Broadway Arts Festival

The Great Broadway Portrait Paint-Off 2026
2026-06-07 09:00 - 17:00 (Europe/London) | Lifford Hall, Lower Green, Broadway, WR12 7BU, United Kingdom
Do you love the TV series Portrait Artist of the Year? Then this is for you…
Running alongside our famous plein air competition, The Great Broadway Paint-Off, we will also have a portrait painting competition taking place inside the Lifford Hall in Broadway. Amateur and professional artists from around the UK will spend the day painting the portrait of one of our ‘Broadway Legends’ from our local community, competing for prizes. There will be approximately 4 artists per model, the identity of which won’t be revealed until the day!
The painting zones will be roped off, but the general public will be able to view the artists at work during the day from a viewing area.
Judging will be done by the talented alla prima portrait artist Peter Keegan, along with Festival Ambassador Margot James (former Minister for Digital & Creative Industries).

Prizes:

Main prize: £300 (cash) sponsored by Helen & Hugh Munro (Trustee)
2nd Place: A £75 voucher for Rosemary & Co Artist Brushes
3rd Place: A Rosemary & Co Artist Brushes Peter Keegan Oils Set (RRP £59)
Visitors’ Choice Prize (voted on by visitors to the free exhibition of entries at the end of the afternoon): A 3 night stay at Russell Court Cottage in the grounds of Russell House in Broadway (Sleeps 6) – Note: the Visitors’ Choice Prize is shared with the main Great Broadway Paint-Off

How does it work?

Buy your ticket through the website well in advance (note: this event is likely to sell out weeks before).
Turn up with your blank canvas and your kit at the Lifford Hall in the centre of the village to check in and get your blank canvas stamped & numbered on the reverse.
Select a pre-marked position to set up and await the arrival of your model, who will arrive at 9am.
Spend the day creating your masterpiece. Note we will need to give the model a short break each hour and a longer break for a bite to eat at lunch.
Complete your portrait and hand it in at the desk when complete, but by 2:15pm at the very latest. If you have used an easel, please leave it on your easel for display in the exhibition.
If you would like to sell your work (we imagine the models may well be interested buyers), tell us the price when you hand it back in.
The entries will then form a selling exhibition and judged (all artists will need to leave the hall during the judging). Prize-winners will see a ribbon on their piece when the exhibition opens at 4pm.
The selling exhibition is then open to the public for all to enjoy from 4pm to 5pm.
Only artwork started and completed on the day will qualify.
Artwork can be in any medium & any size, however we cannot accept digital art as a medium for a number of reasons.
We process all artwork sales at the exhibition through our card machine and then transfer 90% of the sale price directly to your bank account in the following days. 10% of all sales are retained as commission to help cover the costs of running the competition.

Tickets: £20
There are 21 tickets available for this event and they need to be purchased in advance.
This event has now SOLD OUT.
Participants will need to bring their own paper, canvas and art supplies. These will not be provided.
Timings:

Registration: 8:15-8:50am
Models arrive and painting starts: 9am
30 min break for lunch: 12 noon
Hand in completed portrait by 2:15pm
You will need to have packed up and vacated the hall with your painting equipment, by 2:30pm.
Judging: 2:30-4pm
Exhibition open: 4-5pm

Broadway Arts Festival accepts no responsibility for loss, damage or injury during the day

The Great Broadway Paint-Off 2026
2026-06-07 08:30 - 17:00 | Broadway Village Green, The Green, Broadway, Worcestershire, WR12 7AA, United Kingdom
Your chance to draw or paint our beautiful Cotswolds village for the day and be in with a chance of winning great prizes along with other artists from across the UK!
This is a very popular event that attracts both professional and emerging artists.
Prizes:

Main Prize: £500 (cash) sponsored by Alastair & Julieanne McGrigor (Trustee)
2nd Place: An overnight stay with 3 course dinner, full English breakfast and a round of golf at Tewkesbury Park Hotel
3rd Place: £150 voucher for Jackson’s Art Supplies
4th Place: £150 voucher towards framing from E7 Framing
5th Place: A £100 voucher for Rosemary & Co Artist Brushes
6th Place: £50 voucher for Jackson’s Art Supplies
Visitors’ Choice Prize (voted on by visitors to the free exhibition of entries at the end of the afternoon): A 3 night stay at Russell Court Cottage in the grounds of Russell House in Broadway (Sleeps 6) Note: the Visitors’ Choice Prize is shared with The Great Broadway Portrait Paint-Off

Judges in 2026 will include our Festival Artist in Residence, Claire Henley and Festival Ambassador Tushar Sabale who will walk the village to chat with the artists during the day.
NOTE: we will also be holding a separate Portrait Paint-Off at the Lifford Hall during the day for those who prefer painting people rather than en plein air!

