Kenilworth Fringe Festival

30/05/2026

Classical music in a castle, what could be lovelier? And early evening concert in 19 June with a collection of very fine musicians. Keeping your appetites whetted for next year's Fringe too!

22/04/2026

It's a bit of a wait until the next Fringe Festival, but Kenilworth Chamber of Trade has scheduled an interim event this summer at the Castle! An evening of wonderful classical music in those beautiful surroundings. More details below.

A relaxing summer evening at the Castle, with 4 performances from internationally recognised musicians across the evening.

14/04/2026

Kenilworth Fringe Planning Meeting ✍️📚

(Blank page as things are top secret at the moment!)

Let us know what you would like to see in February 2027 💭

09/04/2026

EXCITING NEWS!

After the success of the first ever Kenilworth Fringe Festival the dates for the next event have been announced – February 1-7, 2027.

The first Kenilworth Fringe Festival, held in early February, saw a thousand people attending 52 events in ten different venues all over the town across the week.

Now plans are being made for the next cultural extravaganza – and organisers are appealing for local groups and organisations to join in making the next event a week to remember.

And now the event is established, organisers are looking to get more sponsors on board.

Organiser Rebecca Warwick, chair of Kenilworth Chamber of Trade, said: “The first Kenilworth Fringe Festival was a huge success, and that has encouraged us to plan another for next February. Reaction from people attending was very positive. Our audience ranged from pre-school children to people in their 90s.”

The first Kenilworth Fringe Festival included events based around arts and crafts, music, books, ideas, politics, economics, history and philosophy.

Rebecca added: “Kenilworth Fringe Festival is focused on building community and connection in Kenilworth. “We planned the first event in relatively little time. We have much more time to plan the second Festival, so we hope it can be bigger and better in 2027.”

Groups and sponsors interested in getting involved in KFF27 should contact Rebecca at [email protected]

For more information contact Rebecca Warwick [email protected]
For media enquiries contact Tor Clark [email protected]

09/02/2026

If you have any particular highlights of the Festival, do let us know! I know Rebecca is happy to receive any feedback positive or negative. And if you have any photos, do share them.

09/02/2026

Well what a week that was! An amazing first Fringe festival for Kenilworth. Thank you to everyone who came to things - I think everything was well-attended. Thank you to all the speakers, workshop leaders, musicians, everyone who gave their time and energy to provide such a brilliant programme of events - some of them voluntarily. Thank you to the team who put it all together - especially Rebecca Warwick, whose brainchild it was and who isn't on Facebook so won't see this, and to Judy and Tor on the committee, and all the volunteers who helped steward events. Thank you to the venue hosts. I hope we can do it all again next year!

08/02/2026

Today is the last day of the Festival - what a great week it's been! Another writer's day at the Holiday Inn, including one for children, poetry at lunchtime, the art exhibition continues, and there is live music at the Royal Oak from 3pm - will post separate info about that.
NB Michael Mansfield KC was due to speak at 5pm but can't now be here. We have in his place the wonderful painter and illustrator Jackie Morris (The Lost Words and many other books).

The day starts at 10am with a watercolour demonstration by local artist Chris Saunderson at the Holiday Inn.
A talk about famous historical figure Guy of Warwick aimed at youngsters aged eight and above will be given by author Neville Armstrong at the Holiday Inn at 11am.
Children’s music tasters will be held from 2pm at the Holiday Inn.
Local poet John Watson offers poetry over lunch at the Holiday Inn from 1pm.
The writers and thinkers day at the Holiday Inn runs from 10.30 to 6pm. Admission costs £10.
It starts at 11am with Professor Angie Hobbs in conversation with Dr Victoria Mier about her book Why Plato Matters Now.
The speeches of Winston Churchill will be the subject of a talk by former journalist and speech-writer Cliff Grantham at 12pm.
Acclaimed and prolific TV and film scriptwriter and Kenilworth resident Andrew Davies, who is the patron of Kenilworth Fringe Festival, will be in conversation at 2pm, talking about highlights from his fascinating career.
Next up will be actor and director Corey Campbell, creative director at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre and artistic director of Strictly Arts Theatre and Anna Williams, chair of the cardboard Citizens Theatre Group, a theatre group working with homeless people. She has spent nearly 30 years at Birmingham Royal Ballet and will talk about the importance of art and culture in enriching lives. They will be in conversation with Festival organiser Rebecca Warwick.
Acclaimed author Jackie Morris will discuss her work in the final slot of the Festival at 5pm on Sunday.
Jackie, author and illustrator of many books such as The Lost Words and Tell Me A Dragon, will give a thoughtful talk about peace, where we can find it and why writing about it presents challenges. She will also be premiering a wonderful short film made by Dougal Abbott and Chris Jelly (Seven Fables Dulverton) based on her latest book Wild Folk. There will be a book signing after the event with Kenilworth Books.
Human rights barrister Michael Mansfield KC, advertised as appearing on Sunday, has had to withdraw from the Festival.
For full details of Kenilworth Fringe Festival events and tickets visit

