£12

Celebrate the start of a new season as stars of the men’s and women’s game join us at Kingsholm for a special evening exploring the remarkable history of the Cherry and Whites.

£12 / £7 Livestreamed

The Roman army established a fortress at Gloucester in the first century AD, creating a defensive line that shaped the city for centuries and still defines its streets today. In a brand new illustrated talk, City Archaeologist Andrew Armstrong follows Gloucester’s walls from their Roman origins through Saxon, Norman and medieval expansion to their defiant role during the Civil War siege of 1643. He also explores how recent archaeological discoveries have revealed intriguing new information about Gloucester’s ancient walls.

£14 / £7 Livestreamed

In 927, King Aethelstan conquered Viking York and secured the submission of Britain’s rulers at Eamont Bridge, a crowning achievement that created the first united kingdom of England. As its 1,100th anniversary approaches, acclaimed historian and broadcaster Michael Wood explores Aethelstan’s extraordinary life from birth to death. In a dazzling new talk, he offers fresh insights into England’s forgotten founder king, reveals Gloucester’s important place in his story and considers the challenges of writing an early medieval biography.

£12 / £7 Livestreamed

Penny Mordaunt’s sword-carrying role at the Coronation of King Charles III became one of the ceremony’s defining images. Now the former Leader of the House of Commons explores the history of Britain’s greatest traditions. From the Coronation Service to royal weddings and funerals, the State Opening of Parliament to Remembrance Day, sporting rituals to local customs including Gloucestershire’s cheese rolling competition, she considers how ceremony creates identity, continuity and belonging. Which traditions should be preserved and how must they evolve to remain meaningful?

Guided Tour

£8

One of two special half-hour tours offer a rare chance to climb down under the streets of Gloucester to see the extraordinary King’s Bastion for yourself. Numbers are limited so book early.

Meet by entrance in Kings Walk Shopping Centre, Gloucester (by the silver trapdoors, just outside Superdrug)

With thanks to the Museum of Gloucester and the Civic Trust.

Scriptorium Sessions

FREE for Members Only

Join Festival President Janina Ramirez for tea, cake and excellent conversation! Meet fellow Festival members, share your views and hear Janina share exciting plans for the future.

Scriptorium Sessions

£15 to include a selection of 4 gins or alcohol free botanicals

Gin expert Andy Cole uncovers gin’s colourful journey from medicinal spirit to eighteenth-century craze and British favourite. Discover why it became notorious as ‘Mother’s Ruin’, how the Gin Craze transformed society and how changing laws and fashions have reshaped its reputation. All whilst enjoying a guiding tasting of a delicious selection of gins or alcohol-free botanicals.

Scriptorium Sessions

£15 (includes delicious craft chocolates)

Unwrap chocolate’s irresistible history as food historian Sam Bilton follows cacao from the ancient Americas to European courts and fashionable chocolate houses in a compelling new talk. Kathryn Laverack of Cocoa Encounters then leads a delicious guided tasting of carefully selected chocolates.

£12 / £7 Livestreamed

Waldemar Januszczak and Janina Ramirez share the story of their road trip through Poland’s rich history, fabulous art and dramatic landscapes. Travelling in a classic 1970s Polish Fiat, they explore strange customs, dark histories, forgotten heroes and dazzling film stars for their latest TV series revealing a country larger, more diverse and more fascinating than we could imagine. Join them to discover the Poland we ought to know.

£15 / £7 Livestreamed

Jung Chang’s worldwide bestseller Wild Swans was both an epic personal history of ‘three daughters of China’ – Jung, her mother and grandmother – and a history of China itself undergoing seismic change. Her bestselling sequel Fly, Wild Swans brings the story up to date in a deeply moving and unforgettable account as China faces another watershed moment poised between capitalism and communism.  Join her as she discusses her life and writing in a rare event.

£12 / £7 Livestreamed

They may be remembered as a band of charming amateurs, but Britain’s Home Guard played a serious and courageous role in defending the nation. Sunday Times bestselling historian Sinclair McKay draws on original research for his new book to uncover the remarkable men and women behind the television legend. From improvised weapons to secret operations, he reveals how Dad’s Army became a formidable fighting force and shares some of the most exciting and unusual adventures of Gloucestershire’s Home Guard, with fascinating illustrations.

£15 / £7 Livestreamed

From Men Behaving Badly and Jonathan Creek to Restoration Home and A Passage Through India, Caroline Quentin has delighted television audiences for decades. She’s also a passionate gardener, artist and lifelong lover of history and the natural world. In a frank and hugely enjoyable event, she lifts the lid on her life as an actor, her love of historic buildings and reveals her connection to nature exploring the landscape, wildlife and changing seasons of Devon and Somerset.

£12 / £7 Livestreamed

In the 14th century, plague swept across Europe, Asia and North Africa with terrifying speed, killing millions and tearing apart the medieval world. Bestselling historian Thomas Asbridge tells this vast human story through the Christians, Muslims and Jews caught in its path. From cities overwhelmed by death to acts of courage, cruelty and compassion, he reveals how the Black Death shattered societies, weakened empires and transformed everyday life and why its haunting story still grips us today.