2025

Last year: 25 - 28 September 2025


  • 20 venues

  • Art trail - included a free drink for those who completed it

  • 50 workshops and events

  • Hosted 2 Open Calls with more than 300 artworks submitted

  • 3 Prizes for artists

  • Over 2,400 visits across the venues

  • At least 2 venues made their highest revenue of the year on Saturday

  • At least 1 venue doubled their subscriptions

  • Introduced the public to places they hadn’t been before

  • Revitalised the Old Orleans building with Street Art

  • Lead sponsor: Knight Frank

Some of last year’s Programme

Press

  • 'First Guildford Festival of the Arts was a huge success'

  • 'Spotlight shines on town's art culture with new festival'

    Surrey Ad

  • "We had such an amazing array of photographs, I couldn't have faulted them. I wish we could have selected them all." - Charlie Cluff as part of the judging panel for the Mayors 2026 photographic calendar

  • 'The mural underneath Walnut Bridge was a fantastic example of how creativity can revitalise a neglected space into something vibrant and welcoming.' - Amanda Masters, Chief Executive of Experience Guildford, commenting on the Street Art that took place during the festival

  • 'It was such a great honour to join the Mayor of Guildford – Howard Smith and Guildford’s MP – Zoe Franklin, to officially launch the Inaugural Guildford Festival of the Arts’

    Peter Cluff - High Sheriff of Surrey

  • 'New street art project brings colourful makeover to town centre building'