Welcome to the Rye Arts Festival
Our Festival is Rye’s principal annual arts event, taking place 10th – 27th September 2026.
It has developed over the past 55 years into one of the most successful and respected small festivals of its kind, dedicated to high quality performances in music, literature, theatre and other art forms coupled with a range of activities in heritage and the environment.
A Selection of events:
Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out
Gabrielė Sutkutė: style and charisma
Harriet Wistrich: Women’s Rights
Our Corporate Sponsors
The key purpose of sponsorship is to support us in our charitable objectives of promoting the arts by enabling us to bring high quality performers to Rye at modest ticket prices and invest in assisting the appreciation and education of the arts.
Ethel Loves Me; The George in Rye; Hayden’s; Heringtons Solicitors; Mermaid Inn; Phillips and Stubbs; Puckhaber Decorative Antiques; Rye Fine Wines; Rye News; Rye Art Gallery; Rye Conservation Society; RX Architects; Clive Sawyer Gallery; W Tollett Builders; Wilson, Wilson and Hancock.
Our Private Sponsors
We very much welcome the contribution of our private sponsors as a vital element of our funding, especially when supplemented by our ability to claim Gift Aid within the established rules. Our wide range of events also benefits the individual venues that we use through the fees that we pay them.
Adrian and Lisa Binks; Kenneth and Margaret Bird; Lady Clarke; Steve Edge and Jane Fogg; Mike Eve; Stuart Harland; Andrew Hitchings; Sarah Hodson; Sir Paul McCartney CH; Alexander Stiller; Nigel and Heather Wilkinson; And our anonymous sponsors.
Our thanks to Rye Town Council and Rother District Council for grants they have provided.