As part of its year-round campaign to gift the joy of arts and culture to 80,000 children, actor and patron of the arts Dame Judi Dench has called for support of arts charity, Cheltenham Festivals on its official 80th birthday.

The call for support comes as the Festival commemorates 80 years since the inception of its very first Festival, Cheltenham Music Festival, which was one of the first arts festivals to be established in post-war Britain. 

Since 1945, Cheltenham Festivals has expanded its offering from three classical music concerts in Pittville Pump Rooms to include four world-renowned Literature, Science, Music and Jazz Festivals, as well as learning and participation programmes that bring arts into schools and communities around the world. 

This follows from her appearance at Cheltenham Literature Festival last October, during which she stated “It's vital... the arts is very important, not just to me as a child, but to every child. People have been inspired by having a story read to them and then seeing them performed. I have to say, perhaps very loudly, the arts are so important to us all, especially young people”. 

To mark its official 80th birthday, Dench, along with Gregory Porter, Fearne Cotton, Jacqueline Wilson, Steve Backshall and Richard Ayoade are amongst stars across stage and screen that have joined Judi Dench in wishing Cheltenham Festivals a Happy Birthday, which can be seen above.

Since the launch of the 80th birthday campaign in January, 35,841 children across the UK have been able to access and experience culture – many for the first time – reaffirming the Festivals’ commitment to changing lives through culture. At Cheltenham Jazz Festival, more than 1,400 from 20 schools attended its Concert for Schools programme and thanks to support for the campaign so far, the very first Family Concert took place,bringing joy to families across Gloucestershire and beyond. 
 
Most recently, Cheltenham Science Festival inspired a life-long curiosity for science to over 6,700 children from 83 schools heading to Imperial Gardens across the week to explore everything from how animals’ bodies work to building a rocket car.  

Further emphasising the Festival’s commitment to inspiring the next generation of thinkers, FameLab Academy –the Festival’s science communication and training schools initiative – has increased its reach by over 57% in 2025, enabling young people to grow their confidence across public speaking and build core skills in multiple disciplines including drama, art and science.

Cheltenham Music Festival will also expand its offering this July, introducing its first ever Relaxed Concert for Families, enabling more children and families with special and educational needs and disabilities to access arts and culture than ever before – for many, the concert will be the first time they have been able to experience live music.  

2025 will also see the return of The Future of Reading Conference in October during Cheltenham Literature Festival, which will bring together authors, illustrators, poets and industry voices including experts from Empathy ab, Inclusive Books for Children and National Literacy Trust, Waterstones Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Comics Laureate, Bobby Joseph and author Sharna Jackson – all united by a shared passion: inspiring children, young people, and their teachers to discover the joy of reading.

The arts charity’s history of working with high-profile artists, speakers and public figures has put them at the centre of the UKs cultural scene. But with ticket sales only accounting for 48% of their income, Cheltenham Festivals work hard to garner support from individuals, corporate sponsors, trusts and grants to deliver experiences that bring joy, spark curiosity, connect communities and inspire change. 

With six months left to reach their target of giving 80,000 children access to culture this year, the generosity of the general public will be more important than ever.