The Watford Festival of Music

The Watford Festival is a long-running UK performing arts festival, established more than 75 years ago and recognised as one of the largest and most respected festivals of its kind in the country. Held annually in February and March, it welcomes participants of all ages, with classes for both children and adults. The festival aims to encourage performance by giving entrants the opportunity to appear before an audience and receive expert advice and encouragement from an adjudicator.

Its programme includes choral, vocal, pianoforte, strings, woodwind and brass, Carnatic, and speech and drama sections. The website also features the Watford International Piano Competition and provides practical information about venues, schedules, online entries, frequently asked questions, and festival policies. Hundreds of participants take part each year, making the festival a place to develop performance skills and share music, speech, and drama with the community. Run with volunteer support, Watford Festival describes itself as both one of Europe’s largest festivals of its kind and a friendly event, inviting audiences and performers to take part.