After a brief hiatus in 2025 the city’s only amateur performing arts competition for all ages in Lincoln, UK, featuring music, speech, and drama, judged by professional adjudicators for educational benefit, is taking place at Southside, Colegrave Street, Lincoln.

We welcome entrants to the festival from performers of any age and ability. This is an excellent opportunity to perform live, showcase and hone your talent in a friendly and encouraging environment. 

Please have a look at the syllabus - you will see we offer a range of classes covering choirs, solo and ensemble singing, piano, instrumental, and speech and drama. 

Before Covid this festival attracted just over 2000 entrants annually, and is a testament to the dedication of Paul Hill, the retired Chair of the festival, and his board members. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge their hard work and the positive cultural impact the festival has on the city of Lincoln. 

With the full support of the outgoing Lincoln Music & Drama Festival charity board members Acoustic Nations Live CIC will be ensuring this annual festival continues after the absence of a festival in 2025. We feel strongly that this festival, which is in its 82nd year, is an important annual event in the city of Lincoln’s cultural and arts landscape. 

This festival year the syllabus is pared down to offer only the most popular music and drama classes, as this is the first festival we have hosted, but with advice from former experienced volunteers and festival charity board members. In addition, our aim is to enhance relationships with amateur performing arts groups and schools in Lincoln to find out what classes are of value to them to build entries. 

We look forward to meeting you at the 2026 Lincoln Music and Drama Festival, especially the Festival Concert on Sunday, 22 March.

Anne & Colin Webb, Acoustic Nations Live CIC

Photos by Carol Hill