The Kenilworth Chamber of Trade has been established for over 30 years and is the voice of business owners and retailers in Kenilworth.

07/02/2026

Saturday at the Fringe is in full swing and going very well by all accounts. Here is a preview of what you can enjoy tomorrow at the second of our writers' days.
NB Michael Mansfield KC was due to speak at 5pm but can't now be here. We have in his place the wonderful painter and illustrator Jackie Morris (The Lost Words and many other books).

The last day of Kenilworth Fringe Festival on Sunday (Feb 8) features a fascinating array of writers, thinkers and performers at Kenilworth’s Holiday Inn.

The new week-long cultural event started on Monday and has been going on all week at venues around the town, culminating on Sunday (Feb 8).

The day starts at 10am with a watercolour demonstration by local artist Chris Saunderson at the Holiday Inn.

A talk about famous historical figure Guy of Warwick aimed at youngsters aged eight and above will be given by author Neville Armstrong at the Holiday Inn at 11am.

Children’s music tasters will be held from 2pm at the Holiday Inn.

Local poet John Watson offers poetry over lunch at the Holiday Inn from 1pm.

The writers and thinkers day at the Holiday Inn runs from 10.30 to 6pm. Admission costs £10.

It starts at 11am with Professor Angie Hobbs in conversation with Dr Victoria Mier about her book Why Plato Matters Now.

The speeches of Winston Churchill will be the subject of a talk by former journalist and speech-writer Cliff Grantham at 12pm.

Acclaimed and prolific TV and film scriptwriter and Kenilworth resident Andrew Davies, who is the patron of Kenilworth Fringe Festival, will be in conversation at 2pm, talking about highlights from his fascinating career.

Next up will be actor and director Corey Campbell, creative director at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre and artistic director of Strictly Arts Theatre and Anna Williams, chair of the cardboard Citizens Theatre Group, a theatre group working with homeless people. She has spent nearly 30 years at Birmingham Royal Ballet and will talk about the importance of art and culture in enriching lives. They will be in conversation with Festival organiser Rebecca Warwick.

Acclaimed author Jackie Morris will discuss her work in the final slot of the Festival at 5pm on Sunday.

Jackie, author and illustrator of many books such as The Lost Words and Tell Me A Dragon, will give a thoughtful talk about peace, where we can find it and why writing about it presents challenges. She will also be premiering a wonderful short film made by Dougal Abbott and Chris Jelly (Seven Fables Dulverton) based on her latest book Wild Folk. There will be a book signing after the event with Kenilworth Books.

Human rights barrister Michael Mansfield KC, advertised as appearing on Sunday, has had to withdraw from the Festival.

For full details of Kenilworth Fringe Festival events and tickets visit www.kenilworthchamber.co.uk or Kenilworth Books in Talisman Square.

The Kenilworth Chamber of Trade has been established for over 30 years and is the voice of business owners and retailers in Kenilworth.

07/02/2026

Here is Saturday's programme - £10 for a whole day of wonderful writers talking about their stuff. The afternoon panel will be chaired by Tor Clark, not Victoria Mier (nor even Victoria Meir, whoever she might be!). Don't forget the art exhibition too, also on at the Holiday Inn.

🖋️Last chance to sign up to a jam packed day for writers!

