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Elgar Festival 2025: Sat 24th May - Sun 1st June

ESO
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Cathedral and bridge
Young Singers cropped
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Malverns
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E4E Youth at the Elgar Festival
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© Michael Whitefoot
© Michael Whitefoot
Elgar Festival event
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© Michael Whitefoot
Festival Chorus concert
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Booking now open!

Building on the success of previous years, the 2025 Festival themed ‘Celebrate with Elgar’ will run from Saturday 24th May to Sunday 1st June and promises 9 days packed with events that do just that! We’ll celebrate great music-making, our natural environment, young musicians, diversity, the music of today as well as music of the past, historic buildings, community and participation. 

Highlights include Elgar’s Symphony No. 2 and John Ireland’s thrilling oratorio ‘These Things Shall Be’ performed by world-renowned English Symphony Orchestra and joined by the 2025 festival chorus on Sat 31 May in Worcester Cathedral. There are further performances by English String and Chamber Orchestras, recitals by world renowned performers Raphael Wallfisch, David Briggs and April Fredrick, several participatory events including ‘Come and Play Elgar 1’ and a Young Singers Masterclass. The ever-popular family concert returns hosted by Classic FM’s Zeb Soanes including the winning pieces of our Young Composers’ Competition, and we celebrate the work and 70th birthday of Worcester’s finest living composer Ian Venables. 

There are several free events, relaxed concerts, an exhibition, choral events, a film screening, Q and As, a guided walk, a new performance partnership with students from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and a Club Elgar event.

Elgar really is for everyone!

Find Out What's On in 2025

Celebrate Great Music Making

It’s a week of music making with one of the nation’s finest orchestras, Worcester’s own English Symphony Orchestra, at its heart. Every year we celebrate the artistry of some of today’s greatest musicians in performances of music by Edward Elgar and a diverse group of outstanding composers of today and yesterday.

Celebrate Young People

Over 150 young musicians aged 5-21 are participating in our Elgar for Everyone Family Concert hosted by Zeb Soanes, working under the guidance of the musicians of the English Symphony Orchestra

 

Young Composers’ Competition judged by Ian Venables and Eric McEloroy

 

Young Singers’ Master Class with April Fredrick and Ian Venables

 

Young Artists’ Showcase Concerts in partnership with Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Julian Lloyd Webber

Celebrate Our Natural Environment

A guided hike across Elgar’s beloved Malvern Hills

 

Explore the tranquil grounds of The Firs, Elgar’s Birthplace

 

Walk the banks of the Severn River where Elgar found so much inspiration while fishing and visiting with friends.

Celebrate our Historic Buildings

Concerts, exhibitions and events in some of the Midlands’ most beautiful buildings, including Worcester Cathedral, Worcester Guildhall, St George’s Church, Malvern Priory, Huntingdon Hall and the Royal Porcelain Works

Celebrate our Musical Traditions

The Elgar Festival is a celebration of the life and music of Britain’s greatest composer, Sir Edward Elgar, in the city of his birth.

 

Through Elgar, we celebrate Britain as a nation of music, culture and art, and recognise the achievements of British composers of all generations, genres and backgrounds.

 

We celebrate the unique tradition of British orchestral music making, shaped by composers and conductors like Elgar, which has made Britain a world leader in recording and performance.

Celebrate the music of Today

We celebrate the 70th birthday of Worcester’s greatest living composer, Ian Venables, who serves as visiting composer for 2025. Venables’ music will be featured throughout the festival and he will be participating in talks, masterclasses and outreach events.

 

Other leading composers of our time include Peter Fribbins and Eric McElroy

Celebrate Diversity

We reach beyond the traditional concert hall to embrace all musical cultures and genres, and to celebrate the creativity of composers and performers of all races, genders and backgrounds, including Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Ruth Gipps, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Amy Bebbington, Joanna Forbes L’ Estrange, Elizabeth Poston, Olivia Sparkhall and Errollyn Wallen

Celebrate Community

Elgar’s music brings together thousands of community members. Our ethos and our mottos is Elgar for Everyone, and EVERYONE can be a part of our celebration of Elgar through the Elgar Festival Chorus, Come and Play Day, Worcester Concert Brass, Worcestershire Symphony Orchestra and Elgar Chorale

 

Elgar’s music and the Elgar Festival brings visitors from around the world to explore Elgar Country, discover Worcester and Worcestershire and support local businesses and arts organisations

Celebrate Participation

Everyone in our community can be an active part of of the festival, with amateur music making in the festival giving singers and instrumentalists a chance to work at the heart of an internationally recognised festival in performances and workshops

Participate

Come and Play
Elgar 1

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Young Composers' Competition 2025

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Young Singers' Masterclass

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Elgar Festival
Chorus 2025

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Support Us

Please make a donation to support our work if you can.
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Gala Concert

Join us for our annual and much anticipated Gala concert on Sat 31 May which this year features Elgar’s mighty 2nd Symphony performed by our festival partners the English Symphony Orchestra. We also spotlight our festival featured composer Ian Venables’ in his powerful song cycle ‘Out of the Shadows’ sung by Gareth Brynmor John in this the world premiere of the orchestral version, and the Elgar Festival Chorus join ESO to perform John Ireland’s ‘These Things Shall Be’. A true celebration of great British music and an evening not to missed!
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Past Festival Highlights

2023

2022