Exciting New Venue for the Purbeck Guitar Festival!
The Purbeck Guitar Festival is delighted to announce a fantastic new venue for 2026 — the stunning Walled Garden at Upton Country Park.
Upton Country Park provides a truly magical setting for the festival. Originally a Victorian kitchen garden, the walled garden was lovingly restored in the early 2000s and transformed into a beautiful, year-round event space.
Ideally located within the historic grounds of Upton Country Park and set among acres of parkland on the edge of Poole Harbour, it offers an intimate and atmospheric setting where music and nature come together. Surrounded by mature trees, open skies and elegant Georgian architecture, the venue feels both secluded and special — a perfect backdrop for world-class guitar music.
A Festival on the Rise
Launched in 2024 by Love It Local, the Purbeck Guitar Festival celebrates the extraordinary diversity of guitar music. After expanding across Purbeck in 2025 with two weeks of concerts in multiple venues, 2026 marks a bold and exciting new chapter.
For the first time, the festival will take place over a single weekend, creating a focused, immersive experience for artists and audiences alike. Set within the intimate surroundings of the walled garden, the festival promises a relaxed yet vibrant atmosphere unlike any other.
Festival on May Bank Holiday weekend!
The festival will take place over the May Bank Holiday weekend, 23–24 May 2026, with two themed days:
- Rock-It Saturday – celebrating folk, blues, indie and guitar-driven rock
- Spanish Sunday – showcasing flamenco, classical and Latin guitar traditions
Audiences can look forward to the return of much-loved performers from 2024 and 2025, alongside exciting new acts. And, most exciting of all, we will soon be announcing a very special headline act — a legendary musical icon who will shine over the Purbeck Guitar Festival in 2026. Watch this space for more details soon!
