As a privately funded charity, we rely on the generosity of our Friends and supporters to sustain the festival as well as our other work throughout the year. Our fantastic Friends of the Festival have donated around half a million pounds during the past 26 years and we can assure you that every penny has gone – and will go – towards ensuring the future of the International Gilbert & Festival.

The Friends also sponsor the annual Festival Youth production. This is always a highlight and over the years has introduced hundreds of youngsters to the joy of Gilbert & Sullivan. Many of our regular Youth Production performers have gone on to perform in and direct for our professional National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company and many others have continued their studies at some of the most prestigious music, theatre and drama colleges in the country.
Join us now from as little as £35 per annum.

By Joining us as a Friend, you can enter one of our Priority Draws. This year the Festival is shorter than usual so we expect there to be high demand for tickets. We would encourage you to join as  Friend if you are keen to get the best seats and access to exclusive events during the Festival.

We must raise additional funds to keep our fantastic festival going. COVID, vile though it was, did teach us some profound lessons about taking life for granted.

Throughout the pandemic, the funds raised for the Festival Future Fund gave us security and certainty.

Certainty that we can weather the lingering effects of the pandemic, certainty that we can develop and certainty that we can continue with Festival Founder, the late Ian Smith’s vision for the Festival. It means that we can pursue a long term strategy to create a sustainable social enterprise that will continue well into the future and spread joy to countless individuals.

If you enjoy Gilbert and Sullivan, we strongly encourage you to support the Festival Future Fund today with a suggested donation of £20.