CANCELLED Live Film: The Mikado
CANCELLED Coffee Concert: Marsyas Trio
CANCELLED Blazin Fiddles
CANCELLED Coffee Concert: Benson Wilson (Baritone) and Lucy Colquhoun (Piano)
Update - March to November events postponed.
July 2020 Festival cancelled. Read More
Celebrating 70 years of the finest music and arts
Whilst we have not been able to bring you live performances we are still celebrating the 70th time of bringing the very best in music and the arts to King’s Lynn and West Norfolk where audiences have enjoyed a range of internationally-renowned performers from our very first event in 1951.
We were determined not to allow this momentous anniversary to go unmarked. Many past Festival’s performers including Craig Ogden, Tasmin Little, Emma Johnson and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra joined in a virtual celebration which is available to view online at https://70.kingslynnfestival.org.uk/ . The 30-minute film features personal messages and exclusive performances from some of the country’s finest performers.
Our opening festival programme, in 1951 reads like a who’s who of the time, with Benjamin Britten, Peggy Ashcroft and Peter Ustinov all taking part and establishing it firmly at the top of the must-see list. Top names, including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Lesley Garrett, Evelyn Glennie, Alfie Boe and Aled Jones have appeared over the years. Some of the finest orchestras, from the Royal Philharmonic, the BBC Concert and The Hallè have also featured in our extensive and varied events.
The Queen Mother was a Patron from the very start, until her death in 2002, and was a frequent visitor to the festival over many years. The royal connection was established via the festival’s founder, Ruth, Lady Fermoy, who was her lady-in-waiting as well as the wife of the local MP. An accomplished concert pianist, she was also to become the grandmother of Diana, Princess of Wales.
We will still be bringing you some wonderful performances later in the year so, despite what's happening at the moment, there will be more to come from the King's Lynn Festival - watch this space!
