Don your best tartan and raise a toast to Scotland's national bard at our exclusive Burns Night Black Tie event at Highgrove. Classic Scottish traditions set the tone for an unforgettable evening, beginning with a beautifully curated four-course dinner. Each dish is thoughtfully prepared by Highgrove’s Orchard Room chefs, showcasing seasonal ingredients and refined flavours inspired by Scotland’s culinary heritage.

TICKETS + INFO

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FESTIVAL TRIALS DAY AT CHELTENHAM
SATURDAY 24 JANUARY • CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE

Excitement, anticipation and expectation is building. It is the final opportunity to see the sports protagonists go out to battle on Cheltenham Racecourse’s hallowed turf before the Cheltenham Festival. What horses will catch the eye before those four days of extraordinary in March, will we see returning champions defending their crown? Whilst anything can happen in March, Festival Trials day maybe able to give us a clearer picture.

TICKETS + INFO

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COCKLEBARROW RACES
SUNDAY 25 JANUARY • ALDSWORTH

Cocklebarrow Races returns this January and is always a brilliant family day out, whatever the weather. Expect sensible tweeds, practical footwear, terrier and pony racing, tug of war and lots of familiar faces in the heated picnic tent. 

TICKETS + INFO

​MEN BEHAVING BADLY: THE PLAY
30 JANUARY - 7 MARCH • BARN THEATRE, CIRENCESTER

Four old friends and a wedding in the morning – what could possibly go wrong? London, 31st December, 1999. Gary’s clinging to his youth, Dorothy’s had enough, Deborah’s got a plan, and Tony’s…still Tony. When resolutions clash with revelations, the gang might just prove that the real millennium bug… is them.

TICKETS + INFO
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​DOM JOLY'S SPEAKEAZY
5 FEBRUARY • STEAM & WHISTLE CHELTENHAM

Dom’s Cabaret of Curiosities will have a late-night chat show vibe with guests, music & comedy. Dom wants to provide a unique, off-beat experience and the venue – The Steam and Whistle Pub and live venue opposite Cheltenham Spa station- ticks all the boxes. The idea is to have an evening that incorporates all of Joly’s interests- music, comedy, a bit of culture and a smattering of current affairs.  

TICKETS + INFO

​SIX NATIONS AT DUNKERTONS
7 FEBRUARY - 14 MARCH • DUNKERTONS

With all the England games screened live, there's nowhere better to watch the Six Nations thank at Dunkertons. Their Taproom will be open and pouring all of your organic cider favourites and Guinness, while enjoying some unreal street food.

Saturday 7th February England V Wales 16:40
Saturday 14th February England V Scotland 16:40
Saturday 21st February England V Ireland 14:10
Saturday 7th March England V Italy 16:40
Saturday 14th March England V France 20:10

TICKETS + INFO

​BETH ORTON
12 FEBRUARY • GLOUCESTER GUILDHALL

English singer/songwriter Beth Orton has long been regarded as possessing one of the most unique and expressive voices in music – a voice that has grown evermore rich and wise over time.

With support from special guest Sam Amidon.

TICKETS + INFO

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​THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
10 - 14 FEBRUARY • EVERYMAN THEATRE, CHELTENHAM

Based on Stephen King’s 1982 novella, this thrilling stage production examines friendship and hope behind the claustrophobic bars of a maximum-security facility. The 1994 feature film was nominated for seven Academy Awards.​

TICKETS + INFO
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​GLOUCESTER V SALE SHARKS
20 FEBRUARY • KINGSHOLM

Round Nine of the Prem Rugby Cup on a Friday Night under lights at Kingsholm.

TICKETS + INFO
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​​THE RADIOHEAD PROJECT
28 FEBRUARY • CHELTENHAM TOWN HALL

The Radiohead Project is a stunning live tribute show that celebrates one of the greatest bands of all time – Radiohead. With Mercury Prize wins and multiple Grammy awards, their music has shaped the sound of modern alternative rock.

TICKETS + INFO
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​DOM JOLY'S SPEAKEAZY
5 MARCH • STEAM & WHISTLE CHELTENHAM

Dom’s Cabaret of Curiosities will have a late-night chat show vibe with guests, music & comedy. Dom wants to provide a unique, off-beat experience and the venue – The Steam and Whistle Pub and live venue opposite Cheltenham Spa station- ticks all the boxes. The idea is to have an evening that incorporates all of Joly’s interests- music, comedy, a bit of culture and a smattering of current affairs.  

TICKETS + INFO

​THE OFFICIAL CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL PREVIEW
5 MARCH • CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE

The Official Cheltenham Festival Preview has for many years provided thousands of the racing fans with valuable information in advance of the biggest four days in jump racing.

This year’s event on Thursday 5 March 2026 will include a stellar panel, brought to you by Cheltenham's new event partner, William Hill.

TICKETS + INFO
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​CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL
10 - 13 MARCH • CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE

From the energy and thrill of Champion Day, to the stylish elegance of Ladies Day, every day at Cheltenham is charged with an electric atmosphere. St Patrick's Thursday brings the joy and spirit of the Emerald Isle to life while Gold Cup Day brings the festival to a close with unforgettable drama and glory.​

TICKETS + INFO
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​GOLD CUP GALA LUNCH
13 MARCH • THE HOLLOW BOTTOM

If you're not heading to the course on Cheltenham Gold Cup Day then the next best place is the renowned racing pub, The Hollow Bottom in Guiting Power. 

The Gold Cup Gala Lunch will include a champagne cocktail or Guinness on arrival, followed by a stunning three-course lunch throughout the afternoon while the racing is shown live on the screens.

TICKETS + INFO
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​THE SLATER CUP
28 MARCH • VILLA PARK, BIRMINGHAM

Ok, so this is obviously not in the Cotswolds, but it's an incredibly important fixture. The Slater Cup, named after former Gloucester and Leicester lock Ed Slater who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in July 2022, is contested between the two teams every season across each home and away Gallagher PREM fixture.

This season, Gloucester’s leg of The Slater Cup will take place at Villa Park, Birmingham, with a capacity of over 40,000. The Cherry & Whites will join Saracens and Bristol as Clubs who will host a fixture away from their home stadium, as part of the ‘Big Game’ weekend, during Round 12 in March 2026.

TICKETS + INFO
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​GIFFORDS CIRCUS
2 APRIL - 27 SEPTEMBER • VARIOUS LOCATIONS

A staple in a Cotswolds summer, Giffords Circus returns with Waterfield, a show chosen by Red and Cecil, children of founders Nell & Toti Gifford and inspired by the English countryside and the creatures that inhabit it. It will be their most ambitious show yet, with moments that make you hold your breath and acts that will have you watching through your fingers.

The show starts in Stroud, before visiting the likes of Sudeley Castle, Blenheim Palace and many other locations during the summer months.

TICKETS + INFO
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​SEB FONTAINE
3 APRIL • THE SUB ROOMS, STROUD

As dance music has matured, so too have the custodians that keep it vibrant. Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the genre will know the name Seb Fontaine, the former BBC R1 selector who secured international acclaim as the movement exploded in the nineties and noughties.

TICKETS + INFO
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​CHELTENHAM POETRY FESTIVAL
9 - 10 APRIL • VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Cheltenham Poetry Festival offers an annual 10-day programme of exciting live literature events each spring and a year-round online programme of workshops and poetry lounges. The 2026 addition will celebrates poetry's power to enchant, entrance, and transport its readers. It will feature exciting readings, workshops and talks lined up - all of which the organisers hope, will delight and inspire you.

