Chance to 'fall in love' this summer with one of the UK’s best small festivals held near Harrogate
Tickets are to go on sale this weekend for one of the UK’s best small festivals near Harrogate with BBC TV University Challenge host Amol Rajan on the bill.
Now in its 32nd year and located just 11 miles from Harrogate, the Northern Aldborough Festival will put this beautiful village at the epicentre of classical music for ten days, from June 18-27.
Robert Ogden, festival director, said: “As a charity, the festival aims to deliver outstanding live music in a rural setting – and more.
"We take great pride in presenting internationally acclaimed performers, typically found on major city stages, within the intimate surroundings of our village church in beautiful countryside.
"If you haven’t experienced the festival before, I urge you to give it a try, and I hope, fall in love with it.”
Joining its musical programme, the festival has just announced its special guest speaker will be one of Britain’s most popular broadcasters, Amol Rajan.
Born in Calcutta and raised in London, Amol’s path has taken him from student journalism at Cambridge to interviewing global figures, from Greta Thunberg to Bill Gates.
Amol Rajan said: “I can’t wait to visit Aldborough for this wonderful festival, not least to see the beautiful countryside of North Yorkshire but above all to meets its glorious people.
"I very much hope the people of Aldborough can be persuaded out for a very enjoyable evening, full of mischief, anecdotage and insight,
"Over 20 years, I’ve lived through a revolution in the media, wrought by technology.
"I had a wonderful time in newspapers, and I’ve had a blast over the past decade at BBC News.
"But I’m leaving the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4 to embark on a new chapter and I cannot wait.”
The 2026 Northern Aldborough Festival will open with The Orchestra of Opera North performing one of the world’s most-loved works, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.
Britain’s favourite clarinettist, Emma Johnson, returns with her star-studded trio, performing masterpieces by Beethoven, Brahms, and Shostakovich.
The pianist Lucy Parham performs I, Clara, which tells the extraordinary life story of Clara Schumann in a blend of words and music, narrated by none other than the acclaimed actress, Joanna David.
Pianist Sarah Beth Briggs, the Newcastle-born former child prodigy who was the youngest finalist in the history of the BBC Young Musician competition, will make her debut at Aldborough, and the five-star opera company Wild Arts return with Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.
Northern Aldborough Festival has built a reputation for its showcase of the UK’s best classical vocal talent with its New Voices Singing Competition.
Audiences have a rare chance to experience the UK’s finest talent battle it out in the live semi-final and grand-final of the competition, with a prize fund of £7,000.
Closing the festival is the popular Last Night Outdoor Concert, set in the grounds of Aldborough Manor.
This year’s headline act is the internationally acclaimed tribute band Definitely Oasis, who will bring the anthems of a generation to 1,200 festival-goers.
Audiences are invited to bring a picnic and dance the night away, ending with a spectacular firework display.
Aldborough’s late-night venue ‘The SHED’ also returns for concert goers in a relaxed environment with a variety of live entertainment and refreshments.
Tickets go on sale on Saturday, March 28 via: https://aldboroughfestival.co.uk