Festival of ChichesterWhere to stay for the Festival of Chichester 2027

What it is and when

The Festival of Chichester is about 125 independently run events over five weeks: music, talks, theatre and walks, in venues across the city and in the villages. The festival has published its 2027 dates as a save-the-date on its calendar page: Saturday 12 June to Sunday 18 July.

It is not one big weekend. It is something on most days for five weeks, so you pick the two or three things you want to go to and build a stay around them. In 2026 the festival was preceded by a week-long mini-festival in Priory Park. Check the festival’s site for the 2027 programme.

Getting there from the farm and back

Chichester is about 20 minutes’ drive from West Marden. The festival does not close roads or fill the city the way a Goodwood event does, so an ordinary evening drive is an ordinary evening drive.

The exception is the last four days. The Goodwood Festival of Speed is on from 15 to 18 July, and the roads near Goodwood are slow. Allow extra time that week. Parking at the houses is free.

Why stay out of town

An evening concert in the city and a morning on the Downs go well together. From the farm you have both. Each house has its own front door, kitchen and garden, so you can eat early before a performance and come back to a quiet valley afterwards.

The heated outdoor pool opens in mid-June, around the time the festival starts, and the evenings are long enough to sit out. Each house sleeps 4. Keepers has two super-king bedrooms, both en-suite, and suits two couples. The Old Stables is on one storey. Barley Cottage takes one well-behaved dog, at £50 per stay.

Check-in is from 4pm and check-out is by 10am, so an evening event on your first night is easy to make. The farm has been in the family since 1947 and covers 1,000 acres.

What else is on in those five weeks

There are evening race meetings at Goodwood on Friday 11 and Friday 18 June. See Goodwood racing. The South Downs Way 100 passes over Harting Down, a few miles from the farm, on 12 and 13 June. The Cowdray Gold Cup at Midhurst is usually played from late June to mid July, though its 2027 dates are not out.

Between events, see our guide to Chichester and to food and drink. For a day without the car, the Octagon walks start in the village. The Chichester Festival Theatre summer season runs alongside. Its 2027 programme is expected in mid-February.

When to book

Most of the five weeks are easy. The weeks to book early are the last one, because of the Festival of Speed, and the half-term week before the festival starts, 31 May to 4 June. Both have a three-night minimum stay. Book direct with no booking fees, or send us a WhatsApp with the events you have in mind.