TICKETS + INFO
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​THE APRIL MEETING
15 - 16 APRIL • CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE

The April Meeting is a wonderful two-day meeting on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 April at the Home of Jump Racing. The Spring sunshine shining over the famous Cleeve Hill and hallowed Cheltenham turf is sure to put a spring in your step and provide a brilliant day out with high-quality racing.


TICKETS + INFO
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​FOR THE LOVE OF RUGBY
19 APRIL • CHELTENHAM TOWN HALL

Do you love rugby? Ben Youngs and Dan Cole do, and no men have played for England more times than them.

Newly retired, they’re taking their podcast to the stage, bringing you the best stories from across their careers. You can expect all the bits they’re too afraid to say in episodes, games, surprises and potentially a quiz. Why? For the love of the game.

TICKETS + INFO
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​CHELTENHAM JAZZ FESTIVAL
29 APRIL - 4 MAY • VARIOUS LOCATIONS

With the likes of David Gray, Roger Daltrey, Lulu, Tom Walker, Macy Gray, Nubya Garcia on the line-up last year, we are very excited to see who will be coming to Cheltenham for the Jazz Festival in 2026!


TICKETS + INFO
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​MEADOW FEST
1 - 3 MAY • CORNBURY PARK

Meadow Fest heads to Cornbury Park with a line-up that reads like a love letter to British farming and golden-era indie with Cast, The Fratellis, Sleeper, and Reef filling the early-season air with riffs, nostalgia, and the kind of anthems best sung with friends under an open sky.

TICKETS + INFO
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​RACE NIGHT: FEATURING ONE NIGHT IN NASHVILLE
1 MAY • CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE

The curtain comes down on the 2025/26 season with Cheltenham’s only evening fixture, and this year, they're turning up the volume! After an action-packed evening of thrilling jump racing, the party continues with One Night in Nashville – the ultimate Country music experience.

TICKETS + INFO
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​BADMINTON HORSE TRIALS
6 - 10 MAY • BADMINTON 

Across four days, the world’s top riders and their superb horses will be tested through the classic tri-phase challenge of dressage, cross-country and show jumping, drawing competitors and spectators from around the globe. 

Beyond elite sport there’s a vibrant atmosphere with over 500 trade stands, excellent hospitality, and plenty of shopping and social experiences set in the beautiful parkland grounds of the Duke of Beaufort’s estate

TICKETS + INFO
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​NICK MOHAMMED IS MR SWALLOW: SHOW PONY
20 MAY • CHELTENHAM TOWN HALL

Star of The Celebrity Traitors, Taskmaster and Ted Lasso, Nick Mohammed returns as his critically acclaimed alter-ego Mr. Swallow in the “deliriously enjoyable” (★★★★★ Guardian) Show Pony

TICKETS + INFO
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​BLENHEIM PALACE FOOD FESTIVAL
23 - 25 MAY • BLENHEIM PALACE

Get ready for a gastronomic extravaganza at Blenheim Palace Food Festival. Expect culinary thrills with a fantastic line-up of celebrity chefs and experts, amazing food and drink from gourmet delights to street food favourites, there will be something to tantalise every palate. 

Hear from celebrity Michelin star chefs in the festival kitchen, showcasing their passion with live demos and Q&A's and taste a range of delicious delights from the carefully selected food stalls, serving cuisine from all around the world. You can also discover a myriad of artisan kitchenware traders, craft brewers, farm shops and more.

TICKETS + INFO
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​WYCHWOOD FESTIVAL
29 - 31 MAY • CHELTENHAM RACECORSE

Cheltenham’s Wychwood Festival stirs up its usual magic on the racecourse, with the Kaiser Chiefs poised to deliver their trademark riot of energy. Few bands ignite a field quite like they do—big choruses, bigger smiles, and a feeling that summer has truly begun.

TICKETS + INFO
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​CHELTENHAM SCIENCE FESTIVAL
2 - 7 JUNE • VARIOUS LOCATIONS

In 2025, the Science Festival uncovered mind-blowing facts, from quantum tunnelling and the secrets of squid ink to the surprising truth that fish have legs and even what it takes to become a champion cheese chaser. We were joined by the likes of Brian Cox, Greg Foot, Maya Raichoora, Helen Czerski, Maddie Moate, Daze Aghaji, Robin Ince and more. 2026 is sure to be even bigger and better!

TICKETS + INFO
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​A JAMES BOND CONCERT SPECTACULAR
12 JUNE • CHELTENHAM TOWN HALL

Q The Music presents The James Bond Concert Spectacular, widely considered to be the finest performance of Bond music since the originals. Featuring all the hit title songs and some special cues from the scores, this is the most passionate, adrenaline-fueled and polished performance imaginable.

The evening will be hosted by Miss Moneypenny herself, who will guide you through the concert as compere, sharing the odd anecdote about her time in this legendary series.

TICKETS + INFO
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​FOREST LIVE
24 - 28 JUNE • WESTONBIRT ARBORETUM

Among the towering bark-clad giants of Westonbirt Arboretum, the beloved Forest Live series once again promises nights that feel half concert, half woodland enchantment. Richard Ashcroft will bring a voice shaped for open skies; Fatboy Slim will transform the forest floor into a glowing celebration; UB40 will drape the evening in reggae warmth; and Deacon Blue will add their blend of melody and melancholy. To hear such iconic artists beneath Westonbirt’s ancient canopy is not merely to attend a gig, it is to step into a shared moment suspended between leaves and stars.

TICKETS + INFO
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​BLENHEIM PALACE FESTIVAL
27 JUNE - 4 JULY • BLENHEIM PALACE

A new jewel joins the summer crown with the inaugural Blenheim Palace Festival, and it arrives with regal ambition. Neil Young, a master of songcraft whose music feels carved from wind and time, will stand before the palace’s grand façade. Alongside him, pop luminary Katy Perry brings technicolour spectacle, Pete Tong with his sun-soaked rhythms of Ibiza Classics, while Teddy Swims adds the velvet depth of a voice that seems to wrap itself around you. Global icon Alanis Morissette is the latest to be announced and will be joined by special guests Skunk Anansie for a summer evening destined to linger in the warm night air long after the final chord fades. Blenheim has long been a place for history; in 2026, it becomes a place for harmony too.​

TICKETS + INFO
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​CHELTENHAM MUSIC FESTIVAL
3 - 11 JULY • VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Since 1945, Cheltenham Music Festival has proudly celebrated the love of classical music in the area. With a rich and diverse programme, the Festival brings together the world’s finest musicians alongside bold new voices shaping the future of classical music.

TICKETS + INFO
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​2000 TREES
8 - 11 JULY • WITHINGTON, NR CHELTENHAM

A staple of the Cotswolds summer, 2000 Trees showcases a broad mix of rock, indie and alternative acts across multiple stages, blending established artists with exciting emerging talent. The first lineup announcement for 2026 features headline appearances from bands such as Alkaline Trio alongside performances by Glassjaw, PUP, Lambrini Girls, Dinosaur Pile-Up and many others.

TICKETS + INFO
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​WILDERNESS FESTIVAL
30 JULY - 2 AUGUST • CORNBURY PARK

Wilderness Presented By Audi 2026 is your gateway to a weekend of boundless escapism, daring adventures, and pure joy. We celebrate individuality, creativity, and the thrill of the unexpected. Whether you're seeking moments of serenity, bursts of energy, or a chance to discover new loves; Find Your Wild.

