FIRST ROUNDS AND QUARTER FINALS
These are the festivals taking place in the 2025-2026 season. Why not enter one or more of them right now?​
NOTE: Those marked with '*' are also affiliated to the National Drama Festivals Association (NDFA)
NORTHERN AREA FESTIVALS
ISLE OF MAN *
(preliminary round)
18th - 19th April 2026
Heswall Hall, Heswall
Contact:
sandielaughlin@btinternet.com
Adjudicator: Ruth Cattell
~
22nd - 26th February 2026
Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight
Contact:
Adjudicator: Sue Doherty
~​
SALTBURN
(preliminary round)
CHESHIRE *​
(preliminary round)
LEVERHULME *
(preliminary round)
​
HULL & EAST RIDING
(preliminary round)
17th - 18th March 2026
Bridlington Spa, Bridlington
Contact:
Adjudicator: Andrew Head
~
DURHAM AND SUNDERLAND
(preliminary round)
4th - 7th March 2026
Royalty Theatre, Sunderland
Contact:
Adjudicator: David Price​
~
9th - 13th March 2026
Saltburn Community Theatre
Contact:
Adjudicator: Rebekah Fortune Smith
~
​
The qualifying teams from the NORTHERN AREA PRELIMINARY ROUND FESTIVALS
went through to the NORTHERN AREA SEMI FINAL
CENTRAL AREA FESTIVALS
WORCESTERSHIRE *
(preliminary round)
11th - 12th April 2026
Norbury Theatre, Droitwich
Contact:
Adjudicator: Bev Clark
~
WARWICKSHIRE *
(preliminary round)
This festival isn't running in 2026
~
Qualifiers from the Western Division preliminary rounds will then competed in the
WESTERN DIVISION QUARTER FINAL
Date tba
Location tba
Adjudicator: tba
~​
WESTERN DIVISION
HEREFORD *
(preliminary round)
19th - 21st March 2026
Market Theatre, Ledbury
Contact:
Adjudicator: Sonia Woolley
~
BIRMINGHAM
(BFAME) *
(preliminary round)
28th - 29th March 2026
Highbury Theatre, Sutton
Contact:
Adjudicator: Ruth Cattell
~
11th -12th April 2026
The Rose Theatre, Rugeley
Contact: suetact@gmail.com
Adjudicator: Alan Hayes
~
3rd - 8th November 2025
The BelfryTheatre, Telford
Contact:
alimaclean1990@gmail.com
Adjudicator: Cherry Stephenson
Winning through to the Quarter Final is
Llanymynech Players - Starfish by Marg Kynaston
~
27th, 28th, 29th March, 2026
The Little Theatre, Leicester
Contact:
Adjudicator: Cherry Stephenson
~
STOKE
(preliminary round)
6th, 7th, 8th March 2026
Mitchell Memorial Theatre, Stoke
Contact: ian.hill807@ntworld.com
Adjudicator: Andrew Head
~
Qualifiers from the Central Division preliminary rounds will then competed in the
​
CENTRAL DIVISION QUARTER FINAL
25th April, 2026
Crown Wharf Theatre, Crown St, Stone ST15 8QN
Contact: suetact@gmail.com
Adjudicator: Annie Rees
CENTRAL DIVISION
HASTILOW *
(preliminary round)
SHROPSHIRE *
(preliminary round)
LEICS AND RUTLAND
(preliminary round)
The qualifying teams from the QUARTER FINALS
went through to the CENTRAL AREA SEMI FINAL
WESTERN AREA FESTIVALS
16th - 21st March 2026
Hanger Farm Arts Centre, Totton
Contact:
Adjudicator: Annie Rees
~
AVON *
(preliminary round)
18th - 21st March 2026
Town Hall, Chipping Sodbury
Contact: avonshortplayfestival.org.uk
Adjudicator: Jan Palmer Sayer
~​​
BRISTOL
(preliminary round)
19th - 23rd February 2026
Olympus Theatre, Stoke Gifford
Contact:
Adjudicator: David Price
~​
SOMERSET
(preliminary round)
21st - 22nd March 2026
The Warehouse, Ilminster
Contact: ireneglynn61@gmail.com
Adjudicator: Chris Jaeger
~
​
TOTTON
(preliminary round)
The qualifying teams from the WESTERN AREA PRELIMINARY ROUND FESTIVALS
go through to the WESTERN AREA SEMI FINAL
EASTERN AREA FESTIVALS
HUNTINGDON
(preliminary round)
8th March 2026
Lewis Hall Theatre,
Kimbolton School, Huntingdon
Contact: nla@kimboltonschool.com
Adjudicator: Rebekah Fortune-Smith​
~
MAIDENHEAD *
(preliminary round)
21st - 25th April 2026
Norden Farm Centre, M'head
Contact: carol@hennwinds.me.uk
Adjudicator: Andrew Head
~
SOUTHERN COUNTIES
(preliminary round)
23rd - 28th February 2026
Barn Theatre, Oxted
Contact: cdfatbarn@btinternet.com
​Adjudicator: Cherry Stephenson
~​
WALTHAM FOREST *
(preliminary round)
26th - 28th March 2026
Forest Centre, Walthamstow
Contact: elaine17elliott@aol.com
Adjudicator: Jan Palmer Sayer​
~
The qualifying teams from the EASTERN AREA PRELIMINARY ROUND FESTIVALS
go through to the EASTERN AREA SEMI FINAL