Revealed: First big names for next year's Northern Aldborough Festival near Harrogate
The programme for one of the UK’s best small festivals held just 11 miles from Harrogate may not yet be officially announced but some of the key highlights for 2025 are now out in the open.
About to enter its 31st year, the Northern Aldborough Festival hosted in the picturesque village of Aldborough is already gearing up for its next instalment.
As a charity, the festival’s mission is to bring high-end live music to a beautiful rural location steeped in Roman history.
A once prosperous Roman capital, the bucolic village is now the unlikely epicentre for classical music – and more.
Run by its artistic director Robert Ogden of the distinguished Harrogate family jewellery business, Northern Aldborough Festival has always prides itself on quality over size since it was launched in 1994.
The 2025 event highlights announced this week include two musical Dames: the mezzo soprano Dame Sarah Connolly with Dame Imogen Cooper on piano; fresh from their Proms debut, the Fantasia Orchestra; leading jazz vocalist Jacqui Dankworth, and one of the UK’s most exciting opera companies, Wild Arts, performs Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love.
This year’s headline speaker is the respected journalist, Matthew Parris.
Next year will also see the festival celebrate the artistry and power of the human voice, centred on its annual nationwide hunt for the UK’s best classical singing talent with its New Voices Singing Competition.
Once again, Aldborough’s late-night venue ‘The Shed’ will return for concert goers who want to continue festivities after the evening concerts in a relaxed environment, with a variety of live entertainment and refreshments.
The popular Last Night Outdoor Concert, set in the grounds of Aldborough Manor, will feature a leading pop act who performing to circa 1,000 festival-goers.
Audiences are invited to bring a picnic and dance the night away, ending with a spectacular orchestrated firework display.
Other 2025 highlights include:
Armonico Consort present The Vespers (Rachmaninov) directed by Christopher Monks.
The Thanda Gumede Trio, featuring the acclaimed eclectic vocalist who has performed at the BBC Proms and Buckingham Palace.
French horn star, Ben Goldscheider, playing with the Heath Quartet.