Celebrities join arts festival line-up

Celebrities, politicians, artists and comedians will form part of the line-up for an annual arts and entertainment festival in Leicestershire.

More than 100 events are scheduled to take place during the Nevill Holt Festival, now in its 22nd year, from 29 May to 21 June.

A talk by former Prime Minister David Cameron and interviews with actors including Dame Kristin Scott Thomas are among the ticketed events, while free music performances are also planned.

David Ross, founder of the festival at Nevill Holt Hall near Market Harborough, said: "I think there's a real momentum behind what we're doing, it's really captured the imagination of the East Midlands".

"It's really nice to see [people] in local villages or the local pubs talking about [the festival], and why they want to come and see it and what they're particularly excited about," added Ross, who also co-founded Carphone Warehouse.

Other interviews confirmed for the event include actor Jim Carter, comedians Sue Perkins and Jenny Eclair, and historian David Olusoga OBE.

David Cameron will speak at the event on 4 June, alongside former Secretary of State for Defence Sir Ben Wallace, former Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara and former political adviser Cleo Watson.

In 2023, when the festival was exclusively an opera event, two of its four performances were cancelled due to "significant financial challenges".

"Out of Covid, the art scene was a tough place to be for festivals and theatres and that was one of the drivers behind my decision to broaden out into more than just opera," Ross said.

"Visitor numbers have grown by 15, 20 times since our days as an opera-only festival, and ticket sales are 30% up on last year.

"I'm very grateful for [visitor] support."

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