The Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival — 26th June to 2nd July 2023
One of the UK’s most exciting and successful summer events returns!
With so much uncertainty in the world, history has never been more relevant.
The Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival, one of the UK’s most successful and popular summer events, returns this year from 26th June to 2nd July. This unique festival, which takes place in Wiltshire, looks set to attract huge crowds of all ages, with every visitor keen to soak up the sights, sounds and smells of the past, and eager to learn more about the history of years gone by, whilst improving their understanding of what is happening in the world today.
For the first time this year, the entire programme will be themed, enabling visitors to find the talks and events they are interested in more easily, and to also encourage a little curiosity too. The six distinct themes are: Environment, Conflict, Politics, Science and Exploration, Sport and Society and Culture.
Over the course of a week, the festival will host over 200 talks and panel discussions on leading issues of the past, present and future. These will take place across five fabulous venues: the 750-seater main tent, the 350-seater second tent, the Outdoor Stage, Speaker’s Corner — where speakers can talk in a more informal setting — and new for 2023, the Stove Tent, an intimate 100-seater in the round, with a central wood-burning stove — just perfect for cosy later-night events, a little live music and some atmospheric story-telling.
Visitors to the Chalke Valley History Festival will, as always, be spoilt for choice. Household names such as Simon Sebag Montefiore and Antonia Fraser will be taking to the stage in the speaker tents, whilst some of the most talented and vivacious historians, raconteurs and actors will be entertaining the crowds with a blend of inclusive hands-on activities and demonstrations. Just one of the big draws in the programme will be former Prime Minister John Major who will be talking about politics, both past and present. The BBC’s International Editor, Jeremy Bowen, will also be making his festival debut when he discusses the making of the…
