It’s back! St Osyth Summer Sounds: Music and Food Festival is making its grand return to St Osyth Priory this summer! Join in the fun on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th of July.
Following a successful inaugural year in 2025, the festival has been secured for a further three years in Essex. Admission for the festival will remain free of charge, which has been made possible through support from the National Lottery Community Fund.
Set within one of Essex’s most significant historic estates, the festival will offer a vibrant weekend programme featuring live music, fabulous food, street performances, family activities and large-scale installations.
Photo by Arts trust Productions
Ensuring that the festival is free to attend has been a deliberate decision. Arts Trust, a Tendring-based national cultural organisation dedicated to delivering high-quality, accessible experiences, is committed to removing financial barriers and enabling broad community participation.
The event is delivered in partnership with local organisations, volunteers and public services, all working collaboratively to create a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for residents and visitors alike.
Founder & CEO at Arts Trust, Martin Collins says,
“The first year of St Osyth Summer Sounds gave us real encouragement. We saw families spending the day together, young people discovering live performance on their doorstep and communities coming together in a way that felt positive and hopeful.
“By securing the festival for the next three years and removing the financial barrier to entry, we can now build something with real continuity. This is about more than a single weekend. It is about creating opportunities for connection, participation and shared experience that are open to everyone. Being from Tendring ourselves, we are proud to be continuing that work here at St Osyth Priory.”
Photo by Arts trust Productions
William Grinsted, St Osyth Priory says,
“Working alongside Arts Trust and hosting St Osyth Summer Sounds has been a fantastic journey, and we are delighted that the event’s future is secure.
“It is a great pleasure to support our community and increase access and enjoyment of this world class heritage site and the listed buildings. We work tirelessly to maintain these pieces of our history and to see the site vibrant with families makes the work worthwhile.”
This marks an important moment for the region, following the recent launch of Creative Tendring- a major cultural programme for the district. The initiative is supported by a £750,000 award from Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places programme, funded by National Lottery players.
Full details of the programme including artists and chefs will be announced in the coming months. You can visit the website here for all the details.
