
Welcome to Deal Music and Arts Festival 2025
Get ready for 11 days of culture in Deal, Sandwich and Dover. The information below gives details of all the exciting events taking place. You’ll find ticket prices and all you need to book your festival visit.
Do book your tickets in advance as some events are starting to sell out!
For other festival information, please browse the Festival 2025 drop down in the menu above.
“World-class culture on the doorstep”
Festival Calendar
View all this year’s events or click on the drop down menu below to browse by category.
Town TakeoverFreeOngoing
Watch out for pop-up music in the High Street, outside St George’s Church, around town and later in the afternoon back outside St George’s Church again.
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Marion Leeper – StorytellerThis event has finished
Children will be lured away from screens to enjoy stories about the extraordinary world we share, in a morning of laughter and optimism.
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A Salon – a musical morning in the home of artist Joanna JonesThis event has finished
Immerse yourself in an artist’s world, experience music and literature surrounded by art works by internationally celebrated artist Joanna Jones, in her home.
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Coastlines – An Oratorio of GullsThis event has finished
This world premiere by composer Luke Styles and librettist Hazel Gould is performed by local school children and favourites the White Cliffs Symphonic Winds.
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Coastlines – A StormFreeOngoing
Part two of Coastlines sees the Deal Music and Arts Community Band and composer Phil Self respond to ideas inspired by the stunning local landscape.
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Quartet Page Blanche
Enjoy a high energy performance of classical and jazz works by this virtuosic French quartet playing double bass, cello, viola and violin.
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A Moment In Time – Late
Experience a late-night musical journey at this popular Dover venue featuring Max Height and Mo_Min_Ti (Paul Cheneour and Dave Robinson).
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The Smeds and the Smoos
Children can throw themselves into this family-friendly dance workshop inspired by Julia Donaldson’s book The Smeds and the Smoos. There is also an alternative time of 11.15am!
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The Smeds and the Smoos
Children can throw themselves into this family-friendly dance workshop inspired by Julia Donaldson’s book The Smeds and the Smoos. With an alternative time of 10am too!
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The Band of His Majesty’s Royal MarinesFree
Pack your picnics for the annual feast of music from this entertaining and much-loved band, part of the town’s proud military history.
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The Manwood Singers
Leading Sandwich choir The Manwood Singers will perform a concert of popular choral music under the baton of David Smith.
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Counterpoise – A Night with Joséphine
A sensational evening of film, dance and singing that captures the spirit of 1920s’ Paris and the extraordinary story of Joséphine Baker.
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Coffee Concert – The Importance of Hearing ErnestFree
French Romantic composer Ernest Chausson’s beguiling Piano Quartet in A major is the centrepiece of a recital by the Ringlemere Ensemble.
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Nathan Williamson – Piano
This inventive British pianist gives a lunchtime concert of suites by Bach and Webern along with a new suite by Kent-born Christopher Brown.
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Nick Dear and Larushka Ivan-Zadeh in Conversation
Award-winning playwright and screenwriter, Nick Dear shares insights into his film Eroica with one of the UK’s most widely-read film critics, Larushka Ivan-Zadeh.
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Film – Eroica
Eroica, ‘the day that changed music forever’, is a BBC television film dramatising the first performance of Beethoven's Third Symphony, the Eroica.
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LENsemble Vilnius
This lively Lithuanian chamber ensemble presents a programme including Beethoven’s Trio in B flat major, Elgar’s Piano Quintet and exciting new music from Lithuania.
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Festival ExhibitionFree
This group exhibition of selected artists invited to respond to the 2025 festival’s Coastlines theme will be on show throughout the festival on Tuesday - Saturday.
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Magic Lantern Workshop
A unique opportunity to get hands-on experience with a traditional magic lantern machine under the expert guidance of two international film historians.
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Filippo Tenisci – Piano
Award-winning pianist Filippo Tenisci takes time out from recording a double album of Wagner and Liszt transcriptions, to play some of these thrilling pieces.
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The Nazi Mind
Broadcaster and author Gavin Esler interviews historian and Bafta-winning film-maker Laurence Rees about his book The Nazi Mind – 12 Warnings from History.
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Magic Lantern Performance
This performance thrillingly brings to life the early cinema as pioneered by the Victorians with early film “projectors”.
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Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night with Changeling Theatre
Join us for Changeling Theatre’s ever-popular performance at the Deal Festival, which features Twelfth Night, Shakespeare’s bittersweet romantic comedy.
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Deal’s Historic Walking Tour
Join local tour guide and character George Chittenden as he plunges you into Deal’s colourful history. Book early as George always sells out!
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Across the Channel
A delightful recital given by our Young Artist in Association, Hoda Jahanpour and the pianist Vitas Li, including works by Debussy, Boulanger and Bridge.
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Secret Voices
Sarah Gristwood shares with us the secret lives of women from her “sizzling and addictive” anthology of diary entries by women throughout history.
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Film – A Late Quartet
This 2012 film about a world-renowned string quartet after its cellist Peter Mitchell (Walken) is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease is inspired by Beethoven's music.
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Spiers & Boden
One of the most loved duos on the folk scene, Spiers and Boden’s infectious, uplifting music will raise the roof of St George’s Church.
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Podcast: Sonic Postcards
Deal Radio will be broadcasting sonic postcards recorded in some of Deal and its surrounding area’s favourite natural spaces by Hoda Jahanpour, cellist and DMA's Young Artist in Association. Listen in at 8pm on Wednesdays in July!
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