Westbury Festival

WESTBURY’S fortnight-long arts and culture festival is set to start on 25th September and, with more than 60 events planned, organisers say there is something for everyone.

A fantastic programme of live music, comedy, exhibitions, talks, arts and crafts and more is on offer from 25th September until 9th October.

The Festival kicks off with a new event for the town, a Wiltshire Chilli Fest, organised by the town council,  on Sunday 25th September. A full round up of all the events can be found in our 4 page pullout in the centre of the paper. 

Many of the events are free including several of the music events and concerts, the various art exhibitions and OzMoses – the family friendly magician. 

Ian Cunningham, chair of Westbury Festival said “Like everyone involved in events, we at Westbury Festival are expecting numbers to be lower this year and some venues are working at reduced capacities anyway. That said, we already have several sold-out events including the Yorkshire Shepherdess (a month before the festival). So perhaps our expectations may be reset. 

“It was a difficult decision as to whether we would run the festival this year. We decided earlier in the year that it was likely the vaccination programme would bring about changes, so we began to plan in anticipation, but as the year passed it became clear that things were more uncertain than we would have liked and we did hit a point where we had to pause. This had the unfortunate effect of moving us from being very prepared and ahead of our timeline, to then being “late” i.e. not wanting to commit to irreversible expenses. 

“It’s hard to choose one event as it’s a bit like being asked about your favourite child, but the finale – Fromage En Feu – looks like a really fun show and it’s one to which I know several committee members are looking forward; another committee favourite is the 1920s-themed Palm Court evening with the Trio Paradis and we have some Brass Band aficionados who tell me the Aldbourne Championship band will be a great night. 

“We are also working with the town council on the chilli fest – the festival is sponsoring the entertainment – and we hope that will be a big day for the town.”  

Sadly, the event Retro Gaming has been cancelled as the suppliers of the evening were previously hit with Covid and therefore cannot guarantee their availability for the planned evening. Golden Oldies, the tea, cake and singing day has also unfortunately been cancelled. 

However, tickets are selling out fast for other events, with The Yorkshire Shepherdess and both of the stained glass sessions already sold out. To get your tickets go to www.westburyfestival.org.uk/buying-tickets/. Tickets are also available from the festival box office, which this year is kindly being hosted by spacecraft, 24-26 Maristow Street, Westbury.