Goosfest Arts & Music Festival, Goostrey, Cheshire

Goosfest is an arts and music festival held each year in October, designed to enrich the cultural opportunities in Cheshire. With day-time and evening events at different venues in and around the village of Goostrey, Goosfest promises something for everyone. The festival involves both professional and amateur acts across the full spectrum of the arts. So whether it is theatre, stand-up comedy, classical, reggae, folk. jazz or contemporary music, poetry, painting or craft that turns you on, Goosfest has it.

Over the years, the people of Goostrey have demonstrated time and time again that they are willing to enthusiastically back arts events organised locally and it is this admirable tradition of support that has inspired us to arrange such an ambitious programme of events. If you would like to be kept up-dated by e-mail please register through our Contact us page. We hope you will enjoy Goosfest and support the performances and events throughout the festival.

Get Involved!

There are two ways of supporting Goosfest without being on a committee:

Sponsorship

Goosfest runs on a very tight budget and we aim to break even each year. Some events will run at a loss but we feel these are equally important and provide the breadth of programme that makes Goosfest special. Our costs are high – and rising – for performers’ fees, venue hire, insurance, printing and advertising.

If you would like to be a sponsor of Goosfest or a particular event, whatever the level of contribution, this would help us to maintain the high quality and diversity of our programme. We are particularly looking for sponsorship of our Art exhibitions as they run at a significant deficit. In return, we would be happy to discuss how best to acknowledge such support.

Volunteering

We rely on our small band of volunteers, without whom Goosfest would not be possible. If you have time to spare and would like to join in the fun perhaps you might consider helping us in one of the following ways:

  • Setting up and/or clearing up at the beginning or end of events.
  • Stewarding at events and workshops
  • Leaflet distribution
  • Bar stewarding
  • Catering
  • Technical support

No experience is necessary! All we ask is that you are fully committed to the ethos of Goosfest which is to provide quality events and workshops for our village.

If you would like to join our band of volunteers, please use our ‘contact us’ page and we’ll call you back very soon.

Thank you

Testimonials

We’d love to hear about your Goosfest experiences and maybe share them online to help others. If you’re happy with this, please use our contact form to let us know how we’re doing.

Dear Goosfest Committee and Volunteers,

Thank you again for all your hard work in planning and delivering yet another successful Goosfest. We thoroughly enjoyed everything we went to – the Art Exhibition, the display at the Station, the history of our local pubs, the flower display in church. We enjoyed the shows we attended and particularly letting our hair down at the Disco Inferno and pretending we were still in our youth!

Many thanks,

I just wanted to say a big thank you for inviting me to attend the preview event in the Orchard Barn. There really were some fabulous displays and it was lovely to speak with some of the artists and volunteers. I was also able to attend the 200 event at the railway station on Saturday.

I really am so impressed with the whole of the Goosfest festival.

Congratulations on another fantastic Goosfest.

We thoroughly enjoyed helping out and are more than happy to help again next year.

Much thanks to you and all the team. It is no mean feat putting on such an extravaganza of events. Our community and beyond benefit greatly.

Bravo!

We had a fabulous time in Goosfest.

We had such a lovely time performing today.

Goosfest is the most amazing event and sums up the fantastic spirit within the village.

Well done to all involved.

Another great event – we enjoyed taking part as Goostrey Parish Archive and also visiting events.

We have enjoyed attending the 2024 and 2025 Goosfest art exhibitions, as an artist myself

Just to say how much a friend and I enjoyed Jonathan’s organ recital on Sunday. Do hope you’ll be able to book him again next year. He’s always brilliant but the concert in the church was enhanced by the screen showing his hands and feet and also being in a smaller venue. Parking and stewarding was great too.

Thank you for the work in organising this concert.

Just to say Disco Inferno was fabulous, thank you!!!

I’d like to book the whole front row seats for Jive Talkin.

Goosfest is the Glastonbury of Cheshire without the need for camping/mud
I can’t imagine how much work and dedication goes into delivering this event.

A big thank you for another successful Goosfest.
We thoroughly enjoyed all the different events we went to.
It was really nice to be able to walk to most things and enjoy a reasonably priced drink too!
Thank you to the many members of the Goosfest team who give freely of their time and energy so that we can enjoy this very special local festival.

