As we head into the ‘roaring twenties’, Cheltenham is looking to once again set the benchmark as one of the go-to towns in the country when it comes to events.

From festivals to music, theatre to comedy, there will be something for everyone this year, so we’ve put together a preview of the best things to see and do in Cheltenham throughout 2020.

Festivals
Gloucestershire is known for its abundance of festivals and Cheltenham is at the heart of that calendar.

Alongside the week-long horse racing event that is the Cheltenham Festival, are of course the four stalwarts of the festival season – the Jazz, Science, Music and Literature Festivals.

First up in May is the Jazz Festival, curated again this year by the legendary Gregory Porter. June and July bring the Science and Music festivals respectively, and the Literature Festival – which last year celebrated its 70th anniversary – will be in October.

After a successful debut year in 2019, the Cheltenham International Film Festival returns for the final week of May, whilst the popular Paint Festival will be colouring the town in September.

Music
2000Trees Festival have announced their first headliner for the three-day event in July, with cult American band Jimmy Eat World set to star.

After their ‘15th Birthday’ celebrations last year, Wychwood Festival will return to the Racecourse in May.

Other big names to already announce shows in Cheltenham include Marc Almond and Heather Small, who will headline an 80s themed gig at Cheltenham Town’s Jonny Rocks Stadium in May.

Stage
An array of shows and musicals are set to come to the stage in Cheltenham this year.

The Bacon Theatre welcomes Opera Anywhere and Immersion Theatre for live adaptations of Hansel and Gretel and Rapunzel respectively, and will also be regularly screening National Theatre Broadcasts.

There’s plenty on at the Cheltenham Playhouse too, including the much anticipated return to stage of George Logan, also known as Dr Evadne Hinge, in ‘The Dowager’s Oyster’.

And the Everyman Theatre is set to feature a diverse line-up of shows and performances, including comedians David Baddiel, Chris Ramsey and Russell Howard.