West Berkshire & North Hampshire

The annual Newbury Spring Festival will be launching its 2012 programme at the historic Highclere Castle.

The festival takes place between Saturday 12 and Saturday 26 May 2012 but festival director, Mark Eynon, will launch the 2012 programme on Thursday 8 March at 12 noon when public booking also opens.

The 2012 Festival will present an international line-up of artists, including Miloš Karadaglić, Freddy Kempf, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, painter Johan Andersson and historian David Starkey.

The festival will be at home at Highclere Castle as it’s founder Jeanie is the former Countess of Carnarvon. Founded in 1978, the independently run festival celebrates youth and the highest artistic achievement on the international arena. Concerts and events take place across West Berkshire at various historic and iconic locations including St Nicolas Church, Newbury Corn Exchange and Douai Abbey.

This year’s Festival is a reflection of Britain’s national highlights of 2012, marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a series of concerts and events and is also inspired by the upcoming Olympics. The festival includes a series of daytime Festival Talks in historically relevant venues across Newbury. There will also be a screening of two iconic films: Zeffirelli’s Otello on Wednesday 16 May and Nureyev and Fonteyn’s Romeo and Juliet on Wednesday 23 May, with introductory talks by Ross Alley, who lectures frequently at the Royal Opera House.

Go to for more information www.newburyspringfestival.org.uk