TICKETS + INFO
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​CHELTENHAM 7s FESTIVAL
31 JULY - 1 AUGUST • NEWLANDS PARK, CHELTENHAM

An explosive weekend of music, fun, and unforgettable experiences. Featuring a range of competitions for Rugby, Netball, Dodgeball, and much more during the festival, with a huge line up of talented artists, bands and DJs.

The combination of sport and music is a truly unique experience which is not to be missed. You don’t have to be taking part in the sport, to be a part of this unique event. This is not just a sports festival, it is an inclusive festival. Ideal for festivalgoers, sport lovers and families. Bringing people together through music and sport.

TICKETS + INFO
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​CHELTENHAM CRICKET FESTIVAL
8 - 24 AUGUST • CHELTENHAM COLLEGE

Cheltenham Cricket Festival returns to the stunning grounds of Cheltenham College for a bumper schedule of fixtures between Saturday 8th August to Friday 24 August 2026. 

TICKETS + INFO
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​BIG FEASTIVAL
28 - 30 AUGUST • KINGHAM

The best music, food and family weekend of the year returns to Alex James' Farm in Kingham on August Bank Holiday. This year’s early announcements include The Streets and Bastille with the full line-up dropping soon!

TICKETS + INFO
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​SALON PRIVE
2 - 6 SEPTEMBER • BLENHEIM PALACE

Get ready for five spectacular days of automotive excellence at Blenheim Palace. Following record‑breaking attendance in 2025, the 2026 edition will take place from Wednesday 2nd September to Sunday 6th September.

The Palace lawns will once again be transformed into a glamorous garden party, where extraordinary cars are showcased alongside fine dining, champagne bars and luxury shopping - creating an unforgettable celebration of style and innovation.

TICKETS + INFO
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​CORNBURY HOUSE HORSE TRIALS
9 - 13 SEPTEMBER • CORNBURY PARK

An eventing experience set amongst the beautiful woodland of the Cotswolds’ most prestigious estate. Cornbury House Horse Trials is the ideal setting to see some of the the finest young horses and riders in the country competing in dressage, cross country and show jumping across five days in September.

TICKETS + INFO
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​BLENHEIM PALACE INTERNATIONAL HORSE TRIALS
17 - 20 SEPTEMBER • BLENHEIM PALACE

Get ready for an unforgettable experience this year at Blenheim Palace! Experience four days of exhilarating eventing, including Dressage, Cross Country, and Showjumping, set against the stunning backdrop of Blenheim Palace – one of Britain’s most beautiful and historic venues.

TICKETS + INFO
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​CHELTENHAM LITERATURE FESTIVAL
9 - 18 OCTOBER • VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Cheltenham Literature Festival is the world’s longest-running literature Festival, leading the way in celebrating the written and spoken word. Each year we present the best new voices in fiction and poetry alongside literary greats, high-profile speakers and inspiring thinkers.

TICKETS + INFO
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​THE SHOWCASE
TBC • CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE

The first meeting of the season at The Home of Jump Racing. Two days of great racing to get your heart pumping for the season ahead.

TICKETS + INFO
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​CHARIOTS OF FIRE
20 -24 OCTOBER • EVERYMAN THEATRE, CHELTENHAM

Two men. One Olympic dream. One running for faith. The other to prove his worth. Based on the multi-Oscar and BAFTA -winning film, Chariots of Fire is inspired by the extraordinary true story of Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams as they strive for glory at the 1924 Paris Olympics.

TICKETS + INFO
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​PHIL WANG: UH OH
23 OCTOBER • CHELTENHAM TOWN HALL

UH OH. Phil Wang’s back with a new stand-up show, and he’s older than ever before. He’s got a moustache now. It bristles with wisdom. His eyes shine with good humour. His shoulders groan under the weight of being the only cool millennial left. Everyone’s an idiot but him. Nice is out. Right is in. The vibe shift is real. Old Wang’s riding it.

TICKETS + INFO
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​FILM CHELT
30 OCTOBER - 8 NOVEMBER • VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Established in 2025, FilmChelt is an independent film festival, run by a not for profit charity bringing an exciting programme of films and events to the heart of Cheltenham.

TICKETS + INFO
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​PROFESSOR BRIAN COX: WORLD TOUR
4 NOVEMBER • THE CENTAUR, CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE

After performing his smash-hit show ‘Horizons’ to nearly half a million people across the world, Professor Brian Cox is back with his new tour world tour Emergence.

TICKETS + INFO
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​THE NOVEMBER MEETING
TBC • CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE

The weekend starts with Countryside Day, celebrating rural life and tradition alongside top-class sport, before diving into Super Saturday, where the energy is electric, racing reaches its peak against the stunning Cotswold hills, and the post-racing celebrations raise the roof. Finally, enjoy the community spirit of Carnival Sunday, where there's something for everyone to enjoy.  

TICKETS + INFO
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​THE CHRISTMAS MEETING
TBC • CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE

Festivities start at Cheltenham for The Christmas Meeting. Don your finest Christmas jumper and enjoy two days of superb racing.

TICKETS + INFO
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As winter tightens its grip on the Cotswolds and festive lights flicker to life, our thoughts can't help but drift forward to gentler and warmer days. For all of us summer-loving folk, there is quiet optimism in the promise of a summer filled with long afternoons, cold drinks and sun-soaked fields.  Summer 2026 is already taking shape with an exceptional line-up of artists already confirmed across some of our favourite festivals and magical open-air venues.

Over in Kingham, Big Feastival prepares to turn Alex James’ farm into a vibrant tapestry of flavour, family, and song. This year’s early announcements land with a satisfying thud with The Streets and Bastille set to headline. Imagine the poetry of Mike Skinner drifting over the fields at dusk, each lyric a wry smile shared with the crowd, while Bastille’s soaring choruses rise like warm thermals into the late-August air. 

Among the towering bark-clad giants of Westonbirt Arboretum, the beloved Forest Live series once again promises nights that feel half concert, half woodland enchantment. Richard Ashcroft will bring a voice shaped for open skies; Fatboy Slim will transform the forest floor into a glowing celebration; UB40 will drape the evening in reggae warmth; and Deacon Blue will add their blend of melody and melancholy. To hear such iconic artists beneath Westonbirt’s ancient canopy is not merely to attend a gig, it is to step into a shared moment suspended between leaves and stars.

A new jewel joins the summer crown with the inaugural Blenheim Palace Festival, and it arrives with regal ambition. Neil Young, a master of songcraft whose music feels carved from wind and time, will stand before the palace’s grand façade. Alongside him, pop luminary Katy Perry brings technicolour spectacle, Pete Tong with his sun-soaked rhythms of Ibiza Classics, while Teddy Swims adds the velvet depth of a voice that seems to wrap itself around you. Global icon Alanis Morissette is the latest to be announced and will be joined by special guests Skunk Anansie for a summer evening destined to linger in the warm night air long after the final chord fades. Blenheim has long been a place for history; in 2026, it becomes a place for harmony too.

Cheltenham’s Wychwood Festival stirs up its usual magic on the racecourse, with the Kaiser Chiefs poised to deliver their trademark riot of energy. Few bands ignite a field quite like they do—big choruses, bigger smiles, and a feeling that summer has truly begun.

And in May, Meadow Fest heads to Cornbury Park with a line-up that reads like a love letter to British farming and golden-era indie with Cast, The Fratellis, Sleeper, and Reef filling the early-season air with riffs, nostalgia, and the kind of anthems best sung with friends under an open sky.

