A message about the 2021 King’s Lynn Festival from chairman, Alison Croose

The King’s Lynn Festival team has been busy planning and programming the 2021 Festival to ensure we can go ahead this year, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.  This will mean that the Festival, which will take place from July 18-31, will not feature as many performances as usual, but one thing is certain – the quality of the events will be the usual very high standard  

Most concerts will be staged in three Lynn churches – the Minster, St Nicholas’ Chapel and All Saints – which are spacious and airy and lend themselves well to social-distancing and have provided the setting for festival concerts throughout the event’s 70-year history. The Corn Exchange currently has a key role as a vaccination centre this summer but St George’s Guildhall, the building at the heart of the festival, will be available for performances. 

One key feature of what would have been the 70th Festival last year – the 70th Festival exhibition – will be shown at the Fermoy Gallery and the Red Barn in the Courtyard of St George’s Guildhall. It is expected to be open to visitors for at least three weeks in July and August. The retrospective will reflect on the many outstanding exhibitions staged over the Festival’s seven decades.

One fascinating highlight of the exhibition will be a display of photographs of many of the famous personalities who featured in early festivals. The photos hung on the staircase in the Guildhall for many years but have recently been restored and reframed. 

As planning for the festival has been delayed by the pandemic, the brochure with details of the programme of events will appear later than usual.

The festival board is very appreciative of its many sponsors, patrons and friends whose support enables the festival to maintain its tradition of excellence. 

Alison Croose

You may like to learn more about the wide range of activity King’s Lynn Festival has been involved in during the past year, in the attached report 
King’s Lynn Festival Annual Review Aug 2019 to Aug 2020