Wymondham’s Festival fortnight

Kit Downes Trio

Wymondham’s 16th Music Festival opens this weekend. Here’s a guide to what’s on offer over the festival fortnight.

There are almost 40 events to choose from spanning classical music to reggae and jazz. The festival uses a variety of venues including Wymondham Abbey, which this year will host Madeleine Mitchell, the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet and the Mercury Prize finalist, Kit Downes Jazz Trio. The Wymondham Symphony Orchestra performs there in the second week in July.

The newly refurbished Central Hall will see The Sweetbeats, who play ska and reggae. Lee Vasey’s 10-piece band will be followed by African music from Anna Mudeka Band who had a sellout Wymondham gig in 2009.

All these gigs have an advance purchase ticket price of £8 (only £2 for under 18s) or you can pay £2 more on the door. And just £6 in advance will get you into the Folk Showcase in the Baptist Church on Friday 1st July, with Pennyless and Tallis.

The festival also lays on free events such as a Teddy Bears’ Picnic on King’s Head Meadow on Sunday 3rd July; live music in the Market Place and a Midsummer Jazz Picnic. Bring a picnic and a rug to have on the banks of the river by the abbey listening to the DixieMix Jazz Band on Monday 27th June from 1800. Organisers advise using the free shuttle bus laid on from Central Hall car park.

If you are in Wymondham before a concert or gig you can buy tickets in person from the Festival Box Office at The Book Fountain, Whartons Court, off Market Street, Wymondham NR18 0UQ. The full programme is set out on the Wymondham Music Festival website.