Florian Festival 2026

Music | Storytelling | Community

A transformative programme of spectacular performances, inclusive community events, and inspiring education projects taking place in Coulsdon, Surrey.

Florian Festival brings world-class music to Coulsdon, with concerts, workshops, and pop-up events running from January to June 2026. We’re making exceptional music accessible, joyful, and rooted in our community.

About the events

These are hour-long concerts given by the Florian Ensemble and international guest artists throughout the year. With imaginative and varied programmes and low prices, Mixtape Concerts are the heart of the festival.
Music and stories go hand in hand! These performances, presented by the fantastic Jessie Grimes, are a chance for younger listeners and their families to respond to music through the vivid lens of narrative, and to come up with all sorts of ideas themselves!

Concerts

These sessions with local primary schools are a gateway to imaginative listening and a lifelong connection with music. Students have the chance to respond to our performances through coming up with stories - but we’ll insist that they’re not arbitrary, and that those ideas come directly out of the music they’re hearing! A great way to build teamwork as well as real musical awareness.
In partnership with local grassroots organisation Croydon Music and Arts, we work with students to develop their passion for and understanding of the craft of chamber music.
Students from Coulsdon Sixth Form College music department have the chance to use the Florian Ensemble as live guinea pigs for developing their skills in recording engineering. A truly collaborative effort, recording is a central part of the modern music profession, and working with pros is a great way to start honing those listening skills!

Education strand - INSPIRE

There’s nothing quite like seeing performers up close. In this series, the Florian Ensemble brings their eclectic variety of music (and instruments!) to local businesses in Coulsdon. From pubs to cafes, libraries to parks, live music is part of life here!
Music connects with people in ways that last the whole of our lives, and in later life it can unlock both creativity and memory. These sessions in a local care home use live performance not just to entertain, but as a way of sharing the most profound aspects of our experience.
Life with young children can be tough, and so live music does more than introduce the little ones to listening - it’s a great way for parents and caregivers to find community. These relaxed, interactive sessions find just the right balance between concentration and chaos!
A chance for keen local instrumentalists to come together to play with the Florian Ensemble in a relaxed and supportive environment. An informal performance for friends and family will take place at the end of the day.
A chance for singers of all ages and abilities to be accompanied by the Florian Ensemble in a large-scale musical extravaganza!