So while winter may be settled in around us, take heart. Music, glorious, sun-drenched, heart-thumping music, is already on the horizon, ready to fill the our fields and forests with song, sunshine, and celebration. Even on the coldest December day, that promise is enough to warm the soul.

Cheltenham has always had a rich cultural pulse, but over the past year, one event has quietly become the town’s must-see secret: Dom Joly’s SpeakeaZy. Equal parts cabaret, chat show, and late-night adventure, it’s an evening where music, comedy, and conversation collid, and where nothing is quite what you expect.

After a spectacular 2025, Dom Joly is back with the first SpeakeaZy dates of 2026: Thursday 15th January, Thursday 5th February, and Thursday 5th March at The Steam & Whistle. Tickets for these are on sale now.

Unlike most shows that chase the capital, SpeakeaZy was created in Cheltenham, for Cheltenham. “Curating this show in my hometown has been an absolute joy,” Joly says. “It’s thrilling to invite friends, artists, and heroes I admire to perform. I wanted to add something fresh to the town’s entertainment scene—and judging by the reaction, it’s worked!”

Every night is unique. SpeakeaZy blends tales from Dom’s three decades in showbusiness with live performances that range from the hilarious to the heartfelt. Previous guests have included stand-up icons Seann Walsh and Jenny Éclair, music from Babybird, The Bluetones, and Leisure Society, and rising stars like Tom A Smith, whom Elton John hailed as “a massive star for the future.” Local talent, too, shines on the SpeakeaZy stage, with artists such as Saint Senara bringing a distinctly Cotswolds flavour.

The show’s charm lies in its unpredictability. October’s edition featured The Rt. Hon. Alex Chalk KC, former Lord Chancellor and Cheltenham MP, delivering an unusually candid political tête-à-tête with a spirited audience. And Dom hints that 2026 will hold surprises for sports fans as well—analysis and stories you’ll never see on TV.

The venue, The Steam & Whistle, adds to the evening’s charm. Doors open at 4pm for artisan pizzas and drinks, with pizza slices available from 6pm, before the 7.30pm show. With a relaxed interval and a bar that stays open for post-show drinks, it’s the perfect night out for locals and visitors alike.

SpeakeaZy isn’t just a show, it’s a celebration of Cheltenham itself: intimate, exhilarating, and just a little bit mischievous. Whether you’re there for the music, the comedy, or just to see what might happen next, Dom Joly promises evenings you won’t forget.

Tickets for the January, February, and March dates are available HERE.

After only just waving goodbye to the warmer days of 2025, summer 2026 is already shaping up nicely with Wychwood Festival dropping its first big name.

Indie legends Kaiser Chiefs will headline Saturday night, 30th May, bringing their riotous energy (pun very much intended) to Cheltenham Racecourse for the festival’s 20th anniversary celebrations.

After its biggest-ever year in 2025, Wychwood is well and truly cemented as the Cotswolds’ ultimate summer curtain-raiser. Each year, thousands flock to the Racecourse for three glorious days of music, comedy, family fun and a few pints under the sun, and 2026 looks set to raise the bar yet again.

Headlining in the shadows of Cleeve Hill, the Kaiser Chiefs will belt out all the big ones; ‘Ruby’, ‘I Predict a Riot’, ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’ and ‘Never Miss a Beat’. Expect frontman Ricky Wilson to charm the crowd with his trademark energy and quick wit, as one of Britain’s best-loved live bands take centre stage once more.

It’s a fitting choice for a festival that knows exactly how to get a field full of families, friends and free spirits singing together. Following a record-breaking 2025 featuring Doves, James, Shed Seven and more, Wychwood has proved itself to be the little festival that punches well above its weight.

Festival Director Graeme Merifield couldn’t be more excited:

“After such an incredible milestone year in 2025, we wanted to come back with something really special. Kaiser Chiefs know how to unite a crowd and bring pure joy to a festival field — it’s going to be a moment to remember.”

With half of all camping tickets already snapped up, under-10s going free, and unbeatable weekend ticket prices, it’s clear the Wychwood faithful are ready for another unforgettable weekend.

So, dust off your wellies, gather the gang and prepare to raise a glass to 20 years of one of the friendliest, most feel-good festivals in the country.

Wychwood Festival 2026 takes place 29th–31st May at Cheltenham Racecourse.

Priority tickets are available from 10am, Thursday 16th October, before the general sale at 10am Friday 17th October.

www.wychwoodfestival.com/buy-tickets

Cheltenham has never been short of cultural offerings, but every now and again something new comes along that immediately feels like it belongs. Since its launch in April, Dom Joly’s SpeakeaZy has become one of the town’s most sought-after nights out. Part cabaret, part comedy, part live music, the monthly show has sold out every date so far, creating a buzz that has spread well beyond Gloucestershire.

Now, with summer behind us, Joly has confirmed the final three dates for 2025; Thursday 2nd October, Thursday 6th November, and Thursday 4th December, each hosted at The Steam & Whistle, Cheltenham’s newly refurbished Victorian pub by the station. 

A Homegrown Hit

SpeakeaZy is very much Joly’s love letter to his hometown. Known nationally for the outrageous stunts of Trigger Happy TV, here he offers something more personal: an evening that blends sharp humour with live performances and candid conversations. Each night feels spontaneous and unrepeatable, with stories from Joly’s thirty years in showbusiness woven together with appearances from an eclectic line-up of guests.

The format is fluid. A typical show might feature Joly sharing tales from his travels, chatting with a guest about their own journey, then handing the stage over to a stand-up comic or a rising musician. The result is a night that feels intimate, informal, and brimming with character.

A Guest List Full of Surprises

The mystery surrounding the performers is part of the thrill. Audiences have already been treated to the anarchic humour of Seann Walsh, the sharp wit of Jenny Éclair, and the raw talent of Tom A. Smith, hailed by Elton John as a future star. Beyond that, the names remain under wraps, keeping anticipation high and speculation even higher.

The Steam & Whistle

The choice of venue has been central to the show’s success. The Steam & Whistle, a short walk from Cheltenham Spa station, offers an ideal backdrop with its atmospheric basement space for 200 guests. Intimate yet vibrant, it allows the audience to feel part of the action. The courtyard provides a place to gather before the show, while the artisan pizzas and excellent drinks menu have quickly become part of the experience.

Independent venues like this are rare, and SpeakeaZy makes full use of everything it has to offer. It is live entertainment at its most unfiltered, supported by a team who understand the value of keeping things local and distinctive.

Trigger Happy turns 25

2025 also marks the 25th anniversary of Trigger Happy TV, the hidden-camera series that first propelled Joly into the spotlight. To celebrate, he is taking a new Trigger Happy show on tour across the UK, with dates in London, Birmingham, and beyond.

Dom Joly’s SpeakeaZy: Final 2025 Dates

Thursday 2nd October
Thursday 6th November
Thursday 4th December at

The Steam & Whistle, Cheltenham

TICKETS: https://www.domjoly.tv/dom-jolys-speakeazy

Artisan pizzas & bar from 5pm last pizza orders 6.50pm, show starts 7.30pm, bars stay open after the show. Please note seating is SpeakeaZy style, first come first serve so arrive early

​There are weekends that pass without incident, and then there are weekends that feel like they ought to be chiselled into the walls of the Cheese Hub as a reminder of why we endure the long English winter. The Big Feastival, once again, delivered the latter. Under skies that behaved themselves with uncharacteristic good manners, Alex James' farm became a sun-dappled playground for music, food, drink, and more happy faces than one field should reasonably contain. Quite simply, it was the best weekend of the year.

