From producing the world's longest-running literature festival to giving more children and young people access to culture than ever before, it's a big year for Cheltenham Festivals as the charity turns 80-years-old in 2025.
SoGlos rounds up eight of the ways the organisation has made a lasting impact on its attendees and communities over the last 80 years...
One of the first post-war arts festivals in the UK
Celebrating its 80th year in 2025, Cheltenham Music Festival was one of the first post-war arts festivals in the UK, first held after the end of World War II in 1945. What started out as just three classical concerts at the Music Festival has grown into Cheltenham Festivals — the charity behind four world-renowned festivals in music, literature and science, championing and cultivating culture in Gloucestershire, the UK and beyond.
This year's Cheltenham Music Festival marks this momentous occasion with the biggest names in classical music performing large-scale concerts of everything from Mozart and Bach to Mahler and Berlioz, as well as a host of fresh new voices well on their way to becoming the classical stars of the future.
The world's longest-running literature festival
Cheltenham Literature Festival is the longest-running literature festival in the world, having celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2024. This forward-thinking festival has been leading the way in celebrating the written and spoken word in all its forms for decades, providing a platform for emerging talent in fiction, non-fiction and poetry alongside the biggest names in literature and journalism like festival president Dame Judi Dench, Sir Trevor McDonald, Dame Jacqueline Wilson, Ian Rankin and Helen Fielding.
The festival also works with the National Literacy Trust, developing a culture of reading for pleasure in schools across Gloucestershire, Birmingham, London and Leeds with its flagship Reading Teachers = Reading Pupils programme. Over 211 teachers participated in 2023-24, helping over 6,300 pupils to engage with and enjoy literature.
Its pioneering global science communication competition
FameLab, pioneered by Cheltenham Science Festival, is the world's longest-running and furthest-reaching science communication competition — and it turns 20 in 2025. In its milestone year, the event is reaching further than ever with its first trip to Antarctica, having hosted a regional heat on Livingston Island, demonstrating its commitment to breaking boundaries of all kinds.
For the youngest bright sparks, its schools initiative FameLab Academy is also celebrating a milestone as it turns 10 in 2025, marking a decade of nurturing the next generation of STEM communicators.
One of the most prestigious jazz festivals in Europe
Cheltenham Jazz Festival has played host to the very biggest names in jazz, including Jamie Cullum and Gregory Porter — with everyone from rock royalty, soul divas, to pop chart-toppers including Jools Holland, Roger Daltry, Katie Melua, Macy Gray and Lulu on the lineup this year.
While the event is considered to be one of the most prestigious jazz festivals in Europe, Cheltenham's inclusive outlook means there's room for music of all genres and unrivalled opportunities for emerging, up-and-coming artists. It's also a wonderful way to introduce children to jazz, with a dedicated family programme including a relaxed concert for those with special, educational and development needs; family singalongs; and interactive sessions with jazz musicians.
To book tickets to Cheltenham Jazz Festival, visit cheltenhamfestivals.org/jazz-festival.
Improving access to culture for all
Cheltenham Festivals is committed to making culture accessible to everyone. A quarter of its events are free to attend — and over the past two years, over 1,000 donated tickets were taken up by clients of local charities Caring for Communities and People and Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees, by people who otherwise wouldn't have attended, with that number set to grow in 2025.
It's not just creating opportunities for audiences either, with its year-round talent development programmes providing a springboard for rising stars, from the VOICEBOX stage, which provides a platform for young people to discuss the issues that matter to them, to the ...around town programme, which allows local creatives to showcase their talents at all four festivals — with over 100 artists, creators and speakers having performed in 2024.
Bringing culture to the classroom — and beyond
Cheltenham Festivals runs a series of year-round programmes with schools in Gloucestershire and across the UK, to engage and inspire children and young people to develop a lifelong love of literature, music and science. Around 500 schools take part annually, reaching over 32,000 children and young people across 180 days of activity.
Just some of these programmes include DataFace, where teachers and students interrogate data and creatively present their findings to be displayed at Cheltenham Science Festival; FameLab Academy, where over 3,000 children and adults have communicated an area of STEM research to the public so far; and Musicate, where teachers and music leads in schools and SEND settings can develop skills and confidence in delivering music education. Cheltenham Festivals also curates a diverse schools programme at each festival, spanning large-scale concerts and performances to interactive workshops to provide young people with unforgettable learning experiences.
The 'Pink Army'
Cheltenham Festivals has a dedicated team of volunteers who take to the streets of the Regency town in its signature pink every year to spread the word about Cheltenham Festivals and the wonderful work it does.
The 'Pink Army' consists of hundreds of volunteers who give up their time to do everything from delivering brochures to businesses across town; welcoming artists, speakers, schools and festivalgoers to all four festivals; to managing events like the Lit Crawl, playing an integral part in the Cheltenham Festivals experience.
Pledge to reach 80,000 children in its 80th year
Cheltenham Festivals has made a pledge to reach 80,000 children in 2025, as part of its charitable mission to change lives through culture.
It's aiming to give 80,000 children and young people access to the arts throughout its milestone 80th year and is encouraging patrons, businesses and attendees to give generously to help make it happen — through donations, memberships and corporate partnerships.
To find out more, visit cheltenhamfestivals.org.
