The Ely Arts Festival is a celebration of art, music, and performance that is set to take place from Saturday, June 14, to Saturday, June 28. • • • Some of the activities planned for the festival include workshops, art exhibitions, live music, theatre, and a concert. • • • Many of these activities will be free, making it accessible to everyone. The artistic director, Chris Parsons, is excited to share the festival’s varied programme with the public. “Hopefully, there’s something for everyone to enjoy,” he said. “Whether it’s relaxing in a beautiful venue watching a high quality performance or getting stuck in with one of the many workshops we have on offer.”
Chris Parsons emphasized the importance of inspiring the next generation of musicians and artists through the festival’s art and music workshops in schools. “These workshops will reach over 800 pupils, all free of charge,” he added. “The whole festival would simply be impossible without the incredible support from our sponsors and organisations across the city for which we are extremely grateful.”
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Family Fun Day | Live music, circus acts, art workshops, and food vans at Jubilee Gardens on Saturday, June 21, coinciding with World Music Day. |
| Community Concert | A large-scale community concert at Ely Cathedral on Friday, June 27, featuring 14 schools, a live orchestra, and professional soloists performing music from ‘The Lion King’, African folk songs, classical music, and a newly commissioned composition ‘The Elephant’ by composer in residence, David Sims. |
| Theatre Performance | The return of the Three Inch Fools theatre company, who will perform ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at the Bishop’s Garden on Saturday, June 28. |
“The festival committee have worked tirelessly to pull together this impressive programme,” said Chris Parsons. “The whole festival would simply be impossible without the incredible support from our sponsors and organisations across the city for which we are extremely grateful.”
The festival will also feature a range of free activities, including:
- Live music performances
- Art exhibitions
- Workshops
- Theatre performances
“We are really excited to share such a varied programme for the 2025 festival,” said Chris Parsons. “Hoping that there’s something for everyone to enjoy, whether it’s relaxing in a beautiful venue watching a high quality performance or getting stuck in with one of the many workshops we have on offer.”
Highlights of the festival will include:
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- Workshops
- Art exhibitions
- Live music performances
- Theatre performances
For more information on the festival, visit elyartsfestival.org.
The festival is expected to be a huge success, with many local organisations and sponsors supporting the event. “We are extremely grateful for the support of our sponsors and organisations across the city,” said Chris Parsons. “The whole festival would simply be impossible without them.”
The full programme of the festival can be found on the official website, elyartsfestival.org.