​Friday got off to a start that was both nostalgic and effervescent. Scouting For Girls bounded onto the stage with the sort of energy that made you forget that their heyday had supposedly passed. They had the crowd onside instantly, and by the time Rizzle Kicks took over, the field was bouncing like it was 2011 all over again. The duo reminded us what pop-rap sounds like when it’s fun, cheeky, and completely unpretentious. It was a perfect opening salvo; big smiles, bigger choruses, and the first hint that this weekend was going to be special.

Saturday leaned into pure indie nostalgia. The Pigeon Detectives transported us back to 2007, when jeans were tighter, haircuts were sharper, and indie disco ruled the night. Their set was a joyful reminder that guitars, when deployed with enough northern swagger, are still capable of lifting a crowd to euphoric heights. Tom Walker followed, and if the Pigeons were all youthful abandon, Walker brought heart and heft. His voice soaring over the farm, rich and gravelly, commanding the sort of hushed reverence that only a proper singer-songwriter can conjure. Then came The Wombats, who brought chaos, colour, and choruses sharp enough to slice the night in two. It was the sort of set that demanded you dance, sing, and then immediately Google when they’re next touring. Faithless’ headline set was electric and was beautifully capped by a poignant tribute to maxi Jazz during “Insomnia” that turned the field into a mid-nineties dancefloor. 

In among all of this, over in the Cheese Hub, James Buckley, Simon Pegg, and Woody Smith spun awesome DJ sets that felt like the ultimate afterparty in the middle of the day, chaotic and brilliant in equal measure.

The final day included Caity Baser, the rising star of pop, who brought a breezy confidence that felt perfectly pitched for a Sunday afternoon. Then, as the sun dipped low over the Cotswold hills, Travis took to the stage. There are moments at festivals that transcend the ordinary, and this was one of them. As Fran Healy’s voice floated across the fields with "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?", the irony was not lost, we’d been gifted pretty much flawless weather all weekend. It was spine-tingling, communal, and utterly unforgettable. To close, Alex James’ Britpop Classical wrapped the weekend with sweeping strings, guest appearances from some stars of the time, including a trip back in time with Parklife and Phil Daniels, and a celebration of the genre that made him famous. It was both tongue-in-cheek and grandiose, a fitting curtain call on a festival that understands how to end with style.

Of course, The Big Feastival is as much about food as it is music, and 2025 did not disappoint. Poor Boys’ shrimp and chicken mixed box was an unashamed crowd-pleaser among our group: smoky, spicy, crunchy, and entirely addictive. The Bab House won many a heart with their birria tacos, a messy, glorious indulgence which we waited all weekend to enjoy. Banquet 1415 brought a piece Argentina to the Cotswolds with their grilled meats, smoky and succulent in a way that would make a gaucho weep with pride. And then there were the burgers from local boys Smiths; juicy, towering creations that proved once again that simple can be incredibly delicious.

The drinks side of things was equally well covered. The Cotswolds Distillery kept us cool and just the right side of merry with their gin slushies. Cold, sharp, and refreshing, they were the unofficial currency of the weekend, clutched in both hands as we meandered back and forth to the main stage and street food stalls. It was the kind of drink that made you wonder why anyone ever bothers with lager.

But beyond the music, the food, and the drink, what really makes The Big Feastival the highlight of the year is its atmosphere. It is, quite simply, for everyone. Toddlers danced in ear defenders, parents swayed with gin in hand, teenagers screamed the words to songs that their parents had introduced them to last week, and the veterans of Glastonbury past nodded approvingly at how civilised the whole affair has become. It is joy distilled into a weekend, with the added bonus that it’s just ten minutes down the road for those of us lucky enough to call this part of the world home.

And that luck is not to be underestimated. For all the talk of acts and eats, the quiet hero of the weekend is Alex James himself. To open his farm, year after year, to tens of thousands of revellers, and to curate an event that manages to be both a world-class festival and a neighbourly gathering, is no small feat. We should be grateful, not just for the music and the food, but for the spirit of generosity and community that underpins it all. Without him, our August bank holiday would be infinitely poorer.

So, what can be said of The Big Feastival 2025? That it was sunlit, spirited, and satisfying in every possible way. That it reminded us why festivals matter: because they bring us together, make us dance, feed us well, and send us home happier than when we arrived. It was, in short, everything you’d hope for from the best weekend of the year. And until next August rolls around, we’ll all be quietly humming Wombats choruses, craving birria tacos, and wondering if gin slushies can be made at home.

Early Bird tickets for Big Feastival 2026 are on sale now - bigfeastival.com

This autumn, Cheltenham will once again become the beating heart of the literary world as The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival returns from 10 - 19 October. For ten days, more than four hundred events will fill the Regency town with the voices of celebrated novelists, poets, historians, political thinkers, chefs, comedians, actors and musicians, alongside the most exciting new talent in publishing. Now in its eighth decade, the Festival remains the world’s longest-running celebration of the written and spoken word. This year continues its Read the World theme, bringing together international voices both in person and online to explore some of the most pressing issues of our time, from the reach of big tech and the fate of free press in Afghanistan to breakthroughs in longevity research and the shifting boundaries between sickness and health.

Familiar literary greats will share the stage with fresh and trailblazing voices. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will receive The Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence and discuss her decade-in-the-making novel Dream Count. Ian McEwan will present his speculative new work What We Can Know, and audiences will hear from celebrated international authors including Sayaka Murata, Bora Chung and Andrew Walden. Closer to home, Richard Osman returns with the fifth instalment of The Thursday Murder Club, Mick Herron delivers another twist-laden spy story, and Jojo Moyes explores the chaos of family life in We All Live Here. The relaunch of the much-loved Big Read will unite book lovers around British-Cambodian author Kaliane Bradley’s acclaimed debut The Ministry of Time, while the Festival’s New Voices programme introduces this year’s most talked-about debuts and the ever-popular proof parties offer a tantalising preview of next year’s literary stars.

The Festival has always been about more than books, and this year is no exception. The Nook on Five, Cheltenham’s rooftop restaurant, will host dining experiences with Nigel Slater and Matt Tebbutt and an afternoon with The Times food critic and columnist Giles Coren and Esther Walker who will be doing a live recording of their hit podcast Giles Coren Has No Idea. Dunkertons Taproom will provide a lively mix of spoken word, music, tastings and debates. Art lovers can look forward to Martin Parr in conversation, David Shrigley’s singular take on creativity, and Andrew Graham-Dixon’s fresh insights into Vermeer. History enthusiasts can immerse themselves in Tudor intrigue with Tracy Borman, explore the legacy of D-Day with Max Hastings, or reflect on the Silk Roads with Peter Frankopan. The Times food critic and columist Giles Coren and Esther Walker will be doing a live recording of their hit podcast Giles Coren Has No Idea, where audiences can watch the couple's hilarious kitchen routine unfold.

For families, the Return to Wonderland programme will enchant visitors with free storytelling, arts and crafts and the chance to meet the Mad Hatter in celebration of 160 years of Alice in Wonderland. Comic workshops, a new Comic Corner and the youth-focused VOICEBOX stage, offering a free programme for audiences aged 18 to 30, reflect the Festival’s commitment to accessibility and inspiration across generations. Meanwhile, conversations on current affairs promise to be as lively as ever, with Nick Clegg, Jens Stoltenberg, Cass Sunstein and Saad Mohseni among those addressing AI, geopolitics, ageing, masculinity and media manipulation. The 10th anniversary of Brexit will be marked with reflections on the forces that shaped it, while debates on democracy, identity politics and the shifting global order will offer fresh perspectives.

