A diverse line-up of musicians and plenty of family entertainment lies in store at this year's Cheltenham Jazz Festival.
Jamie Cullum has been appointed guest director for the event, which will take over the Gloucestershire town from Wednesday April 27th to Monday May 2nd.
The jazz-pop pianist is an enthusiastic supporter of the festival and is due to perform live in Cheltenham on May 1st, although tickets for that show are already scarce.
However, the programme includes plenty of other highlights for contemporary jazz fans, including several of Cullum's favourite acts.
The headliners this year are American jazz supergroup the Overtone Quartet, Grammy-nominated guitarist James Hunter, UK saxophonist Andy Sheppard and Tord Gustavsen, the Norwegian pianist.
Elsewhere, visitors can look forward to shows from electronica duo Lamb, acclaimed British rapper Roots Manuva and 2010 Mercury Prize nominee Kit Downes, who will perform with his new acoustic sextet.
As the festival coincides with the royal wedding on April 29th, there will also be a day of free entertainment and outdoor fun with a "best of British" theme.
All events are individually priced and tickets can be purchased online.
Jazz fans planning to stay in Cheltenham will find a range of Luxury Serviced apartments with Portland Apartments.
Cheltenham Science Festival - 07/06/11 – 12/06/11
The Cheltenham Science Festival takes place from 7th to 12th June 2011 and with guests in the past ranging from David Puttman, Richard Dawkins and Richard Hammond, the 2011 Cheltenham Science Festival is set to be no less prestigious. The main feature is the ‘Discover Zone’ which is an exhibition for all ages to take part in and showcase their scientific talents. As well as this there is the NESTA Famelab which is a national competition that aims to seek out talented scientists and engineers of all ages.
Places to stay in Cheltenham during the Science Festival.
With the Cheltenham Science Festival attracting an average annual attendance of 25,000 over the six days it is essential to book accommodation in Cheltenham early to avoid disappointment. Portland Apartments has a number of outstanding apartments available which are perfect for groups of friends or just couples. If you’re looking to book centrally located regency accommodation Portland Apartments is the place to stay. Why not turn your visit to the Cheltenham Science Festival into a short break and discover what Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds have to offer.
Cheltenham Music Festival - 29/06/11 – 10/07/11
The Cheltenham Music Festival is defined by its venues. From the Regency splendour of the Pittville Pump Room to the brand new Parabola Arts Centre; the lofty stone spaces of nearby Tewkesbury Abbey to the Edwardian grandeur of Cheltenham's Town Hall, the festival is blessed by the diversity and quality of the performance spaces.
But a great festival is also defined by the range and distinctiveness of its programming.
The organizers take great care in matching outstanding performers and hugely varied repertoire with the right performance space. If it feels good for the performer, then the organisers are confident the experience for the audience will be fantastic too.
Places to stay in Cheltenham during the Music Festival
With the Music Festival attracting an average annual attendance of 17,000 over the twelve days it is essential to book accommodation in Cheltenham early to avoid disappointment. Portland Apartments has a number of outstanding apartments available which are perfect for groups of friends or just couples. If you’re looking to book centrally located regency accommodation Portland Apartments is the place to stay. Why not turn your visit to the Cheltenham Music Festival into a short break and discover what Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds have to offer.
Cheltenham Literature Festival - 07/10/11 – 16/10/11
The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival returns with a programme bursting with great names, politicians and award winning writers.
The Centaur at Cheltenham racecourse will once host some of the festival's most outstanding speakers - among which are Armstrong & Miller, Peter Mandelson, Stephen Hawking, Graham Norton, Germaine Greer and, in an addition to the programme, Hollywood star Michael Caine!From celebrations of poetry, to the secrets of culinary success via gardening gurus and stand up stars - find your festival favourite in this year's impressive line-up, in cheltenham.
Also taking part in the Cheltenham Literature Festival are:
- Stephen Sondheim: Not to be missed an award winning omposer and lyricist who in his 80th year will be in Cheltenham talking about his new autobiography, ‘Finishing the hat’.
- Norman Lebrecht will be talking about his new book, ‘Why Mahler?’, about why many of us are hooked on Mahler and the role music plays as a soundtrack to our lives.
- Dr Phil Hammond: Join General Practitioner and comedian Dr Phil Hammond at the Music Group talking about why ‘sharing music is almost always therapeutic — even when one’s chosen opera and another thrash metal’.
The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival 2010 - With over 450 events, it looks set to be another great festival in cheltenham!
Places to stay in Cheltenham during the Literature Festival
With the Literature Festival attracting an average annual attendance of over 100,000 people during nine days from around the world it is essential to book accommodation in Cheltenham early to avoid disappointment. Portland Apartments has a number of outstanding apartments available which are perfect for groups of friends or just couples. If you’re looking to book centrally located regency accommodation Portland Apartments is the place to stay. Why not turn your visit to the Cheltenham Literature Festival into a short break and discover what Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds have to offer
Horse Racing fixtures
The world famous Cheltenham Racecourse attracts thousands of visitors from October through to April across 16 race days in the season. The National Hunt Festival is the highlight of the racing calendar, featuring the Cheltenham Gold Cup If you are looking for Gold Cup accommodation in Cheltenham at this time of year, it is recommended to book well in advance to avoid disappointment!
Portland Apartments is the perfect place to stay when you are attending any event at the Cheltenham Race Course or at the Centaur Conference Centre. Our luxury serviced apartments are a great alternative to hotels near Cheltenham racecourse and are only 15 minutes walk or 5 minutes drive away from Cheltenham Race Course so there is no need to wait for buses.
- April Meeting 13/04/11 – 14/04/11
- May – Hunter chase Evening 4/5/11
- October – Showcase 14/10/11-15/10/11
- November – The Open 11/11/11 – 13/11/11
- December – International – 09/12/11 – 10/12/11
- January – New years Day – 01/01/12
- January – Festival trials day – 28/01/12
- March – Festival – 13/03/12 – 16/03/12
