As Cheltenham Festivals celebrates its official 80th birthday this June 2025, stars including festival president Dame Judi Dench are wishing the charity a happy birthday,
Judi used her birthday message to encourage people to secure the future of culture for the next generation by donating to the charity.
She said: 'I am so proud to have been the president of Cheltenham Festivals for the last 20 years, an arts charity that has championed British culture for 80 years.
'Creating world-class events, it continues to give a voice to young talent, working alongside its communities and developing national outreach programmes. If you can, please donate today to help secure a world where future generations can explore and create culture.'
Her sentiments echo the comments she made at her Cheltenham Literature Festival appearance in 2024, where she said 'the arts are so important to us all, especially young people'.
Her words are especially relevant as Cheltenham Festivals is half-way through its widely publicised campaign to bring arts and culture to 80,000 children in its 80th year, after Cheltenham Science Festival wrapped up on Sunday 8 June 2025.
So far this year, 35,841 children around the country have been able to experience culture, many for the first time, with 6,700 of them at the Science Festival – and many more expected to enjoy the upcoming Music and Literature Festivals later this year.
Since its inception back in 1945 as one of the first post-war arts festivals, Cheltenham Festivals has been bringing world-class music, literature and science to audiences ever since, alongside year-round learning and participation programmes for schools, children, young people and community groups.
Judi joins a whole host of stars in wishing the charity a happy 80th birthday, including Fearne Cotton, Sir Trevor McDonald, Dame Jacqueline Wilson, Rick Astley, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Steve Backshall, Professor Brian Cox, Fred Sirieix, Pam Ayres, Lorraine Kelly, Richard Ayoade and many more.
Cheltenham Music Festival is up next, bringing some of the most exciting names in classical music to Cheltenham from Friday 4 to Saturday 12 July 2025 and hosting its first ever relaxed concert for families, with tickets available now.
People are also encouraged to donate to Cheltenham Festivals to help it reach its target of 80,000 children in its 80th year. For more information, see the Cheltenham Festivals website.
