| Music Festival Name: | Shifnal Festival |
| Years Active: | (1890s–1904/5), 2010–2012 |
| Dates: | Penultimate week of September or early October |
| Website: | http://www.shifnalfestival.com |
The Shifnal Festival was an annual Music, Arts and Culture Festival held in the market town of Shifnal, Shropshire.[1]
Little is known about the origins of the festival. A book published in 1904 by Harold Sadler suggests the festival was a local event held in the grounds of Aston Hall to the east of the town. Aston Hall was at the time owned by Colonel Howard-McClean. Sadler's book marks the festival as being The Hadley Orpheus Choir's first competitive success.[2]
Research carried out as part of the Shifnal Town Plan[3] in 2008 suggested residents of the town were interested in staging a festival of arts, culture and entertainment. A committee was formed of volunteers and a date was announced for the first modern Shifnal festival in September 2010. The committee secured funding from the town council and applied for a series of grants from a number of sources.[4]
The Shifnal Festival should not be confused with V Festival, a music festival that was held until 2017 at the nearby Weston Park (although the Weston Park address is classed as "Nr Shifnal").
The festival aimed itself at all age groups and claimed to provide something for everyone. Typically incorporated into the programme were:
In 2010 the Festival was Commended by the Action for Market Town Awards. The award is displayed on the Festival's website[5]
17–26 September 2010.
See main article: Shifnal Festival 2010.
13–25 September 2011.[6]
See main article: Shifnal Festival 2011.
4–7 October 2012.[7]
The 2012 festival took on a victoriana theme and included a vintage fair.
At the close of the festival, the organising committee disbanded due to lack of funding to continue with the annual running of the festival.