30th birthday
established 1975
e: info@chifest.org.uk
How it all began?
The Festival started as a one-off event to mark the 900th anniversary of the foundation of Chichester?s Norman Cathedral.
Pivotal moments
- The decision to establish the Festival as an annual event
- The rescue of the Festival in 1988 after a make-or-break year following serious financial problems.
The organisation today
The Festival continues to celebrate its roots, namely the Cathedral and its environs, and encompasses venues in and around the city. Programming has developed to embrace numerous art forms, notably music and literary events, as well as having established education and outreach programmes, and large-scale community projects. Like nearly every other arts festival in the UK, the financial constraints under which we work continue to be our biggest obstacle.
A big thank you to?
- The Duke of Richmond for founding us
- Chichester Cathedral for existing for the past 930 years
- Our audiences for their unstinting loyalty
Celebration events
- A major outdoor community project involving choirs, musicians, and schools
- A large-scale outdoor fireworks concert at Goodwood Racecourse
An extended programme of events in the Cathedral.