The English Music Festival is to relocate to the historic Dartington Hall estate, marking a new chapter for the event after nearly two decades.

Organisers confirmed the festival will move from its traditional base in Oxfordshire to the 14th-century medieval estate for its upcoming season, running from 22 to 25 May 2026.

The move marks a significant shift for the festival, which has spent 19 years championing the "Golden Renaissance" of 19th and 20th-century English composition.

Dartington Hall has a long-standing reputation for cultural innovation and was considered a major hub for musical activity throughout the 20th century.

Em Marshall-Luck, the festival's founder-director, described the estate as a "dream venue."

"We are absolutely thrilled to present the programme at Dartington," she said. "We are looking forward to welcoming concert-goers and music lovers to what promises to be four days filled with delightful and inspirational music-making.”

Organisers believe the new location will help the event reach a wider audience while maintaining the "intimate atmosphere" that has become its trademark.

The four-day event will feature a mix of orchestral, chamber, and vocal performances.

A major draw for the 2026 season will be the world premières of John Foulds’ Caprice Pompadour and Edgar Bainton’s To the Name Above Every Name, maintaining the festival's reputation for unveiling lost or overlooked English scores.

The London Mozart Players are scheduled to take the stage to perform concertos by Gerald Finzi and Thomas Linley, while chamber music enthusiasts can expect a recital of music for horn and piano delivered by Ben Goldscheider and Simon Callaghan.

Rounding out the highlights, Hiroaki Takenouchi, Raphael Wallfisch, and Rupert Marshall-Luck will collaborate for a series of piano trio works in the estate's Great Hall.

The move to Devon is intended to renew Dartington's own musical traditions while continuing the festival's mission of commissioning new music to sit alongside established repertoire.