Want to know how to get published as become a screenwriter? Join us for full day of talks and discussion with writers of all varieties.

With a range of talks from published authors and creative writing lecturers, to a panel discussion with writers from a wide variety of disciplines, this day will unpack the methods and approaches different writers use to evoke place and our connections with it.

Featuring:

🖊️Nick Walker - Screenwriter and creator of the BBC Detective drama "Annika", Nick is prolific and has worked on a wide range of projects from novels, to TV & film scripts, via theatre and radio.

🖊️Ben Pester - Critically acclaimed author, Ben Pester, whose latest book, "The Expansion Project", was selected as one of the best books of 2025 by The Telegraph and was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize and the Nero Book Awards for Debut Fiction.

🖊️Amanda Smyth - Irish-Trinidadian novelist & Creative Writing lecturer whose critically acclaimed novels include Black Rock, Kind of Eden and Look at you.

🖊️Harry Whitehead - Novelist, Associate Professor of Creative Writing, whose latest novel "White Road" is an environmental thriller set in the High Arctic

🖊️Panel – How to write Chaired by Dr Victoria Meir and including our other guests and introducing:

🖊️Vanessa Oakes - trained as a theatre designer and worked extensively in scenography, community arts and arts administration before becoming a full-time writer, designer and freelance producer.

🖊️Nick Wells - Founder and Creative Director of Flame Tree Publishing, Nick Wells is a publisher, who consciously encourages cultural exchanges across many traditions.

📅Saturday 10th Feb, 10:30 – 5pm
📍Holiday Inn
🎫From £10 - £25 (depending on food option selected)

06/02/2026

We are heading into the final couple of days of the Fringe Festival, and the weekend is all about writers, though there are a few other things too - aerial hoop, cross stitch, live music. Here is the information about Saturday!

A full day of acclaimed authors talking about their work and helping aspiring wordsmiths learn how to write is the highlight of Saturday (Feb 7) at Kenilworth Fringe Festival.
The new week-long cultural event started on Monday and continues all week at venues around the town, culminating in two full days of events at the Holiday Inn on Saturday and Sunday (Feb 7/8).
At 11am authors Ben Pester, Amanda Smyth and Harry Whitehead will talk about their work in conversation with Charlotte Vaughan from Kenilworth Books. All three authors have local connections and have won praise for their recent books.
At 2pm these authors will join theatre designer turned opera librettist Vanessa Oakes to talk about the craft of writing, hosted by Tor Clark.
At 3pm international publisher Nick Wells, founder and creative director of Flame Tree Publishing, established more than 30 years ago, with bases in London and New York, will talk about his work and career with Festival organiser Rebecca Warwick. Flame Tree is the independent book publisher of the year for both 2024 and 2025 and features titles around fantasy, mythology, horror and science fiction.
At 4pm Nick Walker, screenwriter of the popular TV series Annika, will talk to Rebecca Warwick about his work.
One £10 ticket gives admission to all events at the Holiday Inn on Saturday.
Elsewhere in Kenilworth activities on Saturday include aerial hoop classes, cross-stitch for families, arts and crafts for children, a male voice choir and musical performances.
Aerial hoop classes are being held at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm at Kenilworth Methodist Church. Tickets cost £10.
Caterpillar Cross-Stitch for families is available at the Holiday Inn from 2pm. Tickets cost £35.
Three Spires Harmony, a local male voice choir will be singing at the Holiday Inn at 1pm.
From 2.30pm an arts and crafts session for children will be available at the Holiday Inn.
From 4pm at Greens, there will be performances by Rockin Warren, Harry Penton and The Session.
From 7.30pm at Kenilworth Sports and Social Club there will be performances by local band Rise, supported by Project 6 and Band I. Tickets cost £10.
Josienne Clarke will perform at Kenilworth United Reformed Church from 7.30pm. Tickets cost £17.
For full details of Kenilworth Fringe Festival events and tickets visit www.kenilworthchamber.co.uk or Kenilworth Books in Talisman Square.

The Kenilworth Chamber of Trade has been established for over 30 years and is the voice of business owners and retailers in Kenilworth.