King’s Lynn Festival

The 2025 Kings Lynn Festival takes place at venues across the town from 13^th to 26^th July.

Some of the big names on this year’s programme include Black Dyke Mills band from Bradford, 170 years old this year and rated as the top English brass band of the moment.  The festival will close with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra – which will be the only opportunity in East Anglia this year to hear their full symphonic sound for Vaughan Williams, Tchaikovsky’s 5^th Symphony, and Mendelssohn’s Violin concerto, with soloist Francesca Dego.

Other high spots will be provided by Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra at the Corn Exchange, and violinist Rachel Podger and her Brecon Baroque ensemble in St Nicholas’ Chapel.   Neither of these have been to King’s Lynn before.

The free Festival Exhibition has been a notable annual event since the mid-1960s, and this year part of the new Chequer House Gallery in King Street will show ‘Revelation’, about the development of collections and museums for public display, from natural science in the 17^th century to the British Museum from the18th, and later all the other specialist national museums. It provides amazing insight into great past disputes, including Darwin’s theory and Sunday opening.

Two individual performers who are coming to the festival as part of their wider national tours will be Lady Nade – a great voice from Bristol singing the songs of Nina Simone, and Sam Lee, a Mercury-nominated folk singer who breaks boundaries between traditional folk and contemporary music in his critically-acclaimed album “Songdreaming”. There being no Cambridge Folk Festival this year, it’s hoped that that audience will take notice of King’s Lynn Festival’s two Folk evenings.

On the centenary of the original 1925 silent film ‘Phantom of the Opera’, Jonathan Hope will accompany a film screening, performing a spine-tingling improvised soundtrack on the King’s Lynn Minster organ – again, the only place in East Anglia to see this performance this year.

Duo Hesperi celebrate King’s Lynn’s Hanseatic heritage with their programme of music by Bach and Teleman (“Hamburg to Halle”), followed by The Blue Hour in the Duke’s Head Ballroom bringing songs of 1930s Berlin.

Desbande Tango Quintet and dancers will be in the Duke’s Head Ballroom playing Astor Piazolla’s gripping music.

The Town Hall will host a British cabaret from James McConnel and Lynn-born jazz singer Ella McCready, both Norfolk-based and a successful duo in London. British composer Dame Judith Weir will also be in the Town Hall answering questions about her work, followed by a performance of some of her compositions by the Contemporary Consort. Dame Judith is the former Master of the Queen’s Music (and then the King’s), who composed music for the Coronation.

Three master pianist soloists will perform in this year’s Festival.  At Houghton Hall, courtesy of Lord Cholmondeley and opening the classical programme, will be Illia Ovcharenko, an outstanding young Ukrainian player who has made headlines in London for the past six months.  The Ruth Lady Fermoy Memorial Concert sees the return of Freddy Kempf – who is a Festival Vice-President. The third will be Kasparas Mikužis, in our Coffee Concert series. Another pair of outstanding musicians, both returning to King’s Lynn, is the duo formed by Guy Johnston (cello) with Tom Poster on piano.

A new project is “King’s Lynn Calling”, created by Eastern Angles Theatre company. Based in a telephone box at the Corn Exchange and offering three street tours, this new audio trail captures memories of local people and their experiences around the buildings and streets of King’s Lynn.  You can contribute your own memory – the festival website listing for this event will tell you how.

Book tickets via King’s Lynn Corn Exchange Box Office, by telephone on 01553 764864 or online at www.kingslynnfestival.org.uk.