2026-2030 Strategy
Bring Joy
Connect Communities
Inspire Change
Cheltenham Festivals is a nationwide values-driven charity building a future where the arts and sciences are diverse, inclusive and pioneering and which contribute to the positive health and well-being of community and society at large.
New for 2026 we are launching our Next Chapter, with a 5-year strategy to drive forward our unique dual focus of innovative genre-based festivals, alongside year-round partnership-working and inclusive community engagement across the UK.
We believe in a world in which everyone can explore and create culture, as a visionary charity creating experiences which bring joy, spark curiosity, connect communities and inspire change.
The UK’s cultural context is complex; our vision is simple: building a happier, fairer, more resilient future through equitable access to culture. Our new strategy, The Next Chapter, lays the foundations for our continued growth and evolution, as a nationwide values-driven charity.
Ali Mawle & Ian George, Co-Chief Executives of Cheltenham Festivals
Making an Impact
Cheltenham Festivals Reaches Record-Breaking Number of Children in 80th Year
Friday 12 December 2025Cheltenham Festivals has today announced that it has reached a record-breaking number of children during its landmark 80th anniversary year, marking a major milestone in the charity’s mission to create meaningful and lasting change through…
FameLab International Final 2025
Monday 10 November 2025FameLab International Final 2025 – Live from CERN!Join us on Tuesday 25 November 2025 for the FameLab International Live Final, streaming straight from CERN Science Gateway!Nine countries — Australia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany,…
Dame Judi Dench Calls For Support On Our 80th Birthday
Thursday 12 June 2025As part of its year-round campaign to gift the joy of arts and culture to 80,000 children, actor and patron of the arts Dame Judi Dench has called for support of arts charity, Cheltenham Festivals on its official 80th birthday.