Cheltenham Music Festival giving 80,000 children access to the arts

The pledge is part of their 80th anniversary celebrations.

Author: Jessica McGillivrayPublished 7th Mar 2025

Cheltenham Music Festival will be celebrating 80 years of the event in July and is marking the occasion with pledge to give 80,000 children access to the arts.

The festival is also set to see a ‘vibrant’ programme featuring new kinds of concerts and an exciting fresh mix of music

The pledge to give children access to the arts throughout the year aims to develop the audiences and performers of tomorrow.

Special concerts at the festival will take place for children and families with additional needs to help create accessible spaces for enjoying music.

Acts across the festival include the BBC Concert Orchestra and Britain’s Got Talent stars Braimah and Isata Kanneh-Mason

The festival’s 80th birthday will see the return of Concert for Schools for mainstream primaries and a relaxed concert for schools for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

The festival’s Artistic Director, Jack Bazalgette told Greatest Hits Radio

“We create concerts that are specifically tailored for every need and make sure that we're giving a space for every single audience out there.

“Music really should be like a human right I mean it does make your life better.

“I think its absolutely crucial to a happy life to have the arts be a part of your way of experiencing the world”

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