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Past Festivals

Past Festivals

Black and White Image of St Andrew's Plain, Norwich. Taken in 1910.

Norfolk & Norwich Festival has a long, rich history as a community celebration

Founded in 1772 as a fundraising event for the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital we have been at the cultural heart of Norfolk ever since. We are a Charity, which holds true to the central commitment of those first events: to celebrate, to share cultures and to bring our community together.

Over the last thirty years the Festival has established itself as the flagship arts festival for the East of England and one of the UK’s largest multi-art form festivals.

The organisation has been an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation since April 2012 and became a registered charity in early 2016.

As well as the Festival each may we have a year round programme of work with schools and communities across East Anglia (Norfolk Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough) to bring outstanding events and projects that provide inspiration and nurture creativity in those who need our support most.

Explore past Festivals

To celebrate the 250th anniversary of Norfolk & Norwich Festival in 2022 we were awarded Heritage Lottery Funding to research, record and celebrate the history of Norfolk & Norwich Festival.

Festival Forever is a volunteer led project, supported by Rob Mitchell, author of Festival For A Fine City, who’s research has been brought together in a timeline of passed Festivals.

Explore the timeline here

Get your copy of Rob Mitchell’s Festival for a Fine City here.

A brief history of Norfolk & Norwich Festival

To celebrate our 250th anniversary in 2022 we worked with Eye Film to create this series of animations showing a whistle-stop tour of the Festival’s history.

1772-1824: Our philanthropic origins

1824-1950: Putting Norwich on the map

1950-2022: A Festival for all!


Festival Forever is a National Lottery Heritage Fund project, with thanks to National Lottery players.

 

 

Supported by Museum of Norwich, Norfolk Heritage Centre and Norfolk Records Office

 

 

 

Image credits: Masthead © Chris Taylor | Explore past Festivals © Mary Doggett

Arts make life better

Norfolk & Norwich Festival brings tens of thousands of people together in celebration – it has been doing this for 250 years. Through our May Festival and our year-round arts education work, focusing on children and young people, we lead and support celebration, creativity and curiosity in communities across Norfolk and the region.

This year we begin an exciting new initiative, Festival Connect & Create that will bring creative opportunities to those schools and communities with least provision. Creativity transforms people’s lives. It builds cohesive communities, develops vital skills and supports health and wellbeing. We want more people to have access to creative opportunities.

Please consider donating to support and develop this work. With your help we can increase access to the life changing power of the arts.

Registered Charity No. 116442

Amount to Donate £ 0
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