Festival VENUES
gonville and caius college
Gonville and Caius (pronounced ‘Keys’) College was founded in 1348, making it the fourth oldest college in Cambridge. Nestled right in the heart of the city, Caius is home to some 1000 students and fellows, and is particularly renowned for its scientific and medical teaching. Sir Stephen Hawking, once the world’s leading theoretical physicist, was a Fellow here for over 50 years.
Caius boasts beautiful architecture throughout the college, most notably the three gates: the Gate of Humility, the Gate of Virtue and the Gate of Honour.
Caius is the site of our 2026 Festival accommodation, breakfasts, formal dinners and outdoor buffet. We’re very lucky to have such a beautiful site!
Emmanuel college
Founded in 1584, Emmanuel is one of Cambridge’s most beautiful Colleges, known especially for its gorgeous gardens. Emmanuel College (known as ‘Emma’ to the locals) is home to around 600 students, and is the only College in Cambridge with an outdoor swimming pool.
Emmanuel has a particularly impressive chapel, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, who would later go on to design St Paul’s Cathedral, London. We have several Festival events taking place in Emmanuel, not only in the chapel, but also the Queen Elizabeth Lecture Theatre and other spaces. Emmanuel will also be our venue for several meals and for all singing lessons.
Trinity college
Founded in 1546 by one of England’s most illustrious monarchs, King Henry VIII (famous for his six wives), Trinity is among the largest and wealthiest Cambridge colleges, and a fine example of Tudor Gothic architecture. Once home to scientist Sir Isaac Newton, poet Lord Byron, composer Charles Villiers Stanford and actor Eddie Redmayne, Trinity College has won more Nobel Prizes than any country except the USA, UK, Germany or France.
We are delighted that The Gesualdo Six will be performing a concert for us in Trinity College chapel as part of the Festival. Singing participants will also take part in a workshop led by Owain Park, Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers.
peterborough cathedral
Peterborough Cathedral is a towering masterpiece of Norman and Early Gothic architecture, with some parts of the building dating back as far as the year 800CE - that’s over a thousand years old! The cathedral is famous for its magnificent West Front, and for its 14th Century painted wooden ceiling (the only one of its kind the the UK). The cathedral is also the resting place of two famous Queens: Katherine of Aragon (the first wife of King Henry VIII) and Mary Queen of Scots.
We are thrilled to be singing a service of Choral Evensong here as part of our Cambridge 2026 Festival of Choirs.
saffron walden
Saffron Walden is a quintessential English town, named ‘The Best Place to Live in the UK’ by The Sunday Times newspaper. A site of civilisation for some 5,000 years, Saffron Walden’s bustling market scene (famous for wool and the saffron crocus flower) means that the town has always prospered. Just around the corner from St Mary’s is one of Europe’s most splendid stately homes, Audley End.
Our Gala Concert, crowning the Festival will take place here on Friday 15th August. All our singers will join together with professional soloists and orchestra for a programme of choral masterpieces, including Gabriel Fauré’s exquisite Requiem and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs.
We have several other beautiful venues, which will be uploaded here shortly!