Three Choirs Festival Gloucester 2026

No concert lover’s year would be complete without the opportunity to enjoy the Three Choirs Festival  taking place in Gloucester this year. We have chosen four superb concerts with top class tickets for the performances in the iconic setting of Gloucester Cathedral.  This tour has an interesting and varied daytime itinerary for Friday with time in Gloucester on the Saturday so that you can enjoy the atmosphere surrounding the festival and early dining in one of the restaurants in Gloucester before the concert.  Staying in the four-star Queen’s Hotel Cheltenham overlooking the Imperial Gardens and in the centre of this elegant spa town. 

Thursday 30 July:  Check into the hotel before an early dinner and departure by coach for Gloucester. The Three Cathedral Choirs come together to perform Monteverdi Vespers accompanied by La Serenissima a British early music/period instrument ensemble. Quite simply this is one of the greatest pieces of sacred music ever written, mixing profound expression with unfailing musical beauty. This dazzling masterpiece landed Claudio Monteverdi the job of maestro di cappella at St Mark's Basilica in Venice in 1613

Friday 31 July:  A leisurely morning visiting Painswick Rococo Garden,  a unique 18th century English Country gentleman’s pleasure garden set in a hidden valley with lovely views of the surrounding countryside and this country's only complete surviving rococo garden.  Then to nearby Miserden.  A timeless 17^th C walled garden known for its magnificent mixed borders and Lutyens’ Yew Walk and stunning views across the Golden Valley.  Return to the hotel mid-afternoon for an early dinner before departing for Gloucester and the evening concert.  Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra followed by one of the most renowned and revered compositions in classical music history.  Mozart’s Requiem with Festival Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra and conductor Geraint Bowen.

Saturday 1 August:  A day in Gloucester starting with the morning cathedral concert - Sydney Philharmonia Choirs - Great Choral Anthems. Australia's finest choral organisation and resident company of the Sydney Opera House.  The afternoon is free but there will be afternoon rehearsals to enjoy in the cathedral.  Dining will be in a local pub restaurant before the evening concert. Elgar’s  The Dream of Gerontius.  Based on a poem by Cardinal John Henry Newman about the journey of a soul from death to Purgatory. Composed in 1900 it is a major work for soloists, choir, and orchestra. The piece is widely regarded as Elgar's finest choral work, and some consider it his masterpiece.  Festival Chorus and Philharmonia Orchestra.  Return to the hotel and departure the following morning Sunday 2 August.

Fuller details of the concerts and any additional works to be performed will be available nearer the time.  **There is also the option of attending two nights as opposed to three – starting on Friday 31 July price would be adjusted accordingly.