11 days in July: Lichfield Festival 2025

BBC National Orchestra of Wales, cellist Senja Rummukainan & conductor Ryan Bancroft at 2024 Lichfield Festival (Photo: Tyler Whiting)

For 11 days in July, the Lichfield Festival will be bringing music, performance, comedy and dance to venues across the city. Running from 8 to 20 July 2025, the festival features a selection of classical music highlights. Ryan Bancroft conducts the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony and Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy with BBC New Generation Artist, violinist Hana Chang in Lichfield Cathedral. The festival closes with a candlelit recital in the Cathedral by pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason performing Chopin, Debussy, Florence Price, Bach and Beethoven.

The Paddington Trio, Finnish violinist Tuulia Hero, Irish cellist Patrick Moriarty and American pianist Stephanie Tang will be performing a programme including Ravel’s Piano Trio. Tenebrae’s The Path of Miracles will explore the road to Santiago de Compostella including music by Joby Talbot. Palisander recorder quartet present Double Double Toil & Trouble exploring music and magic with works by Tartini, Bach, and Hildegard of Bingen plus Renaissance consort music.

Bass Willard White will be joining the Brodsky Quartet for an eclectic evening jazz, musical theatre, classical and evergreen standards. Jazz singer Jacqui Dankworth and her trio will have the Carducci Quartet as guests for their evening presenting her new album, Windmills. Lichfield Concert Band celebrate their 40th anniversary at Lichfield
Guildhall, whilst the Black Dyke Band will be performing at Lichfield
Cathedral.

Baroque ensemble, Apollo’s Cabinet present The Comic Muse, a semi-staged performance that explores the life of 18th century actress Kitty Clive through the music by Handel, Thomas Arne and Geminiani. Cgharles Court Opera will be celebrating their 20th anniversary with Around the World (of Gilbert & Sullivan) in 80 minutes. Waterperry Opera will be presenting their family friendly show, Winnie-the-Pooh’s Songbook. Actor Tama Matheson joins pianist Clare Hammond for their concert play Don Juan: The Brilliant Irreverence of Lord Byron featuring music by Beethoven, Debussy and Grieg.

Former festival director, and biographer of Sir Arthur Bliss, Paul Spicer will be talking about Bliss to mark the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death

This year’s young artist programme features recitals from the Talland Quartet, oboist Ewan Millar, two pianist students from the Purcell School, Yazdi Madon and Stephanie Qiao, pianist Ignas Maknickas, violinist Madeleine Pickering, saxophonist Rob Burton, flautist Daniel Shao, cellist James Morley and the Bute Wind Quintet. 

The festival opens with The Lord Chamberlain’s Men in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and other performers including the folk group, The Unthanks, Joe Stilgoe, and many more. There are discounted tickets for Under 30s, unwaged, community groups and more. Full details from the festival website.