How does it work?

Buy your ticket through the website well in advance and before 15th May. Note: You can only buy a ticket for yourself, not multiples for friends.
Turn up with your blank canvas and your kit at the gazebo on the village green in the centre of the village in the time slot you selected to check in and get your canvas stamped & numbered on the reverse.
Spend the day creating your masterpiece at your chosen location in or around the village (you can paint up at Broadway Tower too).
Get your work of art back to the Lifford Hall anytime from 2pm, but by 3:30pm at the very latest when the doors will close for judging.
If you have used an easel, please leave it on your easel for display in the exhibition.
If you would like to sell your work, have the price ready to provide to us when you hand it back in.
The entries will then form a selling exhibition and be judged. Prize-winners will see a ribbon on their piece when the exhibition opens at 4pm.
The selling exhibition is then open to the public for all to enjoy from 4pm to 5pm.
The winner of the Visitors’ Choice Prize will be announced at 4:45pm
Only artwork started and completed on the day will qualify.
Artwork can be in any medium & any size, however we cannot accept photography or iPad art as a medium for a number of reasons.
We process all artwork sales at the exhibition through our card machine and then transfer 90% of the sale price directly to your bank account in the following days. 10% of all sales are retained as commission to help cover the costs of running the competition. A red dot will appear on sold works.

This event will go ahead despite poor weather (no refunds) – so please dress appropriately!

There are 75 tickets available for this event and they need to be purchased in advance – this event has now SOLD OUT
Participants will need to bring their own paper, canvas and art supplies. These will not be provided.
You will have a choice of registration slot at the gazebo on the village green:
Early Birds: 8:30-9:30am
Still Keen: 9:30-10:30am

Broadway Arts Festival accepts no responsibility for loss, damage or injury during the day.

The Julia & Martin Wilson Short Story Competition
2026-01-05 08:00 - 2026-03-27 18:00 | Worcestershire
In 2020 we launched a new short story prize in addition to our art competition in order to encourage creativity during the lockdown. The prize was generously sponsored and judged by festival benefactors Julia & Martin Wilson. The competition now takes place every other year, the next one is in 2026.
Entries need to be a maximum of 2,000 words with unlimited entries allowed per entrant. No theme to adhere to.
Prizes:
Main prize (over 16s): £800
Ages 11-16yrs: £100
Age 10 and under: £100
The 2026 competition will open for entries on 5th January, so start working on your entries!
The deadline for entries is 6pm on 27th March 2026.
Please do not enter any previously submitted entries as they will not qualify for consideration.
Winners will be announced the second week of April.
There is a fee of £12 per entry for over 16s for the main prize of £800, but the competition is free to enter for 16 and unders.
Visit the Short Story Prize web page for further details. An online entry form will appear on the page in January.

2025 Art Competition Exhibition of Finalists
2025-09-26 11:00 - 2025-10-05 16:00 | Bretforton Theatrebarn, Theatrebarn, Bretforton, Worcestershire, United Kingdom
Our annual open art competition is open to any artist in any medium, professional & amateur.
Artists’ work that is selected for the final judging stage forms an exclusive selling exhibition of 150 works at Theatrebarn in Bretforton (15 mins drive from Broadway) from Friday 26th September – Sunday 5th October, open daily from 11am – 4pm. Entry to the exhibition is free and there is ample free parking onsite.
We received 670 entries from across the UK, and the 150 finalists and prize-winners form this exclusive selling exhibition in the beautiful buildings and grounds of Theatrebarn.
The exhibition is an exciting array of beautiful works in a huge range of style and to fit every budget. Perfect if you have a bare wall, nook or windowsill and are looking for a bespoke piece of British art, or to simply admire!
All the works are available to buy. If you see a piece that you would like to purchase, please go to the sales desk and they will assist you.
You will have a chance to see one of our finalists at work during your visit as we have a schedule of live demonstrations for the duration of the exhibition, 2 per day.
Broadway Arts Festival is an arts charity, so all the funds raised go towards their outreach projects with local schools, bursaries for local university arts students and the next festival.
Cast your vote for Visitors’ Choice!
We also have a Visitors’ Choice prize. So do cast your vote for your favourite entry when you visit (one vote permitted per visitor). The prize winner will be announced and informed on the afternoon of Sunday 5th October!
Prizes:

