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Cirencester History Festival: A Phenomenal First Chapter

Cirencester History Festival: Returning in 2025 Due to Its Outstanding Success and Unforgettable Impact!

What an incredible debut for the Cirencester History Festival! With a whopping 99% of tickets sold across the whole programme, it’s safe to say the team believes it has struck a chord.

Over nine action-packed days, history came alive with an amazing lineup of events. From hands-on Gruesome Gargoyle workshops to thought-provoking talks by speakers like the renowned Max Hastings, brilliant Ronald Hutton, captivating rockstar mythologist Natalie Haynes, and the engaging and challenging Jonathan Dimbleby – it’s been a whirlwind of knowledge and fun.

Festival President Fiona Reynolds shared her excitement too, “Working in association with Gloucester, it was a joy to see Janina Ramirez, President of Gloucester History Festival, open the festival and bring medieval mystical women to life.”

Exploring the town, festivalgoers wandered through 17 incredible venues like the Parish Church, Bingham Hall, the Barn Theatre, and the Corinium Museum, soaking up tales of the mysterious Princes in the Tower, rival queens Mary and Elizabeth, and the daring British paras who captured Hitler’s radar in 1942. We went down the rabbit hole with the charming Rev. Richard Coles, Cat Jarman, and Charles Spencer; explored our mystical past with Mary-Ann Ochota via several local archaeological artefacts; discovered why Chedworth Roman Villa’s history is being rewritten; and even took a sneak peek into the historic House of Fraser building – now home to Monastery & Co and The Long Table. It was a fitting ending to have the ‘wrap’ event Cirencester’s Lost Brewery at New Brewery Arts on Sunday, 3 November.

Festival Producer Jess Yarrow exclaimed, “WOW! What an amazing and exhausting 9 days. We’ve welcomed some huge names to Cirencester and offered a platform to many brilliant local people too. We’ve learned, we’ve congregated and we’ve celebrated our wonderful town – it’s been truly incredible.”

Fiona enthused, “I’m absolutely thrilled that Charlie Cooper joined us at the last minute to talk about Myth Country. His passion for landscape, folklore and human connection truly resonated with our audience, as did his evident pride in his hometown.”

She continued, “Cirencester History Festival has been built on an extraordinary collaboration of more than thirty local organisations and has community spirit at its core. The positive feedback and goodwill have been quite astonishing, and it’s been wonderful to feel the town buzzing with creative energy, to see shops and cafes full and venues packed. We are so proud of Cirencester.”

And guess what? Due to this fantastic success, the Cirencester History Festival will return in autumn 2025!
Mark your calendar as this is just the beginning. To keep up to date, please join the mailing list at www.cirencesterhistoryfestival.org.

Explore Gloucestershire
6 November 2024

For further information.