Portsmouth Cathedral in Hampshire has launched its 2026 Festival of Early Music, bringing a variety of concerts, film screenings and free performances to the city throughout February and March. The festival officially launched on 5 February 2026 with a Lunchtime choral recital.
The programme includes a major Gala event on 12 March 2026, presented in partnership with The Portsmouth Grammar School (PGS). That performance will see PGS scholars and local students play alongside professional musicians in the cathedral’s historic setting.
Residents can also attend free Lunchtime Live choral recitals intended to provide an accessible way for people to visit outside regular services. Other key festival dates include a concert on 6 March 2026 and a series of sessions and film screenings on 13 March 2026.
For families and those new to classical music, the cathedral is hosting a relaxed performance—Handel’s “Messy Messiah”—on 22 March 2026. The cathedral music team has chosen repertoire to suit the building’s acoustics: parts of the cathedral date to the 12th century (c.1180), and many performances use period-appropriate instruments such as the lute, harpsichord and square piano.
Dr David Price, Organist and Master of the Choristers at Portsmouth Cathedral, said the festival is aimed at sharing the emotional power of early music with as many people as possible. Ticket and attendance details are available from Music in Portsmouth (https://musicinportsmouth.co.uk/festival-of-early-music-at-portsmouth-cathedral/) and the cathedral’s events pages.
