Swaledale Festival is Still Here!

It has been a difficult year for Swaledale Festival, as it has for the whole world. Having to cancel the 2020 Festival was hugely disappointing, but thanks to the generosity of our ticket buyers, Festival Friends, Angels and many others, as well as the Government’s ‘Culture Recovery Fund’ administered by Arts Council England, we are now in a relatively secure financial position to move forward. We’re also able to keep our excellent team of part-time professionals together and working.

The Festival is always planned well in advance and a full programme for 2021 was completed months ago. However, given the current Coronavirus restrictions and the uncertainty of what we will be faced with next May, next year’s Festival will now have to be rather different.

Instead of grouping a large number of events into a two-week period in May/June, we plan to offer a series of individual events throughout the year. We feel this is our best chance of providing high quality music, arts and guided walks in the region, whilst helping to minimise the risks and lessen the burden on local people and infrastructure. The safety and well-being of ticket-buyers, volunteers, staff, performers and local people will, of course, be paramount. We are also planning a comprehensive programme of projects and performances for local schools and care homes, providing music, arts and entertainment to some of those who are in particular need of cultural activities. Details of Festival activities in 2021 will appear on our website soon. 

Looking (optimistically) a little further forward, we are already working on a fantastic programme for May/June 2022 when we will celebrate Swaledale Festival’s 50th anniversary.  We thank you for your continued support, we wish you well, and we hope to see you next year.

Dr. Susan Miller - Chairman 
Malcolm Creese - Artistic Director