Petworth Festival June Edition: 31 May – 1 June 2024

Tickets on sale now – online only

Friday 31 May

Ella Sings Ellington

We salute ‘the first lady of song’ – Ella Fitzgerald with a superb band led by clarinettist and band leader Pete Long and vocals by Danish singing phenomenon Sara Oschlag

7:30 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Saturday 1 June

Julian Lloyd Webber – Travels with my Cello

We welcome back to Petworth the world-renowned Julian Lloyd Webber with this hugely entertaining retrospective of a career spent touring the world with his beloved Stradivarius cello.

12:00 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Saturday 1 June

Catrin Finch (harp) with Aoife Ní Bhriain (violin)

Harpist Catrin Finch and violin/fiddle player Aoife Ní Bhriain’s collaboration is a captivating journey inspired by both Welsh and Irish cultures.

7:30 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Petworth Festival Summer Programme

Box Office open 9 May. See Booking page for details of Priority Booking dates

Wednesday 10 July

Rhythm & Blue: Unravelling the Creativity

Artist and poet Francis Hatch explores her creative journey with Kevis House Gallery’s Lucy Hodgson.

11:15 am – Leconfield Hall

Wednesday 10 July

Festival Service

The Festival’s historic home invites all comers to celebrate the beginning of the festival and the importance and power of creativity.

6:30 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Thursday 11 July

Lunchtime Concert with Heather Brooks (harp)

Spend a perfect hour in the tranquil setting of Petworth’s Catholic church with Musicians’ Company young harpist, Heather Brooks.

12:00 pm – Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Petworth

Thursday 11 July

Liza Pulman & Joe Stilgoe: A Couple of Swells

A joyous night in St Mary’s will see a dazzlingly entertaining potpourri of classic songs and wit.

7:30 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Thursday 11 July

The Fugitives

The Fugitives have earned a reputation for unforgettable live shows, brimming with complex vocal harmonies, infectious storytelling and top-notch musicianship.

7:45 pm – Leconfield Hall, Petworth

Friday 12 July

Royal Academy of Music Lunchtimes – Solis Brass Trio

The annual series featuring the finest young musicians studying at the Royal Academy of Music kicks off with the Solis Brass Trio.

12:00 pm – 12pm All Hallows Tillington, 5pm St Giles Graffham

Friday 12 July

Boris Giltburg (piano)

Boris Giltburg is rightly lauded across the globe as a deeply sensitive, insightful and compelling interpreter of the piano repertoire.

7:30 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Friday 12 July

Martin Harley (blues guitar)

Over the years we have featured many masters of the guitar, but few have a richer pedigree than Martin Harley.

7:45 pm – Leconfield Hall, Petworth

Saturday 13 July

West Sussex Youth Choir

Immerse yourself in the diversity of choral music presented by the West Sussex Youth Choir.

12:00 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Saturday 13 July

The Festival Walk (Tillington)

This year’s Festival Walk led by Jonathan Golden will start in Tillington at the edge of Petworth Park. 

2:00 pm – Meet at The Cricket Pavilion, Tillington (GU28 9AF)

Saturday 13 July

Tim Garland & Jason Rebello (jazz)

Two of the UK’s most renowned jazz musicians: individually they are outstanding, together they are remarkable.

7:30 pm – Champs Hill, Coldwaltham

Saturday 13 July

Joanna Macgregor (piano) with Brighton Philharmonic

We welcome a quintet from the region’s leading professional ensemble in tandem with their remarkable Artistic Director, pianist Joanna Macgregor.

7:30 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Sunday 14 July

Five Children & It (family theatre)

The festival returns to Coultershaw for a delightful new production of E Nesbit’s timeless play.

3:00 pm – Coultershaw Heritage Site

Sunday 14 July

Genesis Sixteen (choral)

We welcome this superb young vocal ensemble, who have been working alongside Harry Christophers’ The Sixteen.

7:30 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Monday 15 July

Alice Coote (mezzo-soprano) with Roger Vignoles (piano)

A Rolls-Royce pairing of singer and pianist who have been at the apex of their respective careers for many years.

7:30 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Tuesday 16 July

Royal Academy of Music Lunchtimes: Kira Frolu (piano)

Kira Frolu is already regarded as one of the most notable Romanian pianists of her generation

12:00 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Tuesday 16 July

Rachel Podger (violin) and Brecon Baroque (classical)

We welcome violinist Rachel Podger and the acclaimed period instrument ensemble she directs.

7:30 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Tuesday 16 July

Keith James – The Music of Yusuf ‘Cat’ Stevens (contemporary)

This brilliantly conceived and performed show is the latest in the festival’s series celebrating great songwriters of recent times.

7:45 pm – Leconfield Hall

Wednesday 17 July

The Jay Rayner Sextet (jazz)

An evening spent with Jay Rayner Sextet promises great music, killer stories and often quite inappropriate laughter.

7:30 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Wednesday 17 July

Ranagri (traditional)

There will joy in the Leconfield Hall as we welcome a band of four dazzling folk/traditional musicians from the UK and Ireland.

7:45 pm – Leconfield Hall, Petworth

Thursday 18 July

Coffee Concert: Mario Bakuna – Brazilian Twist

Mario Bakuna (guitar and vocals) and Roberto Manzin (sax) join us to celebrate two of the most important jazz/world artists of all time.

