Charleston Festival returns this year from Thursday 19th to Sunday 29th May with an outstanding lineup of more than 40 live events for its highly anticipated first in-person festival in three years.

Bringing leading and emerging artists, writers, thinkers and changemakers together in Sussex at Charleston Farmhouse, the modernist home and studio of the Bloomsbury group, Charleston Festival is one of the UK's oldest and most significant festivals of books, art and ideas and this year's lineup is bigger and better than ever!

Melissa Perkins, Head of Programme and Events at Charleston says, "Charleston Festival is back, as bold and beautiful as ever. From global icons to explosive new talent, the programme brings together the most exciting voices of the day for the conversations that really matter."

Great British Life: Picnic on the grounds of Charleston FarmhousePicnic on the grounds of Charleston Farmhouse (Image: Charleston Festival)

Highlights of the Charleston Festival 2022 program

Internationally renowned actor Benedict Cumberbatch will be making his debut appearance at the Charleston Festival to narrate T. S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land in its centenary year. This will undoubtedly be an unmissable event for any fan of the Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness actor.

Fashion and Textile designer Zandra Rhodes reminisces on life as a student at the Royal College of Art in the 1960s alongside David Hockney and Derek Boshier, while also delving into the famous faces that have worn her designs such as Princess Diana, Freddie Mercury, and Marc Bolan.

Great British Life: Dame Zandra Rodes, the iconic fashion designer who has shaped the industry for more than 50 yearsDame Zandra Rodes, the iconic fashion designer who has shaped the industry for more than 50 years (Image: Chris Bissell)

In a magical event for all the family Michael Morpurgo, a master of storytelling, will be discussing the role of animals as protagonists, our relationship with the natural world and how we can all live more harmoniously with the planet.

Actress, activist and national treasure Joanna Lumley will be enthralling festival-goers with fascinating tales from a lifetime of travel that has taken her to the furthest reaches of the globe.

Great British Life: Dame Joanna Lumley, actress and adventurerDame Joanna Lumley, actress and adventurer (Image: courtesy of Rankin)

Acclaimed actors Simon Callow and Jonathan Pryce will be delving into the candid personal letters of Bloomsbury Group writer Lytton Strachey in a wonderful live reading. These deeply felt letters reveal a playful and uncensored portrait of a queer universe shared in glorious detail with trusted friends.

Discover the full program and book your Charleston Festival tickets now.

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