On May 10 and 11, Presteigne Festival celebrates the approach of summer with a weekend of free, drop-in events and a programme of music, talks and film. Assembly Room Events include:

WELSH FOOD STORIES   - Saturday May 10th, 11:00am
Carwyn Graves, author of Welsh Food Stories and Tir, The Story of the Welsh Landscape, explores more than 2,000 years of history to discover the rich but forgotten heritage of Welsh foods. Tickets: £7 https://presteignefestival.com/springboard2025/

BESTSELLERS! Can they be Good Books? - Saturday May 10th, 3:00pm
Michèle Roberts and Patricia Duncker discuss what makes a bestseller. Can it be good? Who gets to judge? What about past bestsellers? Michèle and Patricia ran the famous creative writing course at the University of East Anglia. Join their conversation on reading and writing. Tickets: £7 https://presteignefestival.com/springboard2025/

FILM: PAINTING THE MODERN GARDEN – Monet to Matisse  - Saturday May 10th, 6:00pm
This dazzling film takes a magical journey from the gallery to the glorious gardens that inspired artists from Monet to Matisse. We discover how early twentieth century artists designed and cultivated gardens to explore utopian ideas and motifs of colour and form. 

Tickets: £7.50 (MBA Bar) https://presteignefestival.com/springboard2025/

FILM: SUNFLOWERS – the Mystery of Van Gogh’s masterworks  - Sunday May 11th, 6:00pm
The Van Gogh Museum reveals the secrets of some of the best-known art in the world. When did the sunflower arrive in Europe and how had previous artists reacted to it? What was Van Gogh trying to say with his works? What secrets did scientists discover when they analysed the paintings? Tickets: £7.50 (MBA Bar) https://presteignefestival.com/springboard2025/