The GAP Festival is a celebration of the arts and entertainment that started as an ambitious cultural project in 2014 as a legacy to the Queen’s Jubilee.
The GAP Festival, Goring & Streatley
The GAP Festival, Goring & Streatley

The full ten-day programme of events is now available, giving you everything you need to start planning your festival experience.

Tickets on sale at noon on Friday 27 March. 

The full programme is now available.

The GAP Festival is a celebration of the arts and entertainment that started as an ambitious cultural project in 2014 as a legacy to the Queen’s Jubilee.

After the first Festival, the word spread and now a Festival takes place in June every other year in the beautiful Goring Gap villages of Goring and Streatley.

It brings outstanding performers and artists together with events encompassing art, music, literature, comedy, theatre, science and more.

Tickets to this year’s highly anticipated GAP Festival are on sale and flying out the doors.

Some FREE events require tickets, and many workshops and wellbeing sessions are already fully booked.

Don’t miss your opportunity to experience the best of this year’s GAP Festival.

Book your tickets now.

A programme of events for all at The Gap Festival

The Festival’s strength lies in its variety.

From practical workshops to exciting music, and inspiring talks to joyful family sessions, this year’s programme invites you to try something new, rediscover a passion, or simply enjoy time together.

Festival Wellbeing Mornings

Each morning of the Festival begins with a chance to reset, recharge, and enjoy the outdoors.

A mixed wellbeing programme will be on offer, including Qi Gong, Paddle Boarding, Meditation, Singing and Nordic Walking.

Whether you’re seeking calm, connection, or a burst of energy, these sessions are designed to help you step into each day feeling grounded and refreshed. View the Wellbeing events

Build a Terrarium

Creative workshops and hands-on sessions will run throughout the Festival, offering plenty of chances to try something new.

One example is this guided workshop on Monday 15 June, which invites you to roll up your sleeves and create your piece of living art with the Garden Design Company.

You’ll learn how to build a terrarium – layering soil, selecting plants, and shaping a tiny ecosystem to take home. View all arts events. 

Canterbury Cathedral Through the Ages

Award-winning BBC broadcaster and architectural historian Dr Jonathan Foyle joins the Festival on Wednesday 17 June to unravel the story of one of Britain’s most iconic buildings.

Through the lives of three remarkable figures who shaped Canterbury Cathedral, he brings centuries of history to life, revealing how architecture, faith, and politics intertwined to create the structure we know today.

Supported by: Goring Gap Local History Society. Find out more

On a Role Presents: The Secret Life of Enid Blyton

Following her sell-out performance in 2024 based on Agatha Christie, actor Liz Grand returns to the Festival with her portrayal of Enid Blyton on Thursday 18 June.

Loved by generations of children, Enid Blyton sold over 600 million books, yet she was a complex and controversial figure. This compelling one-woman play will bring her incredible, and often surprising, story to life on stage.

Sponsored by: Cleeve Lodge Care Home. Find out more

The Great Gap Mystery Dinner: The Hunt for the Final Secret

In another first for the Festival, we invite you to join The Hunt for the Final Secret on Saturday 20 June.

Step into a vintage mystery dinner with a playful treasure-hunt twist.

Gather your team, or join a table, to explore unexpected corners, follow curious clues, and interrogate a cast of suspicious characters who know more than they’re letting on.

Join Dead Herring for an evening of intrigue and adventure. Find out more

The Gap Festival Festival Highlights at a Glance
A Closer Look at What’s Coming
  • GAP Opera returns to the beautiful setting of Streatley Farmhouse with a bespoke production of Puccini’s La Bohème sung in English. Singers from some of the country’s finest opera houses will bring this timeless story of friendship, love and heartbreak to life with 3 performances on Friday 12th, Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th June. 

    Families can look forward to Wonders of the Natural World on Saturday 13th June. A full day of free activities, ticketed experiences and hands-on discovery.

    With contributions from The Royal Institution, Beale Park, The Living Rainforest, OrbAstro and the University of Reading, it promises to be a lively celebration of science, nature and imagination.

    A brand-new addition for 2026 is The Great Community Showcase: A La Cart, inviting local groups, clubs and organisations to take to the stage and share what they do.

    This takes place alongside the ever popular Market Day on Sunday 14th June. Community groups who would like to take part are warmly encouraged to get in touch: alacart@gapfestival.org.

    Fans of Sir Terry Pratchett will be delighted to welcome Stephen Briggs, long-time collaborator and adaptor of many Discworld novels.

    He will discuss his work with Pratchett and the craft of bringing fantastical stories from page to stage on Monday 15th June. Sponsored by Gap HR Services Ltd.

    Music lovers can look forward to an evening with singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist George Montague, known for his dynamic performances and BBC 6Music acclaim.

    He will be joined by local favourites The Moonseeds for a night of energy and atmosphere on Friday 19th June.

    This event has been sponsored by a generous fan who prefers to remain anonymous.

    For those who love to get involved, Discover. Create. Perform. offers a day of workshops across the villages, open to all ages and abilities.

    The sessions will culminate in a collaborative community performance, celebrating creativity and shared experience on Saturday 20th June. 

    Goring Fire Station will host a unique musical, Cambridge All Ladies Fire Brigade, inspired by the true story of five pioneering women who formed their own fire brigade and found themselves fighting for equality as well as fires on Saturday 20th June.

    Sponsored by Gap HR Services Ltd.

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