The Purbeck Guitar Festival will arrive at Upton Country Park in Poole this coming Bank Holiday weekend, running on Saturday 23 May and Sunday 24 May 2026. Organised by Love It Local Events, the festival will take place in the park’s Victorian Walled Garden, a space restored in the early 2000s for community events.
The event is divided into two themed days. Saturday, dubbed Rock It Saturday, will feature folk, blues, jazz, indie, and rock music, with a headline performance from Donovan during his 80th birthday year. Sunday, known as Spanish Sunday, will showcase classical, Latin, and flamenco guitar music, headlined by the virtuoso Juan Martín.
As the festival takes place, the Walled Garden will be closed to the general public from Thursday 21 May through Sunday 24 May. Partial closures will also affect the area on Wednesday 20 May for setup and Monday 25 May for breakdown. Visitors are advised that parking for the festival requires a ticket costing £5 per vehicle, which must be purchased separately from event admission.
The festival serves as a fundraiser for the Dorset Wildlife Trust, a charity that manages 42 nature reserves across the region. This music event is part of a broader series of activities at the 160-acre estate, which is operated by BCP Council. The park, currently marking its 50th anniversary, also has Art in the Park scheduled for 7 June and ongoing weekly forest school sessions on Friday mornings.
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