Frome Festival Through the Years

Headliners – David Olusoga, Roger McGough, Blake, Jo Wiley, Andy Fairweather Low, Wilko Johnson, Kris Barras band. Martin Dimery’s final Frome festival. “As I’m retiring from the role of Festival Creative Director this year, I decided to revive the idea of directing a...

Frome Festival was deeply saddened to announce the death of its former Chairman Dr Robert (Bob) Morris. Bob became a member of the Board of the Frome Festival in 2004, and was appointed Chairman in 2005. Bob Morris He succeeded Dennis Buffrey as Chairman, describing...

In 2020 there was no Frome festival, just a lockdown Treasure hunt and a few online pub quizzes. We had planned to celebrate our 20th birthday, and Sholto had already prepared the artwork, which was subsequently used in 2021, to celebrate our 20th Anniversary!

Martin Dimery’s Highlights: We've had some remarkable rock and pop acts and The Coral and Scouting for Girls proved to be two great examples in the same year. The Moscow Drug Club, a gypsy jazz style band, proved so popular we moved them from Rook Lane to the Cheese...

Martin Dimery’s Highlights The South West Festival Chorus presented Brahms Requiem in the elegant surroundings of Trinity Church. Encompassing both the sublime and the ridiculous, George Egg, DIY Chef was a highlight at the Merlin Theatre. Badly Drawn Boy and John...

Martin Dimery’s Highlights: Dame Felicity  Lott, the internationally famous soprano, was a delight at Cooper Hall. Morag McLaren's patronage has proved such an advantage over the years in attracting performers like Dame Felicity and Sir Willard White, who...

Martin Dimery’s Highlights: Billy Bragg headlined and I bumped into a couple in Cheap Street who had come from Sweden to catch his appearance. Tamsin Waley Cohen returned and Pee Wee Ellis gave us a new show. The writer and broadcaster Michael Wood, who has...

Martin Dimery’s Highlights: It's always great to get a comedian who's on the cusp of celebrity. Romesh Ranganathan packed the Merlin and has since become a household name. Mozart's “Cosi Fan Tutti" was brilliantly transformed into the intimate space of Cooper Hall....

Martin Dimery’s Highlights: The second Cooper Hall opera was "Hansel and Gretel" and another triumph. Another discovery was the band Snowapple from Holland, who were looking to establish an audience in the UK. I still don't quite know how to describe their music. A...

Martin Dimery’s Highlights: A year of comedy highlights with Jo Brand, Rich Hall and Phill Jupitus headlining. Mr. Jupitus's  lost earring caused me some inconvenience the following day until he phoned to admit it had turned up in his wash bag. It's the little...