Main prize (any medium): £1000 – sponsored by Wychavon District Council
Main prize runner up (any medium): £250 art materials voucher and a bespoke frame made to order sponsored by Cotswold Art Supplies
Visitors’ Choice Prize – an overnight stay for 2 with dinner at Grill by James Martin at The Lygon Arms Hotel in Broadway
Painting in Oils or Acrylics Prize £500 – sponsored by Priory Gallery, Broadway
Watercolour Prize £500 – sponsored by John Noott Galleries (Founder’s Prize)
Mixed Media Prize £500 – Sponsored by Sharon Stirling & Mark Ward (Trustee)
Sculpture / 3D Prize £500 – sponsored by Susan & Jason Lewis (Trustee)
Local Artist Prize of a solo weekend show – sponsored by / at Broadway Contemporary Gallery
Best entry from a new entrant £500 – sponsored by the Painter’s Company Charities
Best Landscape entry Prize of a weekend show – sponsored by The White Gallery Chipping Campden

We have a panel of esteemed judges, including category judges from the sponsors.

The Great Broadway Portrait Paint-Off
2025-06-15 09:00 - 17:00 | Marquee on the village green, Lower Green, Broadway, WR12 7BU
Do you love the TV series Portrait Artist of the Year? Then this is for you…
New for 2025!
Running alongside our famous plein air competition, The Great Broadway Paint-Off, this year we will also have a portrait painting competition taking place inside the main marquee on the village green. Amateur and professional artists from around the UK will spend the day painting the portrait of one of our ‘Broadway Legends’ from our local community, competing for prizes. There will be approximately 5 artists per model, the identity of which won’t be revealed until the day!
The painting zones will be roped off, but the general public will be able to view the artists at work from a pathway down the centre of the marquee.

There are main prizes plus a visitors’ choice prize voted on by visitors to the free exhibition of entries at the end of the afternoon.
Judging will be done by the talented alla prima portrait artist Peter Keegan, along with Festival Ambassador Margot James who is the former Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries.
Prizes:
Main prize £300 (cash) sponsored by Alastair & Julieanne McGrigor (Trustee)
2nd Place: An overnight stay with 3 course dinner, full English breakfast and a round of golf at Tewkesbury Park Hotel
3rd Place: A £75 voucher for Rosemary & Co Artist Brushes
Visitors’ Choice Prize (voted on by visitors to the free exhibition of entries at the end of the afternoon): A 3 night stay at Russell Court Cottage in the grounds of Russell House in Broadway (Sleeps 6) – Note: the Visitors’ Choice Prize is shared with the main Great Broadway Paint-Off
How does it work?

Buy your ticket through the website well in advance (note: this event is likely to sell out weeks before).
Turn up with your blank canvas and your kit at the marquee on the village green in the centre of the village to check in and get your blank canvas stamped & numbered on the reverse.
Select a pre-marked position to set up and await the arrival of your model, who will arrive at 10am.
Spend the day creating your masterpiece. Note we will need to give the model a short break each hour and a longer break for a bite to eat at lunch.
Complete your portrait and hand it in at the desk in the marquee from 2pm, but by 3:20pm at the very latest. If you have used an easel, please leave it on your easel for display in the exhibition.
If you would like to sell your work (we imagine the models may well be interested buyers), tell us the price when you hand it back in.
The entries will then form a selling exhibition and judged (all artists will need to leave the marquee during the judging). Prize-winners will see a ribbon on their piece when the exhibition opens at 4pm.
The selling exhibition is then open to the public for all to enjoy from 4pm to 5pm.
Only artwork started and completed on the day will qualify.
Artwork can be in any medium & any size, however we cannot accept photography or iPad art as a medium for a number of reasons.
We process all artwork sales at the exhibition through our card machine and then transfer 90% of the sale price directly to your bank account in the following days. 10% of all sales are retained as commission to help cover the costs of running the competition. You will receive a text if your entry sells at the exhibition.

