Where the rolling chalk hills meet the sea, West Sussex is awash with history and culture, but that’s not the only reason to visit this spectacular part of the South Coast. It is also home to several festivals that draw in visitors from all over the country.
Festival goers flock to the historic coastline, to take in the culture and history and eat at one of the many fabulous pubs like theholeinthewall-pub.co.uk and to take part in one of the many different festivals that take place throughout the year.
The Festival of Flowers
A three-day spectacular, The Festival of Flowers is a Biennial event organised by Chichester Cathedral Restoration and Development Trust. The Festival attracts over 15,000 visitors and as raised over £1 million to help cover the cost of restoration work over the past 20 odd years.
Visitors can stroll through the cloisters and cathedral grounds (worth a visit in itself) to take in the magnificent flower arrangements that can be seen in the cathedral and environs and visit the festival market. Over five hundred and seventy volunteers come together, and fifty thousand flowers are arranged in keeping with the designers chosen theme, which this year will be Realms of Glory. This will produce over eighty stunning and eye-catching arrangements all painstakingly put together by volunteer flower arrangers as well as an exhibit from internationally renowned sculptor Philip Jackson.
Hugh Bonneville, star of Downton Abbey, is the patron of the Festival of Flowers ‘‘With treasured memories of visiting past festivals – with their extraordinary displays of awe-inspiring beauty, ingenuity and quirky imagination – I am honoured to be Patron of the Festival Flowers at Chichester Cathedral 2020″.
Goodwood Festival of Speed
Join the largest motoring garden party in the world. For one weekend of the summer cars, stars and motorsports royalty all come together on the manicured lawns of a stately English home to enjoy a day of motor racing.
Held in Goodwood House, this is an event where old meets new as the roaring sound of modern motor engines coexists with the stunning historical home of the Duke of Richmond.
Goodwood Revival
This is a world-renowned classic car extravaganza celebrating the daring, dashing spirit of racing from the forties to the sixties. The Goodwood Revival provides festivalgoers with an exciting day out, full of theatrical and sporting drama.
Visitors dress up in elegant period attire to watch luxurious vintage cars race in an exuberant, fun-packed day out. But that’s not all when the racing ends, head across the bridge to Over the Road and enjoy a fairground ride, Butlins Roller Rink, Revival Car Show and Revival Cinema.
West Dean Gardens Chilli Fiesta
Join this massive outdoor party where revel goers can dance to live Latin music brought to you by DJ’s and live bands and enjoy cookery demonstrations and gardening demonstrations. There is delicious food from all around the globe as well as dance demonstrations and workshops with professional dancers. Wet your whistle at one of the five different bars or browse the 140 shopping stalls, selling all things chilli.
The West Dean Gardens Chilli Fiesta is one of The Telegraphs top 20 UK food festivals 2018:
“Live Latin bands and dance demos, plus gardening workshops and a vintage fair mean there’s plenty of fun even if your tastes are more korma than Demon Red.”