Thank you very much to everyone involved in putting together another brilliant Goosfest Season.
We managed to get to 4 events plus the flower festival before the ‘proper’ Goosfest events started and they were all really good – great acts, and the organisation worked very smoothly and efficiently.

Just to thank everyone concerned for the wonderful festival.
For me the highlight was Jonathan Scott playing the organ, such a joy to be there and every moment was pure magic.
I just didn’t want the time to end!
The screen showing him playing was fantastic, which added to the performance.
The choice of music were all my favourites.
It was also lovely to speak with him, a lovely man.
Thank you again, it was a real feast of art.

Just a little note to say thank you so much for the hospitality, and ease with the wheelchair to attend the Blues Brothers performance last night.
We all had a very enjoyable evening.

Thanks for all you do to put Goosfest on and to provide us with some really great events.

We came to the Comedy night on 9 October and had a fabulous time.

I have been to my first Goosfest events, introduced by friends, and would like to say how enjoyable these have been.
The organisation and hard work that must be involved is impressive, so a big thank you to all concerned and wishing you continued success in the future.

This year’s programme was excellent.
I’m already looking forward to next year!!

We had a fabulous evening with The Not Quite Big Band and would love to see them again.

Thanks for everyone’s hard work!
These events don’t just happen.

Just a little note to say a big thank you for yet another excellent week of culture and entertainment on our doorstep.
We are so fortunate in Goostrey to benefit from the hard work and effort of a group of enthusiastic volunteers who give of their time and energy so that we locals can enjoy ourselves without having to travel far.
We enjoyed everything we went to and most of the events were even better than we had expected- there was a broad selection of entertainment and interest.

It’s always a pleasure to play for an event that was clearly put together by music lovers.
Original music shows with that level of professionalism, attendance numbers and respect for the artists are all too rare, so we salute you for that.

The festival gets better every year, and is fast becoming “Woodstock Cheshire”!!

Many thanks to Caroline and the Goosfest team for putting on the Elvis night at Terra Nova. One of the best night’s entertainment we can remember – great singer, very funny and an excellent support band too. Not even the weather could spoil the night!

Thank you so much for last night’s Gin tasting.
Great evening and brilliant organisation and even a goody bag to take home from the Party!!

What a fantastic evening tonight with John Archer – a very talented, funny and clever magician, musician and comedian – his interaction with the audience was brilliant…..
Thank you and well done to you all on the Goosfest team.

Hello Judi,
Thanks for a great day last Saturday. I doubt I’ll ever write my memoirs but I got so much out of the day.
I realised it isn’t journalists I have such dislike for. It’s the real world. Journalists present the real world and I can’t handle the real world. My problem is not the profession of journalism!
I now realise why “Homeward Bound” by Paul Simon is such a great song thanks to one of the exercises we did.
Clare is using what she learned on a writing course and is really fired up by how she can use different techniques to be more expressive and get more life and vibrancy into what looked like being a dull story.
I have a feeling you’ll see us again! I may not ever write but your course is more than just about writing. For me anyway.
Thanks again

I thoroughly enjoyed Richard Weston’s creative glass photography workshop.
The day was well planned with everyone pleased with the resulting images.

I have been to three events and really enjoyed them all. Snake Davis was first class and the Comedy Night was so much fun. Yesterday I came to the Roman lecture and learnt a lot.
Well done to you all. You are an excellent team and make a great event for so many local people.
Best wishes

Just to say a WHOPPING big thank you for last nights Sourdough Workshop. It was an amazing experience…the Roberts team are superb and their enthusiasm and hospitality are second to none. My husband and I and six neighbours came home with two delicious loaves each plus other goodies and recipes. SUPERB!
Thanks also go the Goosfest organisers who do a wonderful job in putting together the unique and fascinating choices of events. Well done.

Friends & Sponsors

We would like to thank our sponsors, who help us to attract the variety and quality of performers and events and to manage the financial risks each year.

Bidlea Dairy
Cheshire Clay Studios
Clonter Opera Theatre
Crown Inn, Goostrey
Goostrey Parish Council
The Space Invader, Goostrey
The Swettenham Arms
Yellow Broom Restaurant

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