Welcome to Winchester Poetry Festival
Winchester Poetry Festival - 10-12 October 2025
Winchester Poetry Festival events in 2025
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Winchester Poetry Festival is a biennial festival, with our next full festival taking place in-person 10-12 October 2025, with online and pop-up events and workshops prior to this.
We also host and collaborate on poetry events throughout the year, the details and ticket links for which are below.
Where possible, key events will be BSL interpreted and live-streamed. We ensure that as many activities as possible are free to attend, to ensure everyone feels able to participate. Donations are welcomed (link at bottom of page)
To keep up to date with all events and activities please sign up to our enewsletter.
WPF presents: Winchester's Poets at Sound Winchester 25
Performance Hall @ The ARC, Winchester
Saturday 22nd February 2025
midday start
Expect the unexpected from this dynamic event showcasing original and unique spoken word from Winchester’s emerging poets. You'll be treated to live performances from Winchester's Poets in the Performance Hall at The ARC, curated by our friends at Poetry Platform. Get ready to experience poems of all shapes and sizes, exploring big ideas and tiny vignettes, as these talented local poets invite you to share in their worlds.
Sound Winchester is a community-led project promoting wellbeing through participation in local music and aural activities within the Winchester District
Poetry Platform is a monthly celebration of spoken word; a linguistic open mic that welcomes writers of any background and experience. Ordinarily taking place on the first Tuesday of every month (the next one is Tues 14th Jan), Poetry Platform aims to provide you with the stage to share your words and the place to build a community. From newcomers to Poet extraordinaires there is always a warmth waiting for you at The Railway Inn's fabulous poetry night, so grab those notebooks, warm up those vocal chords and let's get poetical!
Read more about Sound Winchester 2025
This event is free to attend, and all are welcome.
Pathways From Protest to Purpose with Dr Jo Nurse + the Hampshire Poet
New Forest Heritage Centre, Lyndhurst
Friday 14th March - Sunday 6th April 2025
This exhibition is inspired by the successful 1871 campaign, led by New Forest artists, to legally protect the New Forest as a local, national and international treasure*.
Today, we face a Climate Emergency that affects all of us, wherever we live. We want to continue this great tradition of using Art to encourage people to work together and preserve The Forest for future generations.
We’ll use painting, poetry & film to explore the idea of choosing our path to create the world that we want. We’ll also invite visitors to share their own ideas on an interactive ‘Rainbow Path’ installation.
As locals, we are immersed in the daily life of the Forest. As artists, we’re inspired by its natural beauty and diversity and want to involve people in creative activities to promote positive change.
Damian and Jo have worked in the NHS. They have also worked on national and international public health programmes to tackle the challenges of our changing climate.
*“Art and Protest” by Charlotte Yeldham.
The Hampshire Poet 2024-26 is Damian Kelly-Basher. The scheme is a partnership between Winchester Poetry Festival and Hampshire Cultural Trust
Dr Jo Nurse is a New Forest Artist and Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science
WPF presents: Poetry Hub at Bournemouth Writing Festival
The Bandstand, Lower Gardens, BH1 2BY
Saturday 26th - Sunday 27th April 2025
10am-5pm
Winchester Poetry Festival is delighted to be curating a weekend of free poetry activities as part of Bournemouth Writing Festival 2025.
Join us for two days of drop-in activities inspiring wordplay and expression through poetry. Suitable for all ages and abilities, and facilitated by experienced poets and writers. Dive in!
SATURDAY 26th APRIL
10:30 - 12pm: A Home For Your Word: poetry zine-making with AJ Hardingson
1 - 2:30pm: Poems of Protest and Empowerment: with Write Beyond Borders
3:30 - 5pm: Poetry sharing session: theme of WATER with Susmita Bhattacharya
SUNDAY 27th APRIL
10:30 - 12pm: In Their Own Words: cut-up poetry with Damian Kelly-Basher
1 - 2:30pm: Exploring Mindfulness Through Sound: with Adriana Lord
3:30 - 5pm: Poetry sharing session: theme of OUR NATURE IN NATURE with Pauline Rutter
BOTH DAYS
10am-5pm
Contribute your words to the Community Poem, guided by Estelle Phillips
Get a free token to use on the Poetry Vending Machine provided by National Trust
The Poetry Hub is FREE at attend, all resources provided, suitable for all ages, just show up!
Please note, tickets for Winchester Poetry Festival events are bookable directly from this page. Please do not purchase tickets from resale websites/marketplaces. Tickets for collaborative events may be hosted by other platforms. You can find our refund policy here.
If you have queries regarding tickets, or are concerned your ticket is not valid please email hello@winchesterpoetryfestival.org