The Rye Arts Festival began in fine style on Thursday evening 10 September, with a packed St Mary’s Church welcoming the Marsh Choir. It was the start of a wonderfully varied first week, with talks, walks, music and poetry filling venues and streets across the town.
On Saturday morning, Town Crier Paul Goring officially launched the festival in suitably theatrical fashion. “Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Be it known Rye Arts Festival 2026 is now open!”
A roll of drums followed, and then came a glorious cornucopia of words and phrases as Paul’s cry rang out across the town.
“A perfectional paragon of public perfomative, pictorial, perambulatory and peroratory pleasures!
“A plentiful paradigm, a peerless pantheon of piquant presentations to perfectly pander to a prodigious profusion of personal psychologies!
“Theatre, music, lectures, talks & tours from the best performers from around the country – and even guided walks led by the handsomest man in Rye!
“From artistes of international renown to the very best of local talent, Rye Arts Festival has something for everyone!”
The Ryebellion Drummers added plenty of noise, colour and energy outside the Buttermarket, quickly drawing a crowd, while the Rye Harbour Herrings took their music around the town, adding their own distinctive sound to the festival atmosphere.
On Saturday night Gabrielé Sukutè gave the most wonderful piano recital and Sir George and Lady Zambellas attended in their new role as Patrons for the Festival.
Sir George wrote after the event, “As your new joint Patrons of the Rye Arts Festival, Amanda and I were delighted to be able to join you for Gabrielè Sutkutè’s wonderful piano recital on Saturday, part of more than two weeks of richness in events with international, national and local performers across the whole range of the arts. We are delighted to support this wonderful charity in its 55th year, and wish the whole team continued success: the leadership, management, organisers, supporters and the generous sponsors, all of whom give so freely.’
With so much happening, it would be impossible to mention everyone who entertained, informed and delighted festival-goers during the opening week. Instead, the photographs tell much of the story, capturing some of the people, performances and moments that made the week so memorable.
The images were taken by Tony Ham, Paul Whiteman, myself and some of the aspiring photographers among the festival stewarding team.
And this is only week one. There is still so much more to come as the Rye Arts Festival continues to celebrate the arts in all their wonderful forms.
Image Credits: Kt bruce , Tony Ham , Paul Whiteman , Tony Ham , Sally Walker , Paul Whiteman , Jeff Grice , Jeff Grice , Chris Walker .