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Festival News & Updates
Posted on 31 August 2023
The gates may have closed this past weekend after three glorious days of England's Medieval Festival at The King's Grove, Pippingford Park, but the memories are unforgettable. The response from public and participants to the setting, atmosphere and action at our new location was overwhelmingly positive! A huge thank you to everyone who made EMF 2023 such a magical experience. We could not have done it without all of your support. We are extremely pleased and excited that so many people can't wait until next year (24, 25 & 26 August 2024) so we are releasing our earliest ever Super Earlybird tickets starting today, 31 August 2023 at noon.
Posted on 13 June 2023
Tickets for both Day and Weekend Festival Visitors as well as Accommodations, can now be booked online. Please click here to go to our Ticket Page. We look forward to welcoming everyone to the magical England's Medieval Festival on the August Bank weekend (26-28 August 2023) at The King’s Grove, Pippingford, East Sussex TN22 3HW
Posted 28 May 2023
We are are very excited to announce that the 30th England's Medieval will be
taking place on the August Bank Weekend (26, 27 & 28 August 2023) at
The King’s Grove, Pippingford, East Sussex TN22
3HW
Posted 1 Nov 2022
We are are very please to update that England's Medieval will be returning in 2023 for it's 30th spectacular year. We are in the processing of confirmin our new location and tickets will go on sale as soon as possible. Thank you to all members of the public and participants for your support. We look forward to seeing you on the August Bank weekend in 2023.
Posted 8 Aug 2022
A Sad Day for England’s Medieval Festival 2022
Twenty-nine years ago, England’s Medieval Festival (the Festival) at Herstmonceux Castle (the Castle) was begun by Clive Geisler an alumnus of Queen’s University Canada (Queen’s) and his wife Gilly, at the request of the then Principal of Queen’s, Dr. David Smith. The Festival was given the wholehearted endorsement and support of Alfred and Isabelle Bader who purchased the Castle for Queen’s in order to host an International Study Centre. The Baders actively supported the Festival from the first opening, and by attending the Festival in any year they were in the UK at their home in Bexhill-on-Sea. The Festival was needed to integrate a Canadian University into the fabric of the local community, and to friend-raise and fund raise for the study centre. For 29 years, the Festival raised, both directly and indirectly for the Castle and school, hundreds of thousands of pounds, and a similar number of friends. The Festival’s longevity broke the generation gap with families who attended the Festival as children later bringing their own children. Queen’s students came from all over the world to work at the Festival and take part through their medieval studies. The Festival was a living event where people grew up, fell in love and were even married. Trees were planted in the grounds by the families and friends in memory of loved ones who devoted their lives to the Castle and the Festival.
The Festival is the longest running, and largest international Medieval themed event in the UK, and the only continuously running event held at the Castle. The plan to have the Festival was agreed with the local council in the first planning application for the change of use of the Castle and grounds. A major influence was to give the Castle the ability to host such events for the community to enjoy. The Festival became integral to Sussex life as an annual focus with participants attending each year to celebrate English history on the grounds of a 15th Century moated castle with a history dating back to Roman times. It became a tremendous source of pride to host such a prestigious international event at the Castle. The Festival proudly boasted that it was open rain or shine and would never close. Even under the extreme uncertainty caused by the Covid pandemic, and with great cost and effort, the organisers, The Malcolm Group Events Ltd (MGEL) were able to continue to hold an event at the Castle for two years when hundreds of other events closed their doors disappointing their customers during the UK lockdown. In doing so, MGEL maintained the Festival’s continuity and honoured their contract and pledge as Queen’s alumni to support the Bader Dream.
This spring with no notice and without any discussion with MGEL, the management at the Bader International Study Centre (the BISC) who own and operate the Castle, dropped a bombshell decision: their refusal to host the 30th edition of the annual Festival which they publicised via their own social media. MGEL made every effort to communicate with the BISC and find a solution to run the 30th anniversary Festival at the Castle in any form or scale that would be suitable to the BISC. MGEL even hired a professional to negotiate a solution, but to no avail. The BISC would not respond to any correspondence. Any reasons they gave in their social media press release for cancelling the hosting of the Festival became moot when they hosted another well attended event this spring on the very same grounds that the Festival would have used in August.
In an effort to find an alternative host for the Festival, so as not to disappoint the many supporters of the Festival and the Castle, an extensive search has been undertaken throughout the South of England but all venues were either already booked for August Bank Holiday weekend or were just not suitable at this late date to host such an event.
Since Queen’s University Canada and Bader International Study Centre are totally and absolutely unwilling to discuss or negotiate hosting a festival or event in any size, shape or form on their Herstmonceux Castle property this year, MGEL has been left with no option but to formally cancel this much-loved international Festival for 2022.
Posted 31 Aug 2021
Thank you to all the guests who attended our medeival weekend this year! Thank you to all our wonderful performers, re-enactors, traders and staff who helped make it a wonderful experience for everyone. We look forward to seeing you in 2022.
Posted 1 Aug 2021
Tickets for the Medieval Weekend at Herstmonceux Castle on the August Bank Weekend (28, 29 & 30 August 2021 are available online (Click to Book Tickets). There are Day & Weekend tickets available. Day tickets must be purchased for a specific day only, and there will be a limited quantity for each day. Ticktets are at the gate are subject to availability. The gate ticket prices will be higher than the online prices, so book your tickets now. Each day will be Jousting twice per day, a morning Siege of the Castle, and an afternoon Battle of Hertmonceux, horse skills, a grand parade, traders, performers, activities, and of course the amazing medieval atmosphere at the beautiful Herstmonceux Castle!
Posted 21 June 2021
We appreciate everyone's ongoing patience and support, especially since we are still uncertain as to the government guidelines that will be in place for larger events toward the end of the summer. We are currently working through various scenarios for the medieval weekend with the host venue (Herstmonceux Castle), and we will have more news very shortly. Thanks very much, and we look forward to seeing you on the August Bank Weekend!
Posted 1 February 2021
Thanks very much for your patience with regard to the launch of our ticket sales for the 2021 Festval. We had planned to start ticket sales in December 2020, however given the changing circumstances regarding the covid virus pandemic, we did not feel that the time was right to start selling tickets. The situation seems to be improving very slowly and all indications from government authorities are that by the end of August 2021 we should be in a much better position to have most people protected and be able to gather safely at events. We have had many people contacting us about purchasing ticket for this year, and we really appreciate your support. We now plan to launch our 2021 festival ticket sales in February. (Note that any 2020 tickets that were Rolled Over to 2021, will be re-issued as soon as possible after we launch of 2021 sales). Thanks very much, and we look forward to seeing you on the August Bank Weekend!
Posted 9 November 2020
All the plans are going ahead for England's Medieval Festival on the 2021 August Bank weekend. We expect to open ticket sales for next year in December 2020. Thanks for your support, and we look forward to welcoming you to our medival festival at the magical Herstmonceux Castle.
For further Information about England’s Medieval Festival please contact: info@mgel.com
