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MITCHELDEAN FREE FESTIVAL 17th – 19th JULY 2026

MITCHELDEAN FREE FESTIVAL 17th – 19th JULY 2026

It’s party time again in Mitcheldean!

See below the outline programme for the Festival weekend, more detail again from fliers on the day.

There’s free parking behind (not on front of) the MEWS building on the Saturday as shown on the map.

Jolters cider cider house will be open Thursday to Saturday and the Lamb and the White Horse all weekend – Come on down!

Friday 17th July

  • Acoustic concert in the parish church from 6-10pm
Saturday 18th July
  • Morris dancing during the day from 10.30 (several venues in the village, starting outside the library)
  • Village fete on the playing field from 1 – 4 pm
  • Poetry and story-telling festival in the Jolter Press (our cider house) from 3 – 5 pm
  • Evening concert in the parish church from 4-9 pm
  • Ceilidh dance and song session in the community centre from 7.30 pm (with bar)

Sunday 19th July

  • Folk walk singing at local pubs, starting from the White Horse at 12 midday
  • Music and singing session in the White Horse from 6pm
Dick Brice Song Writing Competition

Dick Brice Song Writing Competition

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• New songs, unpublished, any genre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.

Festival Concerts 2025/26

Festival Concerts 2025/26

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!

BIG CONCERT SATURDAY 19th JULY

BIG CONCERT SATURDAY 19th JULY

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!