Mitcheldean Festival

We’re launching the Dick Brice Song Writing Competition for 2026, in memory of a good friend and a great entertainer:

ENTRIES
• New songs, unpublished, any genre
• To be sung acoustically, by an individual or a group
• The theme for 2026 is An Individual Character
• Basis for shortlisting:
o Use of English
o Telling a story / carrying a message / sharing an emotion or a memory
o Musicality

APPLICATION
• By Friday 17th April inclusive
• Emailed to talktous@mitcheldeanfestival.fod.uk , or delivered by hand to Mitcheldean Community Library (marked Dick Brice Songwriting)
• Sound or video recording of a performance.
• Printed copy of the lyrics with the songwriter’s / co-writers’ contact details.

2026 TIMETABLE
• Shortlisting by panel w/c Monday 20th April.
• Live performances in Mitcheldean Thursday 21st May
• Winner announced Friday 22nd May.
• Winner’s details by the end of May to the Mitcheldean Festival programme
• Festival performance on Friday 17th July in Mitcheldean parish church when the Dick Brice Cup is presented.

Slight change to the concert line-up, but come on down to Mitcheldean Parish Church from 6.30 on Friday 28th November, just after the village Christmas lights are switched on!

Winter concert for Mitcheldean Festival in the parish church on Friday 28th November – same day as village Christmas lights switch on and a festive market in the library, hope you can join us!

 

We are planning five concerts in Mitcheldean over the coming year:

• WINTER: Friday 28th November 2025 (Acoustic only)
• SPRING: Saturday 21st March 2026 – Youth (With PA)
• SUMMER: Saturday 6th June 2026 (With PA)
• FESTIVAL 1:  Friday 17th July 2026 (Acoustic only)
• FESTIVAL 2:  Saturday 18th July 2026 (With PA)

The Long View performing in Mitcheldean Parish Church, July 2025 (Photo: Eden Tanner)

If you might be interested and available to perform on any of these dates, we would be delighted to hear from you.  Please would you complete and send us the application form below, and if possible include a recording of your playing or an online link to where we may hear you, as this will be most helpful to us in arranging a balanced programme.  We can’t promise to find a slot for everyone who wants to perform, but we’ll do our best.

Updated Mitcheldean Festival 2025-6 Concert Application

If you might like to perform at the November concert in the parish church, please would you let us know by the end of this month of October – for all other concerts, please would you reply by the end of January.

The March concert is particularly dedicated to younger performers. We are very aware that such players and bands may be just starting out and may not have any recordings to share, so we will be very happy to arrange some auditions in February if necessary.  Please do share this with any young performers you may know – the best performer at the March concert will then be given a spot at the main Festival in July.

While we remain a free festival we are unfortunately unable to offer a fee, but as well as advance publicity we are very pleased to look after performers with goody bags when they are here!

Welcome from 4pm on Saturday 19th to the main concert of this year’s Mitcheldean Festival!

Even more performers, including Peter Vadiveloo a singer songwriter all the way from Australia, together with familiar faces from far and near.

Free entry to this great event at Mitcheldean Parish Church (with bar) – come on down!

Come on down to the opening acoustic concert of this year’s Mitcheldean Festival!

Fabulous performers, including the winner of this year’s Dick Brice song writing competition.

Free entry to the evening at Mitcheldean Parish Church (with bar), and a great evening in store

 

 

 

 

Come on down to Jolters in Mitcheldean Mews behind the library for a free concert with fabulous performers!

 

Once again there is an opportunity to book a slot at the Mitcheldean Festival’s Friday night concert on July 18th by entering and winning our annual song writing competition.

Established in memory of the Festival’s great friend and performer Dick Brice, the theme for this year’s competition is Community.

Entry is by recording of a performance of a brand new song, together with the lyrics. See more details by downloading the file below, but we are looking forward to receiving your entry by Friday 25th April.

Meanwhile other Festival slots this year will be filled from among the many people already known, with many thanks again to all the fabulous performers we have hosted since we began the Festival in 2014!

Dick Brice Songwriting Competition 2025