Worcester Music Festival has announced that applications are now open for charities to apply to be the festival’s chosen cause for 2026. The announcement follows a hugely successful 2025 event, which saw the festival raise a record-breaking £8,819.92 for Worcester Snoezelen.
Worcester Snoezelen is a leisure therapy centre that provides a range of person-centred multisensory activities designed to empower individuals, bring joy, and support alternative communication. The charity offers a safe, welcoming space for children and adults with learning disabilities and additional needs, enabling them to engage in creative, sensory-based experiences.
Emily Branson, Festival Director, commented:
“Seeing Worcester come together in September, with hundreds of performances, volunteers and audiences all pitching in, was a powerful reminder of the city’s generosity.“Raising £8,819.92 for Worcester Snoezelen is something we’re incredibly proud of. Those funds will help the centre continue to deliver sensory sessions, buy specialist equipment and open up more creative opportunities for the people they support. Now we’re turning our attention to 2026 and looking for another local charity to champion.”
Beth Hiatt, Project Impact Coordinator at Worcester Snoezelen, added:
“It has been an honour to be this year’s charity, and we are so grateful for the incredible amount raised as well as for the opportunity to raise our profile in the local Worcester community!”
Worcester Music Festival will take place from 11th to 13th September 2026 in Worcester’s vibrant city centre. Charities wishing to be considered as the festival’s chosen cause must submit their applications by 3rd January 2026 via the festival’s website.
When applying, charities will be asked to outline what they do, who they help, and, crucially, whether they are seeking support for a specific project. In previous years, the festival has supported Worcester Community Trust, The Myriad Centre, Worcester Foodbank and Worcestershire Association of Carers.
A majority of the money raised each year comes from generous public donations. Throughout the festival, charity donation boxes are placed across the venues, and an inventive fundraising team collects donations in eye-catching costumes and with collection buckets.
Worcester Music Festival was launched in 2008 with a small number of venues and artists. It has since flourished into a weekend-long celebration that supports the local music scene and the wider community, giving artists a platform to perform while raising funds for worthy causes. The event now features over 250 artists in more than 20 venues situated in the heart of the faithful city.