Classic literature will be celebrated with events marking Jane Austen’s 250th birthday and reappraisals of D.H. Lawrence, while Michael Morpurgo reflects on a lifetime of storytelling. Amy Jeffs will blend live music, illustration and myth in a reimagining of British ballads. Food and drink will be woven throughout the programme, from Tim Siadatan’s Tuscan-inspired dinner with Amber Guinness to Julia Bradbury’s health-focused dining event, and from Indian culinary explorations with Roopa Gulati and Romy Gill to an artisan cheese and cider pairing with Michael Finnerty and Dunkertons’ Alistair Duncan.

Lifestyle events will see Katie Piper and Caroline Hirons discuss redefining beauty standards, Mary Portas share her retail revolution, and Carol Klein offer gardening wisdom. Sporting legends Mark Cavendish, Bradley Wiggins, Mike Atherton and Ebony Rainford-Brent will reflect on their careers, while travel tales will come from Michael Palin’s journey through Venezuela and Sophie Elmhirst’s true story of love, shipwreck and survival. Memoir will be well represented, with Sebastian Faulks’ reflections on post-war Britain, Jung Chang’s long-awaited sequel to Wild Swans, and candid accounts from Penny Lancaster and Tulisa Contostavlos. Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason and her children will discuss music and identity, and Ed Davey will shed light on the realities of caregiving.

Science and nature will also have their moment, with Sir Tim Berners-Lee telling the story of the World Wide Web, Tim Spector exploring the benefits of fermented foods, and Lara Lewington and Charlotte Blease examining AI’s potential in healthcare. Nature lovers can enjoy Hamza Yassin’s wildlife adventures, Chloe Dalton’s lyrical Raising Hare, and Tristan Gooley’s guide to reading the natural world. Poetry will be celebrated through Simon Armitage’s first major collection in eight years, Billy Collins’ evening of wit and tenderness, and Antony Szmierek’s blend of spoken word and music. Entertainment will include live podcasts, comedy sets and music events, from Mark Kermode’s deep dive into film scores to punk retrospectives.

The town itself will transform during the Festival. Beyond ticketed events, over 30% of the programme is free, including locally sourced bookshop crawls, drop-in family activities in The Wild Wood, and live Times Radio broadcasts from the Festival Village. Visitors can browse the BBC Audiobooks tent, discover charitable initiatives in the Benefact Group Lounge, or simply soak up the atmosphere among fellow lovers of words. The Festival’s impact extends far beyond October, with its Literature for Schools programme inspiring over 12,000 pupils each year and a special 80th anniversary campaign aiming to bring cultural joy to 80,000 children, a target already halfway met.

Booking for the Festival opens to Cheltenham Festivals Members on Thursday 28th August and public booking opens on Thursday 4th September.  

www.cheltenhamfestivals.org
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​Read The Digital Brochure HERE

As British institutions go, few embody the spirit of refined celebration quite like Salon Privé. With its unique blend of motoring heritage, luxury lifestyle, and sartorial distinction, the event has come to define the modern English garden party with an immaculate blend of classic cars, cutting-edge supercars, Champagne flutes, silk pocket squares and plenty of good conversation.

Returning from 27–31 August 2025, the UK’s most prestigious five-day automotive gathering will mark its 20th anniversary within the resplendent grounds of Blenheim Palace in characteristically spectacular fashion.

This year’s event promises the most dazzling edition yet. Expect everything from pre-war grand tourers to the latest hypercars, alongside world-class brands like Boodles, Pommery, Qatar Executive and Gatineau. The newly introduced Salon Privé Gallery, a refined atrium-style pavilion overlooking the lawns, will offer guests a shaded, luxurious vantage point without losing the party’s famously relaxed elegance.

The Week at a Glance

Wednesday 27 August
The Salon Privé Concours presented by Aviva Private Clients opens the show with a parade of the rare and remarkable. From grand tourers to Le Mans legends, each car is meticulously judged by an international panel.

Thursday 28 August 
Concours day two sees the presentation of awards, the Concours Parade and an air of quiet prestige. It’s the perfect setting for collectors and casual admirers alike to get up close with automotive masterpieces — all while enjoying a glass of something cold and a view of something beautiful.

Friday 29 August 
One of the most anticipated days of the Season. Ladies’ Day brings elegance centre stage, as guests step out in summer finery for a chic garden party unlike any other. The Boodles Best Hat competition adds a touch of playful glamour, while a 20-year celebration of the Bugatti Veyron, a showcase of contemporary supercars and highlights from the Blenheim GT Tour ensure the cars remain just as eye-catching as the attire.

Saturday 30 August
With more than 1,500 sports, super and hyper cars descending on Blenheim’s grounds, the Salon Privé Club Trophy presented by Lockton is a celebration of passion, engineering and private motoring enthusiasm at its most vibrant. The family-friendly atmosphere offers something for every generation — whether you're into carbon fibre or chrome bumpers.

Sunday 31 August
New for 2025, Supercar Lifestyle Club Day caps off the week in suitable splendour. Mixed-marque and single-marque clubs alike display their best alongside the debut of the Concours de Vente, a judged exhibition where every car is for sale. For collectors, it’s an opportunity. For the rest of us, it’s a dream in polished metal.

Whether you come for one day or all five, Salon Privé offers an experience tailored to your taste. Tickets start from £55, with luxury hospitality options available up to £645 for those seeking the full five-star experience.

To purchase tickets to Salon Privé visit www.salonpriveconcours.com or to enter your vehicle into the Concours, complete an application at www.salonpriveconcours.com/apply-to-enter

Each summer, Big Feastival transforms Alex James's Cotswold farm into a heady weekend of live music, incredible food, and family-friendly mischief. But this year, it’s not just back, it’s back with strings attached. Whether you’re a foodie, a music lover, or just someone who enjoys cheese with your dancefloor, here are five unmissable highlights at this year’s Big Feastival.

​WOODLAND DINNERS AND FIRE PIT FEASTS 

Dining is a serious affair here. The Big Kitchen plays host to culinary royalty, with Raymond Blanc (Friday), Simon Rimmer (Saturday) and Si King (Sunday) cooking up a storm in front of live audiences. For those in search of more immersive indulgence, Fire Pit Feasts and Lazy Lunches by Ben Quinn promise four-course revelry under canvas, with smoke, fire and finesse in equal measure.

Thursday’s Woodland Feasts will see intimate gatherings amidst the trees, serving up Cotswold-reared beef and James’ own Blue Monday cheese, a nod to terroir and tradition alike. Meanwhile, a brand-new BBQ Cook School invites budding firemasters to get hands-on with the grill, while Little Cooks with Prept keeps younger chefs entertained, informed and very well fed.
​

THE CHEESE HUB

As dusk falls, the party continues. What began as a quirky tent filled with Alex James’ cheeses has become one of the festival’s hottest nightspots. The Cheese Hub returns with a DJ line-up that’s equal parts nostalgic and wildly entertaining: Simon Pegg, James Buckley, Chris Stark, Edith Bowman and more. 
​
One of our highlights from last year was Woody Cook who returns again to The Cheese Hub on the Sunday. 
​

STREET FOOD, OBVIOUSLY 

We don't know another music festival where the food as just as popular as the music, but Feastival absolutely nails both. What sets Big Feastival’s street food scene apart is not just the quantity, but the quality.

