Book Your Tickets Now; One Week to Go

One week to go until the inaugural Chelsea Arts Festival 18th-21st September 2025. Click to see the full list of What’s On and to book tickets. And get a discount now!

This September, the streets of Chelsea will come alive in celebration of its cultural heritage and London’s vibrant arts scene. Stars from page, stage and screen will feature in an extensive programme of ticketed events, as well as an array of spectacular free outdoor performances in Sloane Square and up and down the Kings Road.

As a thank you to our newsletter subscribers we are offering a 30% discount for Cadogan Hall events using the discount code CHELSEAARTS and events at Royal Court Theatre using the code CAF30.
*Cadogan Hall discount applies to ticket bands A & B, and excludes partner events Ian McEwan, Elizabeth Day and Women’s Words

Here are a few festival highlights of what to expect over the weekend!

Sir Stephen Fry, Malala Yousafzai, Sally Phillips, Tim Wallers, Lyse Doucet OBE, Rory Kinnear, Susan Wokoma, LionHeart, Daniel Foxx, Shazia Mirza, Dennis Morris, Kate O’Flynn, Yasmin Zaher, Freya Salway, Chloe Dalton, Gareth Howell-Jones, Bradley Banton

We are thrilled to announce that Malala Yousafzai will be joining us for Women’s Words in advance of her new memoir Finding my Way publishing in October. Join us to hear the youngest-ever Nobel laureate and bestselling author read for the first time in public from her new book, an intimate look at the life of a young woman taking charge of her destiny, and a deeply personal testament to the strength it takes to be unapologetically yourself. Also joining the lineup are Tim Wallers & Lesley Sharp. This 30 Year Celebration of The Women’s Prize For Fiction, in partnership with The White Company, will be an unforgettable evening where the most powerful words written by women leap from the page to the stage – blending comedy, insight, and inspiration - all in aid of raising funds for the registered charity, the Women’s Prize Trust. The lineup of performers also includes Sheila Atim MBE, Dame Sheila Hancock, Sir Lenny Henry, Kate Mosse CBE, June Sarpong OBE, Emily Beecham, Emily Berrington and Cariad Lloyd.

Beloved actor, author and comedian Sir Stephen Fry joins Lyse Doucet OBE, Dennis Morris & Kathryn Hughes at Cadogan Hall on Friday 19th September for a celebration of Chelsea cultural heritage at Blue Plaques Talk Back Live. This unique theatrical experience brings together the art of storytelling with historical insight, as acclaimed actors and experts breathe life into the remarkable stories behind Chelsea’s most iconic Blue Plaques. The luminaries being celebrated include Bob Marley, Oscar Wilde, George Eliot and Martha Gellhorn.

Actress and comedian Sally Phillips (Smack the Pony, Bridget Jones), and actor and director Bradley Banton joins film critic Anna Smith’s panel to celebrate the very best of British Film & Television alongside Twiggy, Sadie Frost & Dr Nitin Sawhney CBE.

Rory Kinnear and Susan Wokoma join David Morrissey for poetry curator Allie Esiri’s star-studded poetry night at London's Royal Court Theatre on Saturday 20 September, where classic and contemporary poems from Esiri's bestselling anthology 365 Poems for Life will be brought to life on stage. Many of the cast and poems will have a special connection to this iconic venue. The Times referred to one of Esiri’s previous events as ‘a tremendous reminder that poetry cuts to the heart of things’. Look out for further actor announcements. Lineup may be subject to change.

Shazia Mirza (Would I Lie To You?, QI) and Daniel Foxx (Late Night Lycett, BBC Radio 4's POV) join Sindhu Vee, Lloyd Griffith and Michael Odewale for a Comedy Gala at Cadogan Hall on Saturday 20th at 7:45pm. The event will raise funds for Cadogan Hall’s charity partner Nucleo which brings young people together to create change for themselves and their communities through collective music-making.

Saatchi’s former Poet-in-Residence, LionHeart, returns to the gallery to join Darren Henley and Samira Ahmed for a discussion on the value of cultural investment and its impact on our lives. Also at Saatchi, Jack Edwards will be interviewing Yasmin Zaher for his first ever Inklings Book Club live event [sold out], and BookBar will be in conversation with Elif Shafak [also sold out]. 

John Sandoe Books, Chelsea Arts Festival’s Bookshop Partner, will host a conversation between Chloe Dalton (Raising Hare) and Gareth Howell-Jones (Do Not Call the Tortoise and Your Lowly Hedgehog Knows) on Friday 19th at 6:30pm.

The English National Ballet School presents a spellbinding morning of dance at Cadogan Hall, as their exceptional young artists perform a selection of traditional highlights. This family friendly event takes place on Saturday 20th at 10am. 

Chelsea Arts Festival’s free outdoor entertainment programme is also announced and will host a variety of performances over the weekend. A bandstand in Sloane Square will see performances and workshops from the English National Ballet School, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Tootles and Nibs, Fergus Quill's Imaginary Big Band and Swing Patrol. There will also be roaming entertainment from performers such as the Natural Theatre Company, Kitch N Sync & Autin Dance Theatre.

Cadogan and Open Art Spaces are launching the Chelsea Art Market, a vibrant new destination for art lovers and collectors, taking place on Sunday 21 September on Duke of York Square, 11am-4pm. As part of the Chelsea Arts Festival, this new market brings a fresh grassroots energy to the weekend’s celebrations, highlighting the borough’s creative spirit and offering a platform for emerging talent.

PARTNERS

Blacklane is the official chauffeuring partner of the Chelsea Arts Festival. Blacklane is a global chauffeur service providing in-city rides, airport transfers, longer city-to-city journeys and chauffeurs by-the-hour across 500 cities in 50 countries around the world. 

The White Company, founded by Chrissie Rucker OBE nearly 30 years ago, has become one of the UK’s fastest-growing multi-channel retailers and a leading lifestyle brand. What started as a range of white essentials for the linen cupboard has gradually grown into the ultimate luxury lifestyle destination. 

Château Léoube is one of the most sustainable vineyards in Europe known for producing award-winning wines of character and finesse which offer a true reflection of Léoube’s unique coastal terroir. Léoube is Chelsea Art Festival’s Official Wine Partner.

Code8 is Chelsea Arts Festival's Exclusive Glam Partner. Beauty champions a minimalist approach to cosmetics, where less is decidedly more. Launched in 2019 by founder Sophia Chikovani, the brand bucked industry trends toward heavy contouring and multiple layers, instead focusing on ease and practicality.