Bringing world-class classical music to the streets of Canterbury
Wed 13 May 2026Musical ensembles from the renowned Philharmonia Orchestra will be surprising people in Canterbury with a series of unexpected 30-minute performances across the city centre on Sunday 17 May. Locations include Canterbury West train station, Westgate Gardens, Solly’s Orchard, Whitefriars Square and Felons Coffeehouse & Wine Bar.
The activity is part of the Philharmonia Festival in Canterbury, marking the Philharmonia’s 80th birthday celebrations, with the 2025/26 season of concerts at the Marlowe Theatre falling in this milestone year.
Brass, wind and strings musicians will showcase their talents for Canterbury crowds on the day in this rare event, with free pop-up performances in the following locations:
Brass musicians will be playing at Canterbury West train station at 12pm, Tower House Terrace in Westgate Gardens at 1pm and Solly’s Orchard at 2pm.
Wind musicians will perform at Tower House Terrace in Westgate Gardens at 12.30pm and Whitefriars Square at 1.30pm, then again later at 2.30pm.
Strings musicians will then present their pop-up performances in Whitefriars Square at 1pm, then inside The Shakespeare Pub at 2pm and at Felons Coffeehouse and Wine Bar at 3pm.
The Marlowe Theatre has partnered with the Philharmonia to deliver this activity and share the work of world-class musicians with Canterbury communities, bringing orchestral music to new audiences.
Roxan Kamali-Sarvestani, Learning and Participation Director at the Marlowe Theatre, says: “We’re proud to be partnering with the Philharmonia Orchestra during their residency at the Marlowe Theatre to bring classical music out into the streets of Canterbury. This rare opportunity makes the work of world-class musicians completely free and accessible for the day.
“It’s exciting to connect the Philharmonia with new audiences across our community and celebrate their time here, with surprise pop-up performances appearing in unexpected locations around the city. By taking creativity beyond the theatre and into everyday spaces, we’re opening up new ways for people to experience classical music.”
Teddy Prout, Philharmonia’s Director of Learning and Orchestral Operations, says: “We are delighted to present the Philharmonia Festival in Canterbury in partnership with the Marlowe Theatre. We are deeply committed to our residency in this wonderful and historic city, and our series of pop-up performances and activities is a great way for our players to step out of the concert hall and say hello to both new and existing audiences here in Canterbury.”
As well as the pop-up performances taking place throughout the city centre, audiences will have the opportunity to use Virtual Reality (VR) headsets in the Marlowe Theatre’s foyer from 2pm to 6pm on the day. The Oculus Quest 2 headsets offer experiences in 360° video, showcasing the last movement of Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony, conducted by Principal Conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali. Audiences will be able to put on a headset and experience Sibelius’s music from the best seat in the house, right in the middle of the orchestra. This is interspersed with drone footage captured over the fjords and lakes of Finland, the settings that inspired the composer.
The day of pop-up performances and events will be concluded with the final concert of the Philharmonia’s 2025/26 season at the Marlowe Theatre, Alim Beisembayev plays Beethoven, at 7.30pm.
Alim Beisembayev, winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2021, will play Mendelssohn’s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage Overture, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Brahms Symphony No. 1 in this concert, conducted by Adam Hickox.
The Philharmonia’s residency at the Marlowe Theatre (sponsored by Canterbury business Pharon Independent Financial Advisors), is now in its thirteenth year.