Nevill Holt Festival 2026
This summer, over 25,000 people are expected to enjoy 60 different events at the 2026 Nevill Holt Festival. From opera and live music to fascinating talks as well as beautiful gardens with impressive sculpture, the festival is rich, varied and really quite wonderful!
It never happens to me! Arriving at the home of David Ross, businessman, philanthropist and founder of the Nevill Holt Festival, my phone battery went flat. It left me with no sat-nav, no means to call at the gate and advise of my arrival, no way to review my pre-interview notes, and no device on which to record our conversation.
I mused upon how important mobile phones have become for administering our lives, and how lost we are without them. But who should know that better than the co-founder of Carphone Warehouse in 1991? The retailer was at the cutting edge of technology, establishing the company when car phones sold in limited volumes then ceased selling when mobiles emerged, by which time it was too late to name the company Mobile Warehouse instead. David’s company, at its peak, comprised 531 stores and sold 6.5 million mobile phones a year.
That being the case, you’d think he would be a technology advocate, but his admission to using an old phone with a cracked screen proves otherwise. “I’m not a tech wizard,” he says. “I was on the operational and finance side; the technology was sort of incidental to me.”
Additionally, from 2007 when he founded the David Ross Education Trust, he has also been involved in education and sees the importance of getting youngsters off their screens (“At 12, 13 or 14 they just don’t need the distraction,” he says). One way to achieve this is to introduce them to live music and theatre, something he’s well-placed to do as the founder of the Nevill Holt Festival.
“My father used to take me to concerts. He was also a singer, albeit not a very good one!” David says. “I went to school in Uppingham and on a Saturday morning we were given the choice of staying at school to study, or going on the bus to venues like Sheffield’s City Hall or the Crucible to see the Hallé Orchestra or The Magic Flute or Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. What started off as a scam to get out of the classroom soon became a real pleasure, and I want to provide that experience to youngsters, as well as adults, so that’s why I’m keen to include them in the festival as well.”
David purchased the 13th-century Grade I-listed Nevill Holt in 2000 and spent three years on a comprehensive renovation of the estate, the former home of Sir Bache Cunard in 1876, who inherited it following the death of his brother Edward.
After a good friend, who ran an opera festival down south, asked to use the estate for a similar event, the first Nevill Holt Festival took place, comprising a couple of hundred people and a handful of performances.
Today’s Nevill Holt Festival has a remit beyond opera, although productions like last year’s Così Fan Tutte and this year’s Don Pasquale, produced and performed in collaboration with Opera North, ensure that opera is still at the festival’s heart.
More than 25,000 people are expected to attend a summer programme of over 60 events. These range from the opening of Nevill Holt’s gardens, with their exceptional sculpture, for the NGS, to appearances by actors (Hugh Bonneville, Dame Imelda Staunton, Jim Carter), sports personalities (Clare Balding, Rebecca Adlington, Jonathan Agnew) and comedians like Rory Bremner. Other participants include broadcasters like John Simpson and historians such as David Olusoga, fresh from Celebrity Traitors.
Other events include Guardians of Heritage in which David himself will be joined by the Duke of Buccleuch of Boughton House and Orlando Rock of Burghley House to discuss what it means to undertake custodianship of Britain’s great country houses.
Those who appreciate fashion will enjoy the opportunity to see Dame Anya Hindmarch and Zandra Rhodes. Food for thought is also a feature of the festival courtesy of Bake Off finalist Dr Josh Smalley, Bake Off winner Matty Edgell and Rory O’Connell, founder of Ballymaloe Cookery School and two-time holder of Ireland’s Chef of the Year title.
Musical acts featured this year include the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson, the Jay Rayner Sextet and Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra.
The creation of a dedicated theatre (a winner of a RIBA National Award) in the adjacent 17th-century stable block in 2018 plus the organic growth of the festival means it now attracts a greater audience than ever, whilst still retaining its intimate feel thanks to events being spaced out from Friday 29th May to Sunday 21st June.
If David was hoping to reclaim his front lawn any time soon, hard luck… the festival’s popularity has grown, and its combination of world-class performances with hospitality and a beautiful setting have all helped to ensure that Nevill Holt has become one of the best, and most varied outdoor cultural festivals in Britain, and a thoroughly enjoyable part of your summer.
