Welcome to Bloomsbury Festival
We are pleased to share our plans for Bloomsbury Festival 2025 and 2026. For the first time in our 20-year history we are planning a programme of activity across two years, with a focus on a full month of 20th anniversary events in 2026 and a light touch festival this year in 2025 (to enable the long term planning and fundraising for next year).
17 – 19 October 2025: The 2025 Festival will take place over a long weekend, featuring New Wave theatre, music and art, and partner events at their own venues. There will be no open call for 2025 events. The theatre programme is already selected and keep an eye out for our New Wave Art and Music competitions for emerging artists to be launched in April.
1 – 31 October 2026: Simultaneously we are planning a month-long festival in October 2026 to celebrate our 20th anniversary and to link with UCL’s Bicentenary (UCL200). The Open Call for 2026 festival will launch in May this year.
If you were involved in the festival before 2015 (before our time!) and would like to be part of our 2026 celebrations please do get in touch by emailing director@bloomsburyfestival.org.uk.
We have volunteering opportunities for choirs and community singers with our heritage project Strange Doings in London – the Songs and Ballads of St Giles and we will be launching an art opportunity alongside this project for emerging artists.
You can catch up on the Bloomsbury Radio coverage of the 2024 Bloomsbury Festival on spotify here and a report on our 2024 New Wave and trainee programme is now available online.
Please do sign up to our newsletter to hear the latest updates.
2024 FESTIVAL FUNDERS, SPONSORS & PARTNERS:
Local business event sponsors: Ambit, Bishop & Sewell, Chestertons, Greater London Properties, Heal’s Building, Rugby School & Macready Theatre and The Bloomsbury
Local business supporters: Boodle Hatfield, Compton, Garnett Architecture, Grange Hotels, Mason Navarro Pledge, P.A.C.E Building Services, PFS Group and Premium Support Services
Business club members: ECS Systems, Essex Refurbishments and Olli Group
Local, Global, Inspiring
Bloomsbury Festival is an annual celebration of the area’s creativity, presenting an inspiring programme of culture, arts, science, literature, performance, discussion and debate. The programme includes an exciting mix of contemporary arts, music, performance, theatre, science displays, talks, walks and community events.
“Bloomsbury Festival captures the diversity of bright minds connected to these few streets of London, from the past to the present day”
The Guardian
Bloomsbury Festival is a Registered charity No. 1149001
Limited Company registered in England & Wales No. 0797 7987
VAT Registration No. 137 4928 87