Welcome to the Barnes Music Festival
Our 2026 Festival was the most successful ever with many outstanding performances and record audiences. We were delighted to welcome 7500 people to hear high quality music at 40 events in venues across Barnes, performed by 900 musicians of all ages.
With the theme of Musical Roots exploring the origins, influences and impacts of music, we opened with Britten’s Noyes Fludde and the middle weekend featured Garsington Opera’s Trial by Jury. Star performers included pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, baritone Roderick Williams, Tenebrae Associate Artists, Fieri Consort, Aurora Orchestra and the innovative Nordic group Barokksolistene.
Everyone was invited to join in the Come & Sing St John Passion with Hilary Campbell and the Singalong Disney Songs with Ben Parry. We had a host of chamber recitals and choirs, and special appearances from Alan Titchmarsh, Sir Thomas Allen, Gyles Brandreth and Howard Goodall.
Our local groups Barnes Music Society, Barnes Community Choir, Barnes Concert Band and St Michael’s Choir brought their special performances to the festival and we again had our Schools Concert, Toddlers Concert, Music in the Dark and Tony Palmer’s film at Olympic. We were honoured to have Tasmin Little as the adjudicator for the Barnes Young Musician of the Year.
We are now well into planning next year’s Festival taking place from 6 to 21 March 2027 with the theme New Beginnings.
The programme will be announced in December 2026 with tickets going on sale in mid-January. Priority booking for Friends and Benefactors starts in mid-December.
We are grateful to all our supporters especially our principal partner Chestertons, our major partner Russell-Cooke, to the Benefactors and Friends of Barnes Music Festival and above all to the musicians who share their music and their passion with us.
We hope you enjoy the Barnes Music Festival, either as a regular visitor and supporter or as a newcomer. Please save the dates of 6 to 21 March 2027 for next year’s festival and we look forward to seeing you there.
Andrew Summers, Chairman & James Day, Artistic Director