Below, we’ve a few highlights of this year’s festival…
Sculpture at Nevill Holt
Art forms an integral part of the experience at Nevill Holt, where a thoughtfully curated collection of contemporary sculpture is displayed across the estate. Among the most striking pieces is Horse at Water by Nic Fiddian-Green, a monumental bronze horse head poised as if drinking from the lake. Other works include The Morrígan by Luke Alen Buckley, a powerful three-part monument formed from suspended blue-limestone boulders. The wider collection features sculpture by leading modern British artists including Antony Gormley, Rachel Whiteread, Marc Quinn, Allen Jones, Sean Henry and Peter Randall-Page. Together the works create a compelling outdoor gallery that reflects Nevill Holt’s commitment to contemporary art alongside its celebrated opera festival.
The Gardens of Nevill Holt
The gardens at Nevill Holt extend across ten acres and combine historic character with thoughtful contemporary design by Chelsea gold medal-winning garden designer Rupert Golby. Three distinctive walled gardens provide structure and variety. The Italian Garden is planted with old English roses and framed by mature holm oaks clipped into large spheres, with herbaceous planting providing colour in early summer. The Walled Kitchen Garden has been productive since the seventeenth century with wall-trained fruit including peaches and nectarines alongside vegetables and flowers grown for the estate. At the Font House a peaceful modern pavilion sits within planting of shrubs, roses and perennials beside symmetrical pools with sculpture seen throughout the grounds of Nevill Holt. The gardens are open from Friday 29th May to Sunday 21st June, in association with the National Gardens Scheme and Nevill Holt Festival.
Exceptional Dining at Nevill Holt
London’s Maison François will once again take over the main marquee at Nevill Holt to create The Garden Restaurant, a full-scale pop-up dining experience, and a destination in its own right. Opened in 2020 by François O’Neill, Ed Wyand, and Executive Chef Matthew Ryle, Maison François is a critically-acclaimed brasserie in the heart of St James’s in London’s West End. At Nevill Holt, The Garden by Maison François will serve French classics all day and into the evening, often using produce from the estate’s own Kitchen Garden. The à la carte menu features dishes such as steak frites, moules frites, ratatouille, and a rotating selection of signature plats. A set summer menu is also available for those looking to combine dining with a performance. Reservations can be made online at www.nevillholtfestival.com/dining.
12 Highlights at Nevill Holt in 2026:
29th & 31st May & 5th & 7th June: Don Pasquale
Opera North & Nevill Holt present Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, a classic opera buffa – a fast-paced comic opera brimming with sharp wit, romantic intrigue and sparkling music. Step into the golden age of Italian cinema with this stylish new production by Opera North, directed by James Hurley, and set in an independent film studio in mid-1960s Rome. Fizzing with wit, glamour and cinematic flair, Don Pasquale blends comedy with the romance and nostalgia of Italy’s film-making heyday. This opera will be sung in Italian with English surtitles. 5pm Fridays, 3pm Sundays, £170-£200.
Friday 29th May: Clare Balding and Rebecca Adlington
Join BAFTA award-winning writer and broadcaster Clare Balding CBE as she sits down with two-time Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington OBE. The pair will reflect on Balding’s remarkable career at the forefront of sport and television. Honoured with both an OBE and CBE for services to broadcasting, sport and charity, Clare continues to champion greater visibility and equality in women’s sport and will surely prove a wonderful host for the 2008 Olympic-winning swimmer. 7.30pm-8.30pm, tickets £45.
Saturday 30th May: John Simpson
A legendary name in news reporting, John Simpson CBE, makes an exclusive appearance with us to share reflections on his illustrious career as the BBC’s World Affairs Editor. Widely regarded as one of the most distinguished foreign correspondents of our time, Simpson is the ‘David Attenborough of news.’ For more than six decades, he has reported on almost every major turning point in modern history, from the Iranian Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall to the Gulf Wars, the end of Apartheid, the genocide in Rwanda and the collapse of the Soviet Union. 2.30pm-3.30pm, tickets £40.
Friday 12th June: Rory Bremner
For four decades, Rory Bremner has been the voice of our times… quite literally. Now, following a thrilling sold-out 2025 tour, the master satirist is back to combine his signature stand-up with candid conversation. Expect a virtuoso display of vocal mimicry, razor-sharp political commentary, and revealing insights from the man who’s made a career of being other people. Don’t miss this rare chance to see Britain’s foremost impressionist blend stand-up comedy and conversation in an evening of acute observations, pitch-perfect impressions, and surprising revelations. 7pm-8pm, tickets £37.50.
