About
Find out more about the history of the festival and what makes it unique.

Our Story
Newcastle under Lyme Festival is an annual event, organised by volunteers, which provides a valuable performance opportunity in speech, drama, and music. We aim to provide a well organised and enjoyable festival; a platform for amateur performers of any age, from far or near, to demonstrate their talents.
For anyone who can act, recite, play an instrument or sing, or is in a band or choir, this chance to perform in front of a live audience should not be missed.
Budding composers and poets are also catered for with competitions to perform their own creations, or have them performed on their behalf.
Competitors are given a verbal and written adjudication by carefully chosen and respected adjudicators of international standing, and these ‘words of wisdom’ should help the competitors in the development of their art.
For the visitor, whether connected to a competitor or not, we provide a pleasant, and cheap, day out, one in which you can see and appreciate the talent of others, matching your conclusions with those of the adjudicator.
There is a friendly atmosphere at our festivals, and this is reflected in the favourable feedback we receive from competitors and audience alike. In 2017 a total of 1420 performers took part. This number is the highest for many years.