25 March 2021
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Chalke Valley Festival to return. Photo (c) Tim Abell
Aiming to be the first big historical festival of the summer, the organisers have announced this year’s show will go ahead.
One of the largest historical festivals in the UK is set to return from the afternoon of Wednesday 23rd to the evening of Sunday 27 June. Taking place at its spectacular venue in Broad Chalke, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, it will be one of the first big live events of the summer, starting a scant two days after the proposed lifting of Covid restrictions on 21 June. The event is going ahead thanks to a generous grant from the Arts Council Culture Recovery Fund. After much consultation with the relevant authorities the five-day event will take place in accordance with Government guidelines, with strict health and safety regulations in place where necessary.
As an outdoor festival, many of the planned activities will be centred around two big marquees and two new stages that will host talks as well as the large tents. The festival will offer its usual amazing line-up of talks, topical debates, living history and activities for children, with eminent historians and household names all bringing history to life.
James Holland, Festival Chair, said, “We are incredibly excited about the festival’s return. It will be the first big family event to take place in nearly 18 months, and I know the general public, currently starved of real-life festivals, are desperate to get back to some kind of normality. This will be a fabulous chance for families to go out, have fun, meet friends across the spacious layout of the site, to soak up some culture in a safe environment. It goes without saying that the safety of all those attending will be our upmost priority. The programme is going to be wide-ranging with lots to see and do, and we really can’t wait to welcome everyone back!”
John Glen, local MP for Salisbury, said, “The Chalke Valley History Festival is one of the jewels in the crown of the area’s cultural life. It is wonderful news that it can proceed this year. It will be a huge boost to the morale of both history buffs and the many local businesses, which supply and support the festival.”
The full programme, and more detailed information about what’s in store this year, will be unveiled very soon. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday 19 May.
Talks given by incredible historians, taken from the past ten years of the festival, can now be heard on the Chalke Valley History Festival podcast. Entitled #ChalkeTalk, the podcasts are released three times a week.
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