Saturday 13th June: Jim Carter & Dame Imelda Staunton
Jonathan ‘Aggers’ Agnew is back by popular demand, this time joined by acclaimed actors and devoted cricket enthusiasts Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton. This spectacular trio come together for a hilarious and captivating conversation. Jim Carter is one of Britain’s most respected stage and screen actors, widely recognised for his portrayal of Mr Carson in Downton Abbey. Dame Imelda Staunton is the BAFTA-award winning star of Harry Potter and The Crown and Aggers… well, he needs no introduction! 4pm-5pm, tickets £45.
Saturday 13th June: David Olusoga
An opportunity to unpack the inner workings of one of the UK’s most compelling voices on history, race and identity. David Olusoga, British-Nigerian historian, bestselling author, BAFTA-winning filmmaker and Celebrity Traitors presents an evening of insight, challenge and a powerful rethinking of what we thought we knew about British history and its global connections. David is the author of acclaimed books including Black & British: A Forgotten History, The World’s War and Black History for Every Day of the Year, co-written with his sisters. 3pm-4pm, tickets £30.
Saturday 13th June: Hugh Bonneville
Join the legendary screen and stage star Hugh Bonneville, actor, producer and author, widely recognised for his roles in Notting Hill, Downton Abbey, W1A and the three Paddington films. Hugh will be in conversation with acclaimed actress Genevieve Gaunt for an afternoon of insight and wit. Together, they will delve into the anecdotes, backstage encounters and quietly comic misadventures that shaped Hugh’s warmly received memoir, Playing Under the Piano: From Downton to Darkest Peru, a charming reflection on several decades spent, as he puts it, trying not to bump into the furniture. 5.15pm-6.15pm, tickets £30.
Friday 19th June: Dame Anya Hindmarch
A vibrant occasion to celebrate the career of Dame Anya Hindmarch, fashion designer, passionate advocate of British design and a trustee of Tate. Anya will be in conversation with acclaimed journalist and editor Emily Sheffield. Hindmarch founded her business in London in 1987, and it has since grown into a global brand. Today, it is known for its luxury, organisation-obsessed accessories, groundbreaking work in sustainability and playful experiential retail concepts. Creativity, modern craftsmanship and personalisation sit at the heart of everything Anya Hindmarch does. 3pm-4pm, tickets £40.
Friday 19th June: Dame Zandra Rhodes
An afternoon with British fashion and textile designer, Dame Zandra Rhodes, renowned for her bold, colourful hand-drawn prints and unmistakable personal style. As a trailblazer in fusing the craft of screen-printing and fashion design, Rhodes launched her own label in 1969, designing five decades’ worth of groundbreaking fashion collections and dressing every one from rock stars to royalty, including Freddie Mercury and Princess Diana. Zandra recently published her memoir, Iconic: My Life in Fashion in 50 Objects, and her designs can be seen in many prestigious museums. 3.45pm-4.45pm, tickets £call.
Saturday 20th June: Jenny Éclair
Join Jenny Eclair for an hour of loosely described ‘conversation,’ featuring indiscreet gossip/scurrilous anecdotes and ill-advised oversharing.’ Jenny is an award-winning comedian, writer and actress, best known as the first woman to win the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival. She has starred in Grumpy Old Women on stage and screen, appeared regularly on television and radio, and is the author of several novels from the stand-up comedian and author, whose memoir, ‘Jokes, Jokes, Jokes’ was written in an attempt to get it all down in print, before she forgot everything. 3pm-4pm, tickets £30.
Saturday 20th June: Matty Edgell, From The Bake Off Tent
See Bake Off winner Matty Edgell live at Nevill Holt Festival! Watch his expert baking demos, pick up top tips, and gain an insight into his Bake Off journey. Known for his deliciously creative bakes and down-to-earth style, Matty will be sharing insider tips, mouthwatering recipes, and the secrets behind his show-stopping cakes. Watch him in action during live demos, get inspired by his journey, and even grab the chance to meet him in person. If you’re a fan of the show or love great food, this is unmissable! 3.30pm-4.30pm, tickets £20.
Saturday 20th June: Grimethorpe Colliery Band
The legendary Grimethorpe Colliery Band, made famous worldwide by the acclaimed film Brassed Off, takes to the stage at Nevill Holt Theatre for an afternoon of award-winning music. Founded in 1917 for miners at Grimethorpe Colliery in South Yorkshire, the band has since become a British institution and one of the world’s most celebrated brass ensembles. Their glittering career includes appearances at the BBC Proms, Eurovision, and the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony. 4pm-5.50pm, tickets £35.
See www.nevillholtfestival.com.