Festivals in Cheltenham you won’t want to miss this year

PUBLISHED: 15:43 30 January 2019 | UPDATED: 15:51 08 February 2019

Food, drink and music festivals happening in Cheltenham in 2019. Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Archant

The Chocolate Festival

23 February

Cheltenham Racecourse hosts a day of confectionary, live music and chocolatiers. The perfect opportunity to stock up on delicious treats whilst Willy Wonka inspired characters provide entertainment. The festival will run from 11.30am until 8pm. Tickets can be purchased here: fantasticalchocolate.com

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Cheltenham Wine Festival

6 April

Pittville Pump Room will host the Cheltenham Wine Festival where wine aficionados can sample a choice from more than 300 wines. Bottles of wine can also be purchased on the day. Tickets are £22.50 and the festival is held in two sessions. One at 12-3pm and another at 4-7pm. Click here to purchase your tickets.

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Cheltenham Jazz Festival

1 - 6 May

Head to the Big Top and Jazz arena in Montpellier Gardens for some of the world’s hottest names on the jazz scene. This year’s line-up includes Gregory Porter, Sergio Mendes, Joshua Redman and The Bad Plus with more acts to be announced on 13 February.

There will also be free music in the gardens and in venues across the town. Visit: www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz/

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Cider & Cheese Festival

17 - 18 May

A huge selection of some of Britain’s best cheeses combined with a superb range of West Country ciders at Sandford Park Ale House. And best of all, entry to the festival is completely free.

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Wychwood Festival

31 May - 2 June

Over the course of a weekend, more than 100 acts and 100 workshops will take place at the Racecourse. A Headphone Disco will have festival goers bopping until the early hours whilst little ones can enjoy their very own Children’s Literature Festival during the day. Expect great food, real ales and camping beneath the Prestbury Hills. For full information visit: www.wychwoodfestival.com

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Cheltenham Craft Beer & Cider Festival

8 June

Now in its 14th year, the beer and cider festival returns to Old Pats Rugby Club with a plethora of hand-picked beers, refreshing cider and a prosecco bar (brand new for 2019). The outdoor event will also feature live music and a selection of tasty food stalls. The event is family-friendly with dogs invited along too. Visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-14th-cheltenham-craft-beer-and-cider-festival-2019-tickets-52229812776

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Cheltenham Food & Drink Festival

14 -16 June

Cheltenham’s largest food and drink festival will return to Montpellier Garden this summer with three full days of wine tasting, food and drink talks from top chefs, cooking demonstrations and plenty of stalls selling local produce, street food, baked goods and more. There will be live music and children’s entertainment too. Tickets go on sale in March. Visit: https://garden-events.com/

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Cheltenham Balloon Fiesta

22 - 23 June

This colourful event will head to Cheltenham Racecourse this summer for a hot air balloon extravaganza. There will be a giant fun fair, a fireworks display in the evening, live entertainment, food and drink traders and a kids zone. Tickets are on sale now with discounts on advance tickets: www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Cheltenham/Cheltenham-Racecourse/Cheltenham-Balloon-Fiesta/

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Cheltenham Midsummer Fiesta

6 July

Midsummer Fiesta returns to Montpellier for another fun-filled Saturday in 2019. The fiesta aims to showcase the diverse talent of Cheltenham. From children’s entertainment to music, dance, and food and drink stalls this is very much a day for the community to get together and have fun.

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Vinestock

Date tbc (end of July)

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Cheese & Chilli Festival

3 - 4 August

Following the success of the festival’s launch last year, the Cheese & Chilli Festival will return to Sandford Park in August for one of the hottest weekends in the Cheltenham calendar. The line-up includes a chilli-eating competition, man vs food challenges, live music, spicy street food and cooking demonstrations. For more information visit: cheeseandchillifestival.com/locations/cheltenham/

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Cheltenham Paint Festival

2 - 8 September

2019 will see the third annual Cheltenham Paint festival. The two previous festivals have seen around 200 pieces of public art painted on the streets in and around Cheltenham including the chameleon at the Brewery, the swooping bird on Swindon Road and the beautiful photo-realistic face on the side of Williams cycles. This year the festival will be bigger and better attracting the world’s best names from various genres including Street Art, muralists, sculpture and installations. The event will be taking place at around 25 locations some of which will be announced shortly.

More details are available from www.cheltenhampaintfestival.co.uk or follow Cheltenham Paint Festival on Facebook.

We’ll add more events and information as we get them! If you’ve got a festival you’d like to be included please get in touch. Email us at enjoycheltenhammore@archant.co.uk