Creativity, innovation and a festival community in the beautiful Welsh Marches

Now in its 43rd year, the Presteigne Festival has a unique place in the UK’s musical calendar – ‘a festival which continues to surprise and delight. Its well-judged mixture of accessible yet probing and avowedly contemporary music, set in rewarding, carefully compiled programmes, remains a unique, matchless and irreplaceable facet of the British classical music calendar’ (Musical Opinion).

The Festival is widely acknowledged for its exceptional work in commissioning, performing and promoting new music and living composers, and has a strong tradition for supporting emergent artists in its programme. Its influence is felt artistically and economically throughout the Welsh Marches and beyond.

Working closely with musicians, writers, artists and makers to create and curate inspiring events for an ever-widening Festival audience, the organisation provides and enables experience-broadening opportunities for its host community.

The Presteigne Festival takes place each August, featuring a vibrant five-day music-focused programme over the Bank Holiday. Additionally, in May, the organisation promotes its Springboard Weekend – a perfect launch for the Festival year – featuring a highly imaginative collection of community events.

That events of such significance can happen in such out of the way places is bizarre but wonderful. You might say borderline miraculous.

Michael White, Catholic Herald