We’re just over a month away from the start of the Rye Arts Festival. In the coming weeks in Rye News, festival chair Andy Stuart will be previewing some of the music, talks, walks and shows on offer. Here’s his first report for 2026.
The 56th annual Rye Arts Festival kicks off on 10 September with over 70 ticketed events in a packed fortnight. One of the South East’s biggest multi-arts festivals, Rye has classical music at its heart, and this year won’t disappoint.
On the opening Saturday, the fabulous young Lithuanian pianist Gabriele Sutkute will give a recital that is bound to leave everyone wanting more. Back for the fourth festival in a row, Gabriele is deservedly a firm favourite with an ever-growing audience. Why not join it? You won’t be disappointed.
And the next night, the guitarist Goncalo Caetano will give a recital in St Mary’s on Sunday 13 September, since the Mermaid was packed last year when he made his Rye debut, and his wonderful playing demands a bigger venue.
We are very proud to provide a programme of international artistes from around the globe. Teddy Otieno is a Kenyan pianist who taught himself to play in Nairobi on a cardboard keyboard he made, but has now spent three years at Birmingham Royal Conservatoire, as well as being showcased on The Piano on Channel 4. Check out Teddy on Wednesday 16 September.
And on Friday 18 September, we welcome back Tangram after half a dozen years. A collective based in London, Tangram fuse Eastern and Western instruments with musicians from the global Chinese diaspora. Inventive, surprising and hugely talented, Tangram aren’t to be missed.
And while the soprano Anne Rebecca Hojlund hails from Denmark, Winchelsea is her family home now, and she will be joined by her duo partner pianist Francis Rayner and the violinist Hannah Dawson for an evening of songs by Elgar and Strauss as well as Vaughan Williams’ Along the Field song cycle which contains Lark Ascending! The concert will be on Tuesday 22 September at Winchelsea Church.
Moving closer to home, former Mayor of Rye Mike Boyd, will be entertaining the audience at St Mary’s with his wonderful reproducing piano (pianola to you and me) concert which will include Stravinsky’s The Firebird,, as arranged by the composer himself, plus a selection of foot- tapping Roaring Twenties totally timeless music on Tuesday 25 September in St Mary’s.
And then we have an evening on Sunday 20 September where the Rye Arts Festival Stringed Orchestra, conducted by Kenneth Roberts, will feature an ensemble of some of the best string players in Sussex and Kent, plus Rye’s very own Martin Bruce on organ, with a majestic performance of Poulenc’s Organ Concerto as part of the programme.
The evening before Martin Bruce will be conducting his Tongswood Choir, with a range of music from medieval to modern all sung a cappella, with an emphasis on British folk songs and part songs.
So a full and varied programme is being offered with artistes from around the world playing music from across the globe.
For more information and to book tickets go to www.ryeartsfestival.org.uk
Image Credits: Rye Arts Festival .