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Ludlow Festival at Ludlow

There has been a festival held in Ludlow since 1953. They were originally staged to raise money for the restoration of St Lawrence's large parish church.

The restoration was completed in 1959 when Princess Margaret attended a Thanksgiving service in the church and a production of Milton's Comus was staged in the nearby castle grounds by way of a celebration.

Since then the reputation of the Ludlow Festival has grown both nationally and even internationally and visitors (including the odd celebrity) come from far and wide to enjoy the season of festivities. The festival proves particularly popular with visitors from America, Canada, France, Germany and the Netherlands returning as they do year on year to enjoy the festivities.

An annual Shakespearean play performed in the grounds of the magnificent Ludlow castle is the main highlight. The castle is a superb setting as the performance begins during daylight and ends under the starry night sky, with shadows falling dramatically during the scenes. The atmosphere is electric as the shadows add an air of mystery acting to heighten the drama on stage.

In addition to works by William Shakespeare famous orchestras, string-quartets, brass bands, jazz bands, choirs and solo performances all take place during the festival.