Busy programme as Rye Arts Festival gets under way - all you need to know

More than 70 ticketed events will fill a packed fortnight with high-quality performances.

Andy Stuart, joint festival director, said: “The organisers have sought to offer something for everyone with a diverse selection of events including world-famous speakers and world-class artists and performers from around the world. The festival is delighted to welcome best-selling writer Robert Harris to Rye to talk about his thrilling new novel Act of Oblivion, which is literally hot off the press, being published in September.

“Lord David Owen will talk about his book, Riddle, Mystery and Enigma, exploring the history of the political relationship between Russia and England over the last 200 years, which was published before the invasion of Ukraine. This event provides a chance to hear the former Foreign Secretary’s views on the Russian aggression.

“And the Rev Richard Coles has turned to crime! Having made his mark in music and then in the church, his debut crime novel Murder Before Evensong is already a best seller, and tickets for his talk will fly out of the door.

“For the classical music programme, the festival has the exciting prospect of hearing young talented musicians from City Music Foundation as they begin climb the ladder of success.

"There will be evening and lunchtime concerts in the atmospheric St Mary’s church and the programme is varied. The first concert is performed by percussionist James Larter. There will be a wonderful opera evening Seasons of Love packed full of delicious, spine-tingling arias. And the festival will end with at the Musical Pilgrimage by The Victoria Consort. The singers will start the pilgrimage at Winchelsea where they will sing religious songs from the Spanish Court at St Thomas’ Church. The singers and audience will then walk to Rye, via Camber Castle, for the second half of the concert at St Mary’s Church.

“As well as classical music there will also be traditional and contemporary music gigs – check out The Mountain Firework Company for an amalgam of blues, rock and country."

www.ryeartsfestival.org.uk