Tickets: £20
There are 25 tickets available for this event and they need to be purchased in advance, by 30th May at the latest.
Participants will need to bring their own paper, canvas and art supplies. These will not be provided.
Timings:

Registration: 9-9:45am
Models arrive and painting starts: 10am
30 min break for lunch: 1pm
Hand in completed portrait: 2-3:30pm
Judging: 3:30-4pm
Exhibition open: 4-5pm

Broadway Arts Festival accepts no responsibility for loss, damage or injury during the day
Why not stay for dinner?
Celebrate the end of the festival at our Jazz Supper Club on the village green from 7:30pm.

The Great Broadway Paint-Off 2025
2025-06-15 08:30 - 17:00 | Broadway Village Green, The Green, Broadway, Worcestershire, WR12 7AA, United Kingdom
Your chance to draw or paint our beautiful Cotswolds village for the day and be in with a chance of winning great prizes along with other artists from across the UK!
This is a very popular event that attracts both professional and emerging artists.

Judges in 2025 will be Festival Ambassador, Haidee-Jo Summers VPROI RSMA, and our Festival Artist in Residence, Claire Watson, who will walk the village to give our artists feedback and tips during the day.
7 main prizes plus a visitors’ choice prize voted on by visitors to the free exhibition of entries at the end of the afternoon.
NOTE: New for 2025, we will also be holding a separate Portrait Paint-Off inside the marquee during the day for those who prefer painting people rather than en plein air!
Prizes:
Main prize £500 (cash) sponsored by Alastair & Julieanne McGrigor (Trustee)
Visitors’ Choice Prize (voted on by visitors to the free exhibition of entries at the end of the afternoon): A 3 night stay at Russell Court Cottage in the grounds of Russell House in Broadway (Sleeps 6) Note: the Visitors’ Choice Prize is shared with The Great Broadway Portrait Paint-Off
2nd Prize £200 voucher for Jackson’s Art Supplies
3rd Prize £200 voucher towards framing or art restoration services from Andrew Finlay Fine Art Conservation
4th Prize £150 voucher for framing from E7 Framing
5th Prize £100 voucher for Rosemary and Co Artists Brushes
6th Prize £75 voucher for Rosemary and Co Artists Brushes
7th Prize £50 voucher for Pegasus Art supplies

How does it work?

Buy your ticket through the website well in advance and before 30th May. Note: You can only buy a ticket for yourself, not multiples for friends.
Turn up with your blank canvas and your kit at the marquee on the village green in the centre of the village in the time slot you selected to check in and get your canvas stamped & numbered on the reverse.
Spend the day creating your masterpiece at your chosen location in or around the village (you can paint up at Broadway Tower too).
Get your work of art back to the marquee anytime from 2pm, but by 3:30pm at the very latest. If you have used an easel, please leave it on your easel for display in the exhibition.
If you would like to sell your work, tell us the price when you hand it back in.
The entries will then form a selling exhibition and be judged. Prize-winners will see a ribbon on their piece when the exhibition opens at 4pm.
The selling exhibition is then open to the public for all to enjoy from 4pm to 5pm.
Only artwork started and completed on the day will qualify.
Artwork can be in any medium & any size, however we cannot accept photography or iPad art as a medium for a number of reasons.
We process all artwork sales at the exhibition through our card machine and then transfer 90% of the sale price directly to your bank account in the following days. 10% of all sales are retained as commission to help cover the costs of running the competition. You will receive a text if your entry sells at the exhibition.

This event will go ahead despite poor weather (no refunds) – so please dress appropriately!

There are 80 tickets available for this event and they need to be purchased in advance, by 30th May at the latest.

