Town wide celebrations for 150th birthday of Gustav Holst

To celebrate the 150^th birthday of the town’s famous composer, Gustav Holst, a number of events and activities are planned between June and November for Cheltenham’s residents and visitors to enjoy.

There will be concerts, plays, dance, exhibitions, and a variety of community curated events and projects. The celebrations will also include a free community event in Imperial Gardens on Holst's birthday on Saturday 21 September 2024.

The celebrations have been made possible by a £30,000 Arts Council England National Lottery Project grant. Other funders include The Summerfield Charitable Trust, The Peter Stormonth Darling Charitable Trust, The Trafford Fund, and The Patricia Routledge Foundation.

Laura Kinnear, curator at the Holst Victorian House, said: “We are hugely proud of Holst’s national and international cultural impact, and this is a great opportunity to celebrate the life, work, and legacy of one of Cheltenham’s most famous sons.”

Helen Mole, head of place marketing and inward investment at Cheltenham Borough Council, said: “Cheltenham is rightly proud of Holst and what he achieved during his life, and we are looking forward to celebrating that legacy this year for the 150^th anniversary of his birth. There are some fantastic events and activities already planned and I’d encourage everyone to get involved in some way. We’d love to hear ideas from the community about how they’d like to celebrate this occasion.”

More information about events planned for the celebrations can be found on Visit Cheltenham’s what's on guide. The page will be kept up to date as further plans are confirmed.

Visit the Holst Victorian House website for more information.

Anyone interested in getting involved is invited to contact Niki Whitfield, Holst 150 coordinator, on [email protected]. Organisers are also actively seeking sponsorship from local businesses to enhance the planned programme of activities.