Music in the streets. ChoirBLAST weekend approaches!

Godalming is preparing itself once again. ChoirBLAST Festival weekend is approaching, and if previous years are anything to go by, the town will soon be alive with music, colour, conversation, and thousands of visitors soaking up the atmosphere.

What makes ChoirBLAST special is not just the performances themselves, although with choirs filling venues across the town all weekend, there is certainly no shortage of music. It is the way the festival spills out into the streets, cafés, pubs, shops, and green spaces of Godalming, creating a real sense of shared celebration. Businesses regularly report one of their busiest weekends of the year, with independent shops, cafés, restaurants, pubs, and market stalls all benefiting from the huge number of visitors the festival brings into the town.

Between performances, audiences are encouraged to explore everything Godalming has to offer. Wander through the town centre and discover its brilliant independent businesses, browse the charity shops, stop for coffee and cake, or settle into one of the many pubs and cafés that help give the town its distinctive character.

Three of our festival stages are hosted within local eateries and watering holes at the heart of the community. The Antelope, The Rose & Crown, and The Deli each provide their own unique atmosphere, alongside excellent food and refreshments throughout the weekend. There is something rather lovely about hearing live music drift through a busy pub garden or café courtyard while people gather with friends old and new.

To help the weekend run smoothly, visitors are strongly encouraged to make use of the Park and Ride services, which should be booked in advance. Godalming’s central car parks are designed mainly for short stays and can become extremely busy during the festival weekend. Full details can be found on our Visiting Godalming page. If possible, travelling by public transport is also encouraged, helping to reduce congestion and make arrival into the town easier for everyone.

Here are the links:

• Godalming College (150 spaces): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/park-ride-from-godalming-college-for-choirblast-festival-tickets-1987192276593

• St Hilary's (75 spaces): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/park-ride-from-st-hilarys-school-for-choirblast-festival-tickets-1987192093044

And then there is Saturday evening.

As daylight softens and the pace of the day begins to slow, the Field Stage continues late into the evening, becoming one of the most magical parts of the festival weekend. People gather on blankets and camping chairs, children dance barefoot on the grass, friends share food and laughter, and music drifts across the summer air. There is a genuine sense of openness and connection that settles over the field as the evening unfolds.

In a world that can often feel hurried and disconnected, moments like this matter.

ChoirBLAST is, of course, about singing. But it is also about community, friendship, belonging, and joy. It is about strangers becoming familiar faces by the end of the weekend, about conversations that begin in queues and continue long after the music ends, and about a town opening its arms to everyone who arrives.

Godalming is quivering in anticipation. We cannot wait to welcome you.