Whether you're craving something charred, spiced, slow-smoked or plant-based, there’s something for every palate and enough variety to make even the most indecisive eater deeply content. From bao to brisket, ramen to roti, it's a global tour of bold flavours without having to leave the farm.

​THE BIG TOP

The Big Top returns as the beating heart of Big Feastival’s family fun and a vibrant hub packed with entertainment and activities for younger festivalgoers.

It's the place ypu will find Barrioke, an hour-long sing-a-long with Eastenders star Shaun Williamson. Highlights for 2025 include School of Beatbox, Mad Science Live, Little Yogi Festival Flow and Ninja Masters, promising music, movement and interactive learning. New for 2025, kids will also get to enjoy the world’s biggest bouncy castle, which will be on site for the first time.

Across the weekend, families can enjoy live shows from favourites like MC Grammar, Evie Pickerill, The Marvellous Myth Hunters and Bubblemania. Big Feastival will also welcome back children’s TV legend Justin Fletcher, Strictly star Oti Mabuse, and introduce the daring thrills of Chris Bullzini’s High Wire – a jaw-dropping spectacle high above the festival fields. This year also sees the biggest comedy line-up in the festival’s history including Lucy Beamont, Lou Sanders & Bridget Christie to name a few.


The Big Feastival takes place on Alex James' Farm in Kingham from Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th August 2025.

bigfeastival.com

There was a time when the pub was where Britain happened. Arguments were settled in the car park or over a game of darts and spilled beer, lifelong friendships were forged and local legends born.

Yet, somewhere between lockdown number whatever and the first delivery of warm Sauvignon Blanc to your doorstep, you started gradually forgetting about that pub or bar that you once frequented every Friday or Saturday night. And that's it really, we've allowed the pub, the heartbeat of the town or village, the nation's living room to wither while we guzzle chicken wine in our pyjamas and half-watch the kind of telly that we used to go to the pub to avoid, while scrolling through TikTok and Instagram.

It’s been happening for years, of course. The spreadsheets will tell you it's the rise in cost of living, or healthier lifestyles, or the price of beer, or the rise of Deliveroo. And they’re all a bit right, but none of them are quite it. The truth is, we let it happen quietly, politely, as only the British can by choosing convenience over community. And yet, somehow, when these places have truly gone, we feel it. That big aching space where life used to happen.

And a pub, a real pub, is not about the drink. It never has been. It’s about people. It's the somewhere to go when you’ve nowhere else to be. It’s about knowing that the world still spins, that someone remembers how you like your pint, that someone will look up and nod when you walk in.

But here's the twist. Things are starting to change.

There’s a new kind of pub resurgence taking place. Not a PR campaign from the soulless arms of corporate chains who think that putting “Craft” in front of lager makes it a revolution, but in the hands of chefs and locals who get it. Yes, actual chefs. The ones who once did 90 hour weeks cooking rabbit saddle in Michelin-starred kitchens, now turning up in small villages and towns to bring the boozer back to life.

Let's take The Hollow Bottom in Guiting Power as an example. A racing hotspot. A local legend, in fact. A place where jockeys (on their days off), trainers, stable staff, gamblers, and gentry would stand side by side screaming at one of the two televisions showing the races. And then the lease changed and so did the pub. This was followed a big brewery not understanding its heritage and then in May, like so many pubs in the UK, it closed. 

A couple of months on it's back open, with top chefs Nathan Eades and Liam Goff at the helm, the duo responsible for bringing The Halfway in Kineton back to life in 2023 and more recently putting The Horse and Groom in Bourton on the Hill back on the culinary map with a Bib Gourmand in their first six months of opening. In fact it's just open, but singing, literally. There were over 400 locals there on the night of their "soft launch" last week enjoying the music from local heroes Andrew James and John Neild, the owner of Splash Of Ginge who has a lager named after him in the pub.

And all it needed was someone to give a damn, not just about the pub but its heritage and locals too. 

The horse racing memorabilia, some saved from the skip, has been reinstated to the walls. The food is comforting but clever. The drinks are local but lush with Deya Steady Rolling Man, Hook Norton and North Cotswold ales on the taps and a bar you lean on like an old friend. There's a two-hour happy hour every day for the farmers and stable staff that finish work at 4pm in the winter or are rained off in the summer and a TV showing live sport.

The Hollow Bottom isn’t just a comeback story. It’s a blueprint. Because the pub is not dead, it just needs people who care on both sides of the bar.

Just in the last couple of weeks, Cheltenham has seen two new openings too.

The Beehive, nestled into the pretty Montpellier quarter, was always a popular pub. It's where I, and many others who live far from Cornwall, discovered Rattler. Never again. And then it closed. 

Weeks later it flung its doors back open with new Executive Chef Tom Rains (formerly of The Daffodil and No.3 in town) and new General Manager Richard Shakeshaft (formerly of, oh, The Beehive and back for his second stint) and a bold new vision for what proper pub food should be. 

The Beehive isn’t reinventing the wheel. It’s about making sure the wheel has good tread, rolls smooth, and pairs beautifully with Chef Tom's Pie of the Day, mashed potato and gravy. They have kept the same previous soul with classics on the menu. Nothing too shouty or flashy, just a real kind of pub that feels like a pub, with hearty food, proper ales and decent wines.

You go to The Beehive and remember why pubs matter. Because everyone’s there from young to old, professionals to trades persons, all mix well in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere with a drink in hand.

Away from pubs but something equally important is Parler, Cheltenham's new high-fidelity listening bar. There are no pork scratchings or dart boards, but it plays the same role with community, atmosphere and connection at its heart.

Think turntables, vinyl and cocktails that feel like they've been stirred by Marvin Gaye himself. You walk in to Parler and the world goes quiet except for the music. It’s the kind of bar Tokyo has been perfecting for 30 years, and now we’ve now got one on our doorstep that offers beautiful beer brews from the awesome folk at Deya and flaky, golden pastries and small plates from La Boulangerie Artisan.

And all of this matters.

Because this isn’t just about pints, cocktails and "Chef Tom's" pies. It’s about community. It’s about having a place to go when you’re toasting another orbit around the sun, or celebrating a new job, or when you just want somewhere to sit quietly with a pint of Guinness and watch the rugby. It’s where you meet people you wouldn’t swipe right on. Where you talk to strangers. It's where life happens, unfiltered.

Even Jeremy Clarkson, he of farming and petrol gets it. His Farmer's Dog pub has been open for nearly a year and has been heaving since day one. He’s not doing it for kicks, he’s doing it to create a community of people coming to his pub, to support the locals who contribute to his menu and to sell his own Hawkstone beer, of course. 

We need to support them. Not once a year for a Christmas pint. But regularly. We take friends. We try the new place. Rain or shine. And we don't complain about the prices like it's still 1995. Because these pubs and bars can’t exist on sentiment alone. They need us, and we need them.

Tucked away just off the familiar rhythms of Cheltenham’s town centre, Parler™ opens its doors on Monday 28th July and with it, ushers in something altogether more refined, more deliberate, and infinitely more soulful.

It is a café, yes but also a bar, a listening room, and a quietly radical act of hospitality. The kind that doesn’t shout for your attention, but earns it the moment the needle hits the groove. Parler is the kind of place that feels both beautifully new and curiously familiar, as though it has always been there, waiting for you to stumble into it on a slow Tuesday morning or an amber-lit Friday night. A place where the coffee is as considered as the cocktails, and where the soundtrack isn’t just background noise, but part of the conversation.

