Since its rejuvenation in 2014, Bromsgrove Festival has gone from strength to strength, halted only, as so many things have been, by the pandemic which resulted in the complete cancellation of the 2020 Festival and a reduction to three street events only in the late Summer of 2021.
The 2022 Festival, which resumes it’s summertime slot, will continue to focus on the arts, culture and heritage activities in Bromsgrove and will maintain and, we think, improve upon the quality of events…..albeit that the range and number of those events is still curtailed by some local arts organisations, and indeed some arts individuals, not having fully recovered in the aftermath of the pandemic…..and , of course, the loss of Artrix has affected the programme greatly.
The Festival will also continue to sponsor free events including three family days on Bromsgrove High Street, the popular Bite Sized Classics concerts and, in addition, will be promoting events inspired by the Tell Me What You Want survey and report which was concluded immediately before the pandemic struck. At the time of going to press, some of these latter events are still in the planning stage or awaiting grants.
The High Street will also be the setting for The Bromsgrove Court Leet Fair Day and Street Market on 25th June, Bromsgrove Pride on 9th July and Bromsgrove Carnival on 16th July
Amongst many highlights this year are Bromsgrove Annual Folk Festival which runs from 7th to 10th July and two special concerts at Bromsgrove Folk Club….War Horse Songman, Bob Fox on 30th June and TV personality/comedian/singer/Countdown wordsmith, Richard Digance on 14th July..
For Classical Music fans there are concerts by The Orchestra of St John and the ever popular Wednesday lunchtime Festive Classics concerts at Avoncroft Museum of Buildings….this latter venue will also be presenting The Oddsocks Theatre Company’s open air production of Hamlet the Comedy on 24th July.
The Sanders Park Bandstand Concerts on Sunday afternoon will again be in full swing…bring a picnic and a chair….and Bromsgrove’s Bluegrass community will be holding Jam Sessions and Charity Pickathons throughout the period. Add Heritage Walks, The Bromsgrove Society Summer School, creative exhibitions from Avoncroft Arts and the South Birmingham Guild of Silk Painters into the mix and you have something for practically everyone.
The Festival web site is up and running at www.bromsgrovefestival.co.uk and all of the events currently planned are posted there…..there will, almost certainly, be more to come. The Festival brochure is, again at the time of going to press, with the printers and several thousand copies will be distributed throughout the district over the coming weeks.
Readers are urged to keep in contact with events via social media …..Facebook/Bromsgrove Festival…Twitter @bromsgrovefestival….and Instagram @bromsgrove-festival. In addition the Festival has a mailing list which can be subscribed to by visiting the web site above.
The 2022 Bromsgrove Festival offers another exciting programme. We know that you will find something that you will enjoy and we encourage you to “try something new” right here on your doorstep in Bromsgrove.