11:15 am – Leconfield Hall, Petworth

Thursday 18 July

The Wonder of Stevie (contemporary)

A straight re-invite to a group who absolutely set the stage alight at the last festival.

7:30 pm – Petworth House Stable Yard

Friday 19 July

Royal Academy Lunchtimes – The Slate String Quartet (classical)

The Slate Quartet presents an American-themed programme pairing two major works from the string quartet repertoire alongside a delightful miniature by Florence Price.

12:00 pm – Leconfield Hall, Petworth

Friday 19 July

Fenella Humphreys, Nicola Eimer & Leah Broad – Lost Voices (classical/speech)

Leading violinist Fenella Humphreys takes to the Champs Hill stage in a fascinating collaboration with historian Leah Broad.

7:30 pm – Champs Hill, Coldwaltham

Friday 19 July

Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours with The Transatlantic Ensemble

A stunning live recreation of one of the greatest albums of all time, brilliantly performed by the Transatlantic Ensemble.

7:30 pm – Petworth House Stable Yard

Saturday 20 July

The World at One: N’famady Kouyaté & Band (world)

A blend of N’famady’s West African heritage with western indie, pop & jazz in the fabulously atmospheric Petworth House Stables.

1:00 pm – Petworth House Stable Yard

Saturday 20 July

Jazz in The Stables – ft Eliane Correa and the Havana All Stars

The ever-popular ‘jazz’ night goes Latin with bandleader, pianist and composer Eliane Correa.

6:00 pm – The Petworth House Stable Yard

Sunday 21 July

Marcel Lucont – Les Enfants Terribles: A Gameshow for Awful Children

A huge hit at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe and a supreme piece of ‘gameshow fun’ for the family.

2:30 pm – Leconfield Hall, Petworth

Sunday 21 July

Marcel Lucont’s Whine List (comedy)

Marcel’s show is comedy nectar as he investigates his audience’s gripes, whines and misdemeanours.

6:00 pm – Leconfield Hall, Petworth

Sunday 21 July

Alim Beisembayev (piano)

Alim returns to Petworth with beautifully balanced programme featuring music by Schubert, Debussy and Chopin

7:30 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Monday 22 July

Abel Selaocoe (cello) (classical/world)

Abel Selaocoe is a phenomenon, having re-imagined so much of what we know about the cello, while paying the instrument the respect its 400-year musical history deserves.

7:30 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Tuesday 23 July

Delia Stevens (percussion) & Will Pound (harmonica)

The astonishingly talented duo reimagine some of the folk music that has inspired classical composers, their repertoire including Vaughan Williams and Holst.

12:00 pm – Sofas & Stuff, Fittleworth

Tuesday 23 July

The Sacconi Quartet with Ben Goldscheider (French horn)

One of our foremost young French Horn players joins the celebrated and versatile Sacconi Quartet.

7:30 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Tuesday 23 July

Gonora Sounds (world/roots)

The father-and-son duo’s street performances have garnered millions of views online and a growing international fanbase.

7:45 pm – Leconfield Hall, Petworth

Wednesday 24 July

‘Aretha Franklin’ with Vanessa Haynes of Incognito

One of the finest voices in contemporary British UK soul joins us for an unforgettable tribute to the legendary Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.

7:30 pm – Midhurst Rother College

Wednesday 24 July

Luke Wright – JOY (spoken word)

Come and let a little joy into your life with a raconteur and wordsmith at the top of his game.

7:45 pm – Leconfield Hall, Petworth

Thursday 25 July

Coffee Concert with Hannah Sanders (vocals) and Ben Savage (guitar) (traditional)

Superb folk and traditional sounds supported by the Festival’s cafetières! A superbly crafted hour of great songs from the charismatic duo.

11:15 am – Leconfield Hall, Petworth

Thursday 25 July

Roachford (contemporary)

Roachford channels the energy of James Brown on stage each night, and on record summons up the spirit of everyone from Al Green to Joe Cocker.

7:30 pm – Midhurst Rother College

Thursday 25 July

Claire Booth (soprano) with Jâms Coleman (piano) – Cabaret!

Claire Booth has become internationally renowned for her breadth of repertoire and the vitality and musicianship she brings both to the operatic stage and concert platform.

7:30 pm – Champs Hill, Coldwaltham

Friday 26 July

Comedy Double Bill: Mark Watson and Mark Simmons

A fabulous night of comedy headlined by Mark Watson, described by The Times as ‘terrifyingly funny’.

7:30 pm – Midhurst Rother College

Friday 26 July

Leeds International Piano Competition – Ariel Lanyi (piano)

The third year of the Festival’s relationship with the competition that has produced multiple prize winners who have gone on to make major international careers.

7:30 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth

Saturday 27 July

Connaught Brass (classical)

We welcome back trumpeter Aaron Akugbo in the company of the four brass musicians who make up the superb Connaught Brass.

12:00 pm – Easebourne Church (St Mary’s), Midhurst

Saturday 27 July

Rhapsody in Light Blue (classical/jazz)

Ronnie Scott’s Artistic Director, pianist James Pearson, joins us with a top team from the iconic London venue together with the remarkable talent that is violinist, singer and arranger Lizzie Ball.

7:30 pm – St Mary’s Church, Petworth