The Milton Keynes Festival of the Arts for Dance, Music and Drama was established in 1968
to provide an encouraging and supportive platform for amateur performers of all ages and levels of experience
in Milton Keynes.
Our 2023 festival saw almost 4,000 separate performers in solo and group presentations. Our adjudicators and audience were highly complimentary about all the performances.
Each year we publish syllabuses for music / drama and dance, from which teachers, parents and performers can choose which classes they would like to enter. A small fee is charged for each entry which goes towards covering the costs for our festival venues, adjudicators and running expenses. The festival organisers and stewards are all volunteers and the festival is run as an educational charity.
Once the closing date for entries has passed, the festival programme is carefully compiled and each entrant or teacher is notified of their performance dates and times by email. The music and drama festivals also have the option of online entering, which is a simple process with payment via PayPal.
The festival offers both competitive and non-competitive classes in all genres, with each entrant receiving a graded certificate and a hand-written feedback sheet with constructive comments from one of our specialist, professional adjudicators. There is also the opportunity to win a medal or trophy and possibly some prize money.
Parents may enter their children direct or via their schools or teachers and you do not have to live in Milton Keynes to enter. We welcome new entrants to our friendly festival and you may be any age to enter music and drama and 21 and under for dance. We particularly welcome school dance entries, school choirs, community choirs and barbershop groups and orchestras and ensembles.
The dance festival always closes with an awards gala and in music, up to 8 of the best performers of age 18 and under are invited back to showcase their talents once again in our Milton Keynes Young Musician of the Year competition. Each will receive a special certificate, trophy and an amount of prize money and one will be named Milton Keynes Young Musician of the Year. See details of last year's event by following this link.
If you would like a copy of the festival syllabus by email or post then contact us via the Email us button below with your details.
Festival feedback:
"I just wanted to say a huge thank you for letting us participate in the festival this year. The students loved having the opportunity to perform and learn from their peers as well as receiving such positive feedback from the adjudicators which I know they found really encouraging"
"Thank you so much for organising the festival. xxxxxxxxx was nervous about speaking in public but she bravely faced her fears and got so much out of the experience. I think it's done her confidence the world of good. The whole event was very well organised and thoroughly enjoyable."
"I just wanted to email to say Thank You for running such a lovely and friendly festival. We really enjoyed it. Everybody was so encouraging and reassuring and accommodating. So thanks again and we hope to join in again next year. I will be recommending entering to some of my friends in the future."
