Hastings Storytelling Festival

Before books, there were stories, told aloud by the fire, at the market, in the inn. The Hastings Storytelling Festival keeps that oldest of arts alive, bringing storytellers to the town each October for performances, workshops and walks, with events for adults and for children. In a town with as many tales as Hastings, from 1066 to smugglers, shipwrecks and the sea, it is a festival that feels right at home.

What storytelling is

Live storytelling is different from reading aloud. A storyteller tells the tale from memory, shaping it for the audience in front of them, so that no two tellings are quite the same. The stories might be ancient myths and folk tales, local legends, epic poems, or true stories from the teller’s own life, and the best storytellers can hold a room in silence with nothing but their voice.

Storytelling has enjoyed a revival in Britain over the past few decades, with clubs, festivals and professional storytellers performing in theatres, pubs, libraries and outdoor spaces. Festivals like Hastings’ bring together tellers from across the country and beyond, alongside local voices.

What to expect

The festival’s programme typically includes evening performances for adults, sessions for children and families, workshops for anyone who wants to try telling a story themselves, and walks that bring the town’s own stories to life in the places where they happened. Events take place in venues across Hastings, from theatres and halls to pubs, libraries and outdoor spaces.

Details vary from year to year, so check the festival’s programme for what is on, where and when, and whether events need booking.

Hastings' own stories

Hastings is full of stories to tell. There is the Norman invasion and the battle that gave the town its name; the smugglers who used the caves and tunnels under the hills; the fishermen launching their boats off the beach, as they have for a thousand years; the shipwrecks along the coast; and the ghosts said to haunt the Old Town’s pubs and passages. Many of these tales find their way into the festival, especially on its walks.

For children

Storytelling is one of the best arts for children, and the festival’s family sessions are a good introduction for young listeners. Stories told aloud invite children to imagine, to join in with refrains and to ask what happens next. Family events are usually held in the daytime and at weekends; check the programme for age guidance.

Try it yourself

Workshops at the festival give anyone the chance to learn how to tell a story, from choosing a tale to bringing it to life without a script. You do not need experience, and many storytellers will tell you the best way to learn is simply to start. It is a skill that serves well far beyond the festival, from bedtime stories to speaking in public.

Getting there

Hastings station is in the town centre, with trains from London, Ashford, Brighton and Eastbourne, and St Leonards Warrior Square station serves the western end of town. Festival venues are spread across Hastings and St Leonards, so check the location of each event before you set off; buses run along the seafront between the two.

Access

Venues vary, from modern halls to old buildings with steps. Venue pages on this site show what we know about step-free access and hearing loops; storytelling relies on listening, so hearing loops and good acoustics matter. If access is important to you, contact the venue or the festival before you go.

Autumn in Hastings

October is a good month to visit Hastings. The summer crowds have gone, the light over the sea is golden, and the town’s other autumn events, from Hastings Week and its bonfire to the chamber music concerts, make it easy to fill a weekend. A walk on the cliffs of the Hastings Country Park, east of the Old Town, is the perfect way to clear your head between stories.

Stories in the Old Town

After an evening of stories, the Old Town is the perfect place to carry on. Its pubs have their own tales, of smugglers’ hiding places, of fishermen and of ghosts, and a quiet drink by the fire is the best place to hear them. Many storytellers will tell you that the oldest audience for a story was a crowd in an inn, and Hastings has no shortage of those.

Listening well

A storytelling performance asks something of its audience: to listen closely and to imagine. Arrive in good time, settle in, and let the teller set the pace. Many storytellers welcome a response from the room, a laugh, a gasp or a joined-in chorus, so do not be shy of reacting.

This year's programme

As events for the festival are announced, they appear in the programme below, grouped by day and mapped by venue. Follow the links for times and details, and add the ones you want to your calendar.