Each year in May, the Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts attracts more than 3500 performers in Music, Dance and Speech & Drama. The Festival takes place over 12 days and performances mainly take place in Cheltenham Town Hall. There are more than 340 different classes of performances for adults and children of all ages. Most classes are competitive, with adjudication by professional adjudicators, but some classes are non-competitive and are included to encourage wide participation in the performing arts. The children generally come from schools in Gloucestershire and the surrounding counties. Adult performers, notably the male voice and female voice choirs, visit from much wider afield and compete for the coveted Gold Cup on the final Saturday evening.
