SPONSORED EDITORIAL

The Canterbury Festival is back and bigger than ever before with Kent’s famous city gearing up to host two spectacular weeks of music, literature, comedy, parades and even a circus.

Set to take place between Saturday, October 19 and Saturday, November 2, the annual celebration of the arts will this year feature singer Jack Savoretti getting his autumn tour underway at the Marlowe Theatre with tunes from his No.1 album Singing to Strangers.

Apart from the Marlowe Theatre, venues will include Canterbury Cathedral, Kent College’s newly built Great Hall and the touring Salon Perdu Spiegeltent.

There will also be a one-off show on Wednesday, October 23 from two-time Mobo award-winner Laura Mvula as well as a performance from popular country duo Ward Thomas on Friday, October 25.

Juan de Marcos - the architect of the Buena Vista Social Club - will be bringing a touch of Havana to Kent with his band Afro-Cuban All Stars set to take the stage on Thursday, October 24.

Tickets to see Jack Savoretti have sold out but there are still limited tickets to catch other performers and events so get in quick by clicking here.

But Canterbury Festival 2019 is not just about the brilliant singers.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS OR TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CANTERBURY FESTIVAL 2019

The Spiegeltent Spectacular fundraiser will be a cavalcade of music, dancing and cabaret acts while there is also the chance to catch the premier of The Keys of Canterbury, a festival commission performed by British star saxophonist Jess Gillam and the Frisian Symphonic Wind Orchestra.

Pianist Lucy Parham will be presenting a meticulously researched show celebrating the life of Clara Schuman with narration by esteemed actress Patricia Hodge (Miranda).

There are also fantastic musical performances by The Sacconi Quartet, Tallis Scholars, Classico Latino and Omar Puente as well as Los Pacaminos featuring Paul Young.

Dyad Productions life-affirming, comedic tale of an immortal poet Orlando will take to the stage at the festival while crowd favourite Casus returns for two nights of great circus entertainment.

Comedy lovers simply cannot miss The Laughing Boy Comedy Club - a showcase featuring some of the UK’s rising stand-up stars.

This year’s Talks programme welcomes speakers covering everything from history and crime, to the clergy and Rupert Bear.

They include criminal barrister William Clegg, TV presenter and ethnobotanist James Wong, presenter, historian and broadcaster Professor Bettany Hughes while this year’s Kent College lecture is led by The Sky at Night’s Chris Lintott who will be exploring the role humanity can still play, in the age of technologically advanced research.

Working in partnership with the University of Kent’s Biosciences department, the Canterbury Festival provides inspiring scientific events for all ages.

Don’t miss TV presenter and scientist Simon Watt as he explores The Genetics of Superheroes, revealing the reality behind comic book mutants’ powers, and how we could one day use genetics to make us superhuman.

You can also book yourself into The Cocktail Lab where mixology meets science while Emma Byrne’s eye-opening talk about the benefits of swearing - including pain relief and improved teamwork - is certainly worth a visit.

Professor of Cognitive Neuroimaging Gina Rippon, meanwhile, will discuss The Gendered Brain and demolish the myth of the ‘female brain’.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS OR TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CANTERBURY FESTIVAL 2019

There’s also plenty to do with the kids!

This year, the Canterbury Festival welcomes Tales of Adriamus – a group of professional musicians who specialise in music for children and have created musical versions of Anthony Browne’s Willy the Wimp stories.

Chicken Licken will recall tales from the much-loved Ladybird books while award-winning musical-comedian Jay Foreman, hits the stage with Disgusting Songs for Revolting Children – a family friendly show that was a huge hit at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Children will also have fun with Captain Cauliflower and Marvin the Mischievous Moose while The Comedy Club 4 Kids returns with the best up-and-coming comedians on the circuit doing what they do best!

There will also be a disco with prizes for the best outfits, face painting, dressing up and a cheeky pint for dad.

Canterbury Festival’s learning and participation strand Made In Kent will be presenting a series of events showcasing and developing emerging young talent while there will also be an informative and revealing series of walks in and around Canterbury and East Kent.

Discover the city’s most historic landmarks, learn about the origins of the city and step back in time to learn the history.

There are also an array of exhibitions and open studios to explore in this year’s Visual Arts programme.

This year will mark ten years of support by Canterbury Christ Church University as the Festival’s Partner and Principal Sponsor.

Tickets for the majority of events are available to be booked directly through the Festival by clicking here, calling 01227 457568 or by visiting the Box Office during opening hours at Festival House, 8 Orange Street CT1 2JA.

To book tickets for Festival events taking place at The Marlowe, please contact The Marlowe Box Office on 01227 787787 or click here to visit the official website.