The Festival On The Close has been bringing a festival of arts, outreach and education to Rugby since 2017. The festival turns the stunning grounds of Rugby School into a buzzing hub of culture during the last week of June.

PERFORMANCE

Performance is central to The Festival On The Close. Students are given the opportunity to perform alongside world-class artists, such as Motionhouse Dance and English Symphony Orchestra, as well as take the lead in a diverse range of student performances. 

The Festival On The Close brings world-class performance to Rugby’s doorstep, with an eclectic line-up of professional live performances. This year’s festival kicks off with a night of comedy from Netflix sensation Phil Wang in our specially-built outdoor performance arena. Other main stage shows include family favourites Horrible Histories Live, performances from beloved children’s author Michael Rosen, the impressive sounds of English Symphony Orchestra, and the improvised phenomenon Spontaneous Potter. The festival comes to a close with a glorious, al fresco concert from the popstastic ABBA Revival: The Tribute. 

WORKSHOPS

The Festival On The Close’s workshop programme exists to inspire and empower young people, giving them the opportunity to get creative and try something new. Primary and secondary school students from across Warwickshire are invited to take part in a series of schools workshop activities. From science experiments to samba percussion, brain dissections to bagpipes, mechanical engineering to meditation, our varied workshops will offer curious minds the chance to explore a wide range of subjects with world-class artists and practitioners.  

OUTREACH

The Festival's workshops and outreach work continues to grow year on year. For 2022 we are proud to have been able to offer free places to workshops and shows to more young people from across Warwickshire than ever before.  

SUPPORTING CANCER RESEARCH UK

The Festival On The Close is proud to raise vital funds and awareness for our charitable partners, Cancer Research UK. So whether you are buying a ticket, saying hello to one of the many charity volunteers around the festival, picking up some goodies at the pop-up charity shop marquee, or donating to one of the charity buckets around the venue, thank you for supporting the work of Cancer Research UK.

2022's festival has been made possible thanks to the kind support of our Principal Partners, Tandem Property Asset Management LLP.