Church Stretton Arts Festival is the highlight of the Arts scene in South Shropshire.

The 2026 Festival runs from 25th July to 9th August. This year we are celebrating 60 years since the Festival was founded, and we have a wonderful selection of events lined up.  Full details of what’s on offer can be found on the Arts Festival Website strettonfestival.org.uk.

The Exhibition

We are again presenting our amazing Art, Crafts and Photography Exhibition.

The Exhibition is a non-competitive showcase for amateur and professional artists, craft workers and photographers living within 30 miles of Church Stretton. You will find over a thousand paintings, collage, photography and various forms of craftwork on display. Most of the work in the exhibition is for sale.

Workshops

As part of the exhibition, we host workshops led by locals artists in different media. This gives you a chance to try new skills in a small group. This year we have three workshops: Weaving with English Rush (led by Phi Evans), Modern Calligraphy (led by Alice Savery) and Botanical Cyanotype Printing (led by Julie McMahon).

Free Concerts.

We also have a range of free concerts for your enjoyment, presented by local musicians.

Around and about

Church Stretton has a good selection of independent shops, cafés, bars and restaurants. Close by is the well-known Carding Mill Valley, managed by the National Trust, from where you can start numerous walks on the Long Mynd which afford superb views over the surrounding countryside. There’s a tea-room and shop there too.

While here for the Festival, why not go a little further afield to these other excellent destinations:

• Ludlow is a short drive down the A49, or accessed easily by train, and is well known for its shops and food outlets.
• Shrewsbury, a similar distance northbound, and also easily reached by train, has a multitude of old buildings, whilst also providing a good range of shops and eateries.
• Ironbridge is a not-too-distant 45min drive away and if you’ve got time is an absolute must, as it is the birthplace of the industrial revolution.