Tickets start to fly as Newbury Spring Festival is officially launched

This year’s Newbury Spring Festival was launched with a lunchtime reception in the balcony bar at the Corn Exchange, on Tuesday, the day booking opened to the public.

Festival friends old and new were invited to hear more about the 2025 festival programme over drinks and canapés and there were copies of the printed Festival Guide available to take away.

The two-week celebration of world-class music will run from May 10 to 24. This year’s festivities will be launched with an outdoor Festival Parade through the town to be led by the Giant Bandmaster puppet. In partnership with the Corn Exchange and 101 Outdoor Arts, a call has gone out for musicians and performers – local community bands, choirs, musical ensembles and dancers – to take part in this exciting and vibrant celebration of music in all its forms.

The line-up is firmly rooted in classical music, offering audiences performances from internationally acclaimed artists. Alongside its classical core, the festival also features a variety of events in jazz, world music, theatre, and family-friendly entertainment, all taking place in locations in and around Newbury.

One of the festival’s most anticipated events will be the return of young superstar cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason with the Castalian Quartet at the Corn Exchange. This year’s programme will also showcase a spectacular array of more young stars within the Saturday night orchestral programme at St Nicolas Church.

The English Chamber Orchestra opens the festival with a performance of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 featuring celebrated Bulgarian pianist Emanuil Ivanov, winner of the 2020 Busoni and the Festival’s own 2023 Sheepdrove Piano Competition. Audiences can also look forward to a performance by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Martyn Brabbinson, featuring Swedish superstar violinist Johan Dalene in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. The festival will conclude with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Newbury Spring Festival Chorus performing Beethoven’s monumental Missa Solemnis, featuring a quartet of young British soloists, including outstanding soprano Hilary Cronin, returning after her sensational performance last year.

Early booking is highly recommended to secure seats for popular events. Festival manager Ashley Morris said that the first day of public booking had gone well. “It’s been a busy on sale day today. Lots of things are selling well but no total sell outs yet.”

For the full programme and to purchase tickets, visitwww.newburyspringfestival.org.uk or contact the box office at 01635 522733.