Participants will need to bring their own paper, canvas and art supplies. These will not be provided.
You will have a choice of registration slot at the marquee on the village green:
Early Birds: 8:30-9:30am
Still Keen: 9:30-10:30am

Broadway Arts Festival accepts no responsibility for loss, damage or injury during the day.
This event has now sold out – you can request to be put on a waiting list by emailing boxoffice@broadwayartsfestival.com
Why not stay for dinner?
Celebrate the end of the festival at our Jazz Supper Club on the village green from 7:30pm.

2025 Art Competition
2025-05-01 10:00 - 2025-08-18 18:00 | Bretforton Theatrebarn, Theatrebarn, Bretforton, Worcestershire, United Kingdom
Entries are now open for our annual open art competition, open to any artist, in any medium including (but not restricted to) painting, drawing, pastels, mixed media, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics & glass.
Any artist from across the UK can enter, but we do have a separate prize for best entry from a local artist.
We had 580 entries from across the UK in 2024. Take a look at the Prize Winners and those Highly Commended
This year we have increased the prize pot and added a new prize category for mixed media.
Prizes:

Main prize (any medium): £1000 – sponsored by Wychavon District Council
Main prize runner up (any medium): £250 art materials voucher sponsored by Cotswold Art Supplies
Visitor’s Choice Prize – an overnight stay for 2 with dinner at Grill by James Martin at The Lygon Arms Hotel in Broadway
Painting in Oils or Acrylics Prize £500 – sponsored by Priory Gallery in Broadway
Watercolour Prize £500 – sponsored by John Noott Galleries (Founder’s Prize)
Sculpture / 3D Prize £500 – sponsored by Susan & Jason Lewis (Trustee)
Mixed Media Prize – sponsored by Sharon Stirling & Mark Ward (Trustee)
Local Artist Prize of a solo weekend show – sponsored by / at Broadway Contemporary Gallery
Best entry from a new entrant £500 – sponsored by the Painter’s Company Charities
Best Landscape Entry Prize of a weekend show – sponsored by/at The White Gallery in Chipping Campden

We have a panel of esteemed judges, including category judges from the sponsors.
Artists’ work that is selected for the final judging stage form an exclusive selling exhibition at Bretforton Theatrebarn from 26th September-5th October 2025, open daily from 11am – 4pm. Entry to the exhibition is free and there is ample free parking right outside. The exhibition space is all on the ground floor.
Some of our finalists will be demonstrating live during the exhibition . There is a demo area in between the two main exhibition areas where artists will be able to work on a piece and chat with exhibition visitors.
ENTRY FORM & Details
Main entry deadline is 6pm Monday 18th August.

We realise that some of you will require a little extra time, so there is a late entry deadline of 6pm on Friday 22nd August. Late entries are charged at £25 per entry.
Broadway Arts Festival is an arts charity, so all the funds raised go towards their outreach projects with local schools, bursaries for local university arts students and the next festival.
Cast your vote for Visitors’ Choice!
We also have a Visitors’ Choice prize. So do cast your vote for your favourite entry when you visit (one vote permitted per visitor). The prize winner will be announced and informed on the afternoon of Sunday 5th October!
Note: We run the competition and exhibition of finalists apart from the festival as it is such a big event in its own right.

Photography Competition
2025-02-01 10:00 - 2025-04-01 18:00 | Worcestershire
Our photography competition will be open to any photographer in the UK or abroad, amateur or professional,
The competition & prizes are generously sponsored by Photographer Peter Martin who has a gallery in Stow on the Wold.
Prize categories:

Best Portrait (£250)
Best Landscape (£250)
Best Wildlife (£250)
Best Photo Essay (£500)

We have a panel of esteemed judges, all professional photographers themselves. Find out more about our 2025 judges
Prize winners and those Highly Commended will have their entries displayed in St Michael’s All Angels Church in Broadway during the Broadway Arts Festival 6-15 June 2025, open daily with free entry.
Competition entries will open on 1st February 2025 with a deadline of 6pm 1st April 2025.
See the photography competition page for all the details and to submit your entries from February 1st onwards
Prizewinners and those Highly Commended will be announced on 15th April and that will form the exhibition during the festival.
