Heralding Huge Happenings
It seems that astronomical spring which begins today is a better herald than the meteorological version, of some real spring weather this year!
Then, there are some really big events coming to Lymington over the next few months, and this week's spotlight is on two of them:
The Solent Music Festival: 25-31 May in St Thomas Church
and
Lymington Seafood Festival: 10-12 July in Bath Road Park
Read on!
10th Lymington Seafood Festival
Friday 10 - Sunday 12 July
Lymington Seafood Festival celebrates its 10th birthday this year and will be throwing a festival to remember: crammed full of great food, the best local chefs and cooking experiences. There’s a new drinks stage, street performers and live music to get everyone up dancing.
Watch top local chefs live on stage, led by Luke Holder, Lime Wood HH&Co, alongside the High Street Kitchen’s Gavin Barnes, Leo Champion from the Montagu Arms and Cambium’s Dylan James. TV foodie Chris Bavin returns to host the Chefs Stage and Cookery School, where you can sharpen your skills — or cheer on budding master chefs in the Big Careys Cook Off.
Friday night's headliners will be Ultimate Coldplay: widely recognised as being the world’s best and most accurate Coldplay tribute, they have performed all the band's greatest hits across Europe and Asia as well as at countless UK music venues and festivals. What a headline act for a 10th birthday party!
Tickets for each of Friday, Saturday and Sunday are £12, with 3 day weekend tickets £30, all on sale now.
TEMPT YOUR TASTEBUDS WITH THE SEAFOOD FESTIVAL VIDEO!
ULTIMATE COLDPLAY WILL SELL OUT FAST - BOOK NOW!
Since 2013 - The Solent Music Festival
Mon 25- Sun 31 May
The Solent Music Festival returns for a week-long celebration of music across the centuries, featuring world-class artists bringing the great repertoire vividly to life. Central to the 2026 edition is a magnificent 1832 Érard grand piano - championed by Chopin, Liszt, and Mendelssohn - heard in multiple concerts throughout the week.
Mon 25 May 7pm: Simply Symphonic - Opening concert
Sam Haywood directs the SMF String Orchestra from the Érard in Mozart’s Piano Concerto K.414, alongside Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Warlock’s Capriol Suite, and Britten’s Simple Symphony (Dominika Fehér, conductor - marking the 50th anniversary of Britten’s death.
Tue 26 May 11am: Family Concert; 7pm: Chamber music with Sam & Friends
This year's Family Concert is based on the story of the winning piece of the 2026 Lawson-May Award. A chamber music evening with Rose Gosney (violin), Katherine Spencer (on the historic Martell clarinet), and Sam Haywood at the Érard. Includes the world premiere of the 2026 Lawson-May Award winning composition.
Wed 27 May 10am-5pm: Choral Workshop; 8pm: Sam Jewison
A choral day course exploring sublime 17th-century Italian repertoire, led by soprano Kate Semmens and harpsichordist Steven Devine. In the evening, jazz sensation Sam Jewison returns for an electrifying one-hour concert.
Thu 28 May 7pm: Consone Quartet
Mozart’s ‘Dissonance’ Quartet, Clara Schumann’s Three Romances Op.22, and Schumann’s Piano Quintet with Sam Haywood on the Érard – a perfect union of voices old and new.
Fri 29 May 7pm: The King's Singers
‘Such stuff as dreams are made on’ - a magical journey through European Romantic song, from Vaughan Williams’ Shakespeare settings to Debussy, Ravel and Elgar.
Sat 30 May 7pm: English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble - Echoes of Venice
A Venetian-themed programme with the ECSE, featuring songs by trombonist Emily White and Sam Haywood from their recent recording together.
Sun 31 May 4pm: Red Priest - The Great Experiment
A dazzling finale: medieval mystics, Baroque alchemy, Albinoni, Handel, Piazzolla, and a reimagined suite from Bach’s Goldberg Variations.
There are special discounts if you book 4 or more concerts. Click below for more details about every concert and to book your tickets.
CHOOSE CONCERTS AND BOOK TICKETS NOW!
Exbury Gardens - Are Open!
As winter becomes a distant memory and astronomical spring arrives with warmer, drier and soon longer days too, Exbury is now fully open for the new season. The gardens are bursting into life, daffodils are everywhere and the camellias are looking gorgeous. Here and there you’ll be treated to the delicious scent of daphnes, rhododendrons are beginning to bloom, whilst the magnificent magnolias are poised for their brief moments of spring glory. From now and through the Easter holidays is the perfect time to pay our first visit of the year, and also tempt ourselves to sign up for membership, which is such brilliant value if we plan to visit a couple more times in the coming months.
Upcoming events at Exbury are being added all the time to the Events Calendar; you can also see them all in one place by scrolling down here. Seasonal Spotlight Tour: Camellias begin today!
WHAT'S ON AND COMING UP AT EXBURY GARDENS
Easter at Beaulieu
This Easter from 28 March – 12 April, you are invited to gather friends and family and spend a day at Beaulieu!
Opening just in time for Easter 2026, one of the most significant changes to the National Motor Museum since it was built, is a brand new permanent exhibition gallery. Driven: Britain's Motoring Story will showcase the development of motoring in the UK. Delving into the social and cultural impact of motoring, it has five distinct areas focusing on how Britain has changed over the decades.
While inside the National Motor Museum, children of all ages will be delighted that some of their favourite stars from the Disney and Pixar Cars franchise are parked up on display.
Carry on the motoring theme by revving up your engines and following the Top Trumps trail around Beaulieu's grounds and gardens, looking out for the Easter Bunny along the way.
Don't miss the interactive car attraction We Had One of Those. Pick the blast from your past and show the kids what driving was like ‘back in the day’.
Then there's the adventure play area, Little Beaulieu, with secret passageways to explore, treetop walkways to conquer, a zip wire to whoosh down and plenty of climbing and imaginative play opportunities.
Your general admission ticket to Beaulieu includes all there is to see, as well as rides on the Monorail and Veteran bus. Click below to plan your day!
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EASTER AT BEAULIEU!
Other Event News
- Saturday 28 March: Ultrack50 in Battersea Park Millennium Arena, fundraising event for Hammersley Homes: it's not too late for runners to sign up, and supporters are warmly invited too!
- Friday 10 April: The Lymington Society together with the Friends of Sir Harry are hosting a talk at the Community Centre by : HMS Victory - The Big Repair. HMS Victory, cared for by the National Museum of the Royal Navy, is entering the most exciting stage of its £42 million conservation project. This long-term effort aims to preserve Admiral Lord Nelson’s famous flagship for at least another 50 years while keeping her as close as possible to the condition she was in at the Battle of Trafalgar. Another fairly huge happening, in fact!
Next weekend as the schools start their Easter breaks and British Summertime steals an hour but gives back in spades with longer evenings - and more time for our actual spades in our gardens - we'll inevitably be heralding Easter Holiday happenings!
The recent 'Shine a Light on Dementia' event at Colten Care’s specialist dementia care home Linden House, saw the gardens transformed into an immersive, illuminated trail, designed to strengthen community awareness of dementia while also raising funds for Oakhaven Hospice. With Dementia Awareness Week approaching (17-23 May) and a special event planned for Lymington on Tues 19 May, we'll shortly feature a round-up of local support groups for people with dementia and their carers. Meanwhile one you may not be aware of is the Dementia Friendly Workshop on Wednesday afternoons in the Living Room at spudWORKS in Sway.
Happy spring weekends everyone!
Best wishes Jane
Read the rest of this week's newsletter here
And check out What's On in the Diary of Upcoming Events!
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