Entertainment, Arts
and Literature

The historic building in the centre of Ludlow has been transformed into a state-of-the-art entertainment venue.

Complete with a new cafe and auditorium.

Having celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2015, the Three Choirs Festival is the longest running non-competitive classical music festival in the world.

Rotating between the beautiful English cathedral cities of Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester, the festival hosts an annual, week-long, summer programme packed with concerts, services, recitals, masterclasses, talks, theatre, exhibitions and lots more.

The Courtyard was he first major National Lottery capital project new build funded by the Arts Council in England.

Built on the site of the old Nell Gwynne Theatre, with a 390-seat main auditorium, 96-seat studio theatre and visual arts galleries, The Courtyard is a vibrant centre of arts and creativity in Herefordshire.

One of the world’s biggest and best literary festivals happens every year in late spring in the little border town of Hay on Wye.

Located in a large, tented village on the outskirts of town with 10 venues, pop-up cafes, shops and restaurants, the festival attracts over 100,000 visitors over 11 days to engage with the world’s great writers, poets, philosophers, historians, scientists, comedians and musicians. Evenings are devoted to music, comedy and film.

Once the town’s Congregational Chapel, The Theatre on the Steps in Bridgnorth has 180 seats, 120 in the stalls and 60 in the Balcony, there are spectacular views from the Green Room, over the Severn Valley covering the River Severn and Bridgnorth’s Low Town.

For 45 weeks a year the theatre offers a wide variety of drama, music and dance, with its own company of actors and singers mounting several productions including the annual pantomime. The rest of the programme is filled by visiting theatre companies, bands and artists. Over the years the theatre has been privileged to host performances from Honor Blackman, Kiki Dee, Paul Jones and George Melly to name but a few.

Countess of Huntingdon’s Chapel was a thriving Methodist church in the early 18th Century.

Nowadays, with much of the interior unchanged, you can sit in the old pew stalls to listen to a huge variety of live music – from folk to jazz, classical to rock – both by internationally acclaimed artists and some of the country’s best tribute acts.

An intimate, 330-seat venue, the Swan Theatre hosts a diverse and exciting programme of events, including drama, comedy, music and dance.

The Swan Theatre is also home to the award-winning Swan Youth Theatre and the Worcester Repertory Company, the theatre’s resident professional company.

The Festival Theatre, now known as Malvern Theatres, is housed in the Winter Gardens complex in the town centre of Great Malvern.

It regularly welcomes some of this country’s leading productions from the West End. The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal National Theatre and the Almeida Theatre Company are all visitors.

A bit of a hidden gem, the Hafren is the premier entertainment venue in the heart of Mid Wales.

Hosting many different shows from leading stand-up comedy acts and dance to choirs and orchestras, not to mention an opportunity to see The Welsh National Opera.