Born from the vision of friends with an eye for detail and an ear for music, Parler is a gentle collision of cultures and eras: vintage Parisian café charm meets classic cocktail bar elegance, filtered through the grit and casual cool of a modern urban taproom. Yet it doesn’t cling to nostalgia. There’s something resolutely contemporary about it- British in its understated confidence, but with knowing nods to the jazz kissas of post-war Tokyo, where records were revered and conversations soft. The interior is a quietly cinematic scene: mid-century furniture that looks lifted from a Milanese architect’s living room, tropical greenery breathing life into corners, and street art murals that give just the right amount of irreverence. It’s all bound together by craftsmanship; bespoke cabinetry made by local artisans and hand-thrown ceramics by Cheltenham’s own Megan Burridge, and a custom vinyl sound system built not to impress, but to seduce.

And then there’s the menu, which reads like a greatest hits of independent excellence. Flaky, golden pastries and small plates from La Boulangerie Artisan are served alongside cult cocktails by Four Cats, with a micro taproom pouring fresh brews from local craft beer   heroes Deya. Wines come courtesy of Hackney’s Modest Merchant, all natural, expressive, and refreshingly unpretentious, while the coffee from Elsewhere in Deptford arrives as single estate and roasted with a near-academic level of precision. But it’s not just the flavours that feel curated; it’s the ethos behind them. Parler doesn’t just source, it collaborates. It elevates the local, favours the sustainable, and always finds beauty in the well-made.

Of course, what sets Parler apart most of all is the music. This isn’t a venue with a playlist; it’s a venue for the playlist. The kind of place where a rare Ethiopian jazz record might drift out of the speakers in the morning, followed by a touch of ambient soul at lunch, and deep, dubby grooves as the evening takes shape. DJs are present, but never performative and less about working the room, more about guiding its tempo. The first residency features Bristol’s More Soup DJs, whose sets blend lost soul, ambient jazz and the sort of vinyl treasures that haven’t seen the light of Spotify. It’s all part of a broader philosophy: that music is something to sit with, to taste, to remember. Not loud, not brash but just beautifully present.

At its core, Parler is a social space designed for slowness. Not in a sleepy or smug way, but in a way that feels almost rebellious in 2025. The name itself “Parler,”, to speak, invites conversation, and the atmosphere makes room for it. It harks back to a time when cafés weren’t coworking spaces, bars weren’t battlegrounds for attention, and music was more than a backdrop. Parler isn’t chasing trends, nor is it trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it’s doing something much harder: creating a place you’ll want to return to, again and again, because it makes you feel something.

When it opens on July 28th, Parler won’t be shouting about itself. It won’t need to. You’ll hear it in the music, taste it in the coffee, see it in the detail, and feel it in the air. And once you do, you’ll wonder how Cheltenham ever managed without it.

FOLLOW PARLER ON INSTAGRAM

40 Clarence Street, Cheltenham GL50 3NX​

After three sell out shows since Dom Joly’s Speakeazy started in April this year, the next two Speakeazy dates with a Dom Joly exclusive for Cheltenham have been announced at The Steam and Whistle Pub.

Not only will there be some incredible guests appearing, but ahead of Dom’s 25th Anniversary Trigger Happy Live Nation UK tour later this year, Dom thought it would be fun to give Cheltenham a very special sneak peak of Trigger Happy, a trip down memory lane and some exclusive content from the forthcoming UK tour. 

FRIDAY 8th August 
THURSDAY 11th September

What started off as a whimsical idea has come true

Dom Joly’s Speakeazy appears to have been a massive success with Cheltonians, and he couldn’t be happier. The opportunity to curate a regular mystery night out in his hometown has been both amazing fun and an incredible privilege for him.

“I set out to curate Dom Joly’s Speakeazy to host big name guests like Jenny Éclair alongside emerging new talent like the extraordinary Tom A Smith whom Elton John described as “a massive star for the future.” Dom is also keen to support local talent and is on the look-out for interesting Cheltonian artists. “I want to support a wide range of acts, both in content and in age and across the whole spectrum of show business.

The feedback has been fantastic with all the shows sold out so far and demand for future ones off the charts.

Dom and the team have listened to regulars of the show and have slightly decreased the ticket capacity to make the experience more enjoyable. SpeakeaZy is driven by Dom’s wicked sense of fun along with his impeccable music taste. He adores curating the evenings so that SpeakeaZers never know what’s coming next. This Cabaret of Curiosities ranges from Dom’s tales of thirty extraordinary years stumbling through showbusiness, outrageous comedy characters, incredible music and of course, surprises…lots of surprises.

August & September exclusive

“What with this being the 25th anniversary of Trigger Happy TV, it’s a massively busy year for me, but for the next couple of shows prior to my UK tour I thought it might be fun to to give Cheltenham at our SpeakeaZy a very special sneak peak of Trigger Happy, a trip down memory lane and some exclusive content from the forthcoming shows on my 25th Anniversary Trigger Happy UK tour.

So, the August and September Speakeazys will have a decidedly Trigger Happy TV theme to them and as news builds outside of Cheltenham about this incredibly popular night more names are set to join me on stage. We’ve moved the August date from a usual Thursday to a Friday to fit in with a particular name! But as always, you’ll have to wait to find out on the night!

Tickets are on sale now - www.domjoly.tv/dom-jolys-speakeazy

Radio 2 DJ and all-round music legend Jo Whiley will be bringing her 90s Anthems to Dunkertons on Saturday 20th September.

She will bring you all the best tracks from the greatest decade for music. Think Blur vs Oasis, Fatboy Slim, Primal Scream, The Verve, The Chemical Brothers, Faithless, The Prodigy and a whole lot more.

Jo Whiley is quite simply the ultimate authority on British music – and the voice and face of a generation. Jo is headed your way with a dazzling new show as she rummages through her record bag to dig out the very best of 90s Anthems.

No-one knows the 90s like Jo – she was right there on the cutting-edge, leading the charge as Britpop blew up, dance music exploded and indie went wild.

Now you can relive those magical memories on a dancefloor once again with the queen of the 90's. Let Jo take you on a personal tour of her finest musical memories of the decade that defined them all.

You can find all the info and tickets HERE.

One of our favourite things at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival is the incredible free "around town" events that take place across various venues in the town.

This dynamic programme showcases an exciting mix of performances, from intimate pop-up shows in pubs and bars to vibrant acts in unexpected spaces around town. With 70+ artists, it’s your chance to discover fresh talent, support emerging artists and maybe even catch a future headliner.

The venues include The Free Stage on the festival site, Bottle of Sauce, Smokey Joes, The Queens, Hotel du Vin, The Tavern, The Brewery Quarter, John Lewis, and the Imperial Garden Bar.

For the full day-to-day line-ups, visit www.cheltenhamfestivals.org/our-projects/around-town/cheltenham-jazz-festival-around-town

​In partnership with Visit Cheltenham
www.visitcheltenham.com

After a sell-out first Cabaret of Curiosities last week, multi-award-winning comedian, and Cheltenham resident, Dom Joly has added some new dates at The Steam and Whistle Pub in Cheltenham

The next dates are:

Thursday 1st May

Thursday 5th June

Thursday 3rd July

The 230 deep crowd enjoyed a performance from the "You're Gorgeous" famed 90s rockers Babybird and the brilliantly funny French comedian Marcel Lucont.

The Speakeazy is recorded for a podcast, with a mission to not only shine a light of local talent but invite bands he loves to do unplugged sets as well as a series of top mystery guests that, with the help of the audience, he will interview on stage. 

You can find all the information and ticket links HERE and photos from the first show below.