The Lapwing Music Festival is a unique event celebrating its third year in 2018.

Four outstanding artists will perform in the magical setting of the Coastguard Cottages, Cuckmere Haven. This year we are expanding to a beautiful marquee with views of the cottages, the Cuckmere Valley and the cliffs of the Seven Sisters. Only 60 tickets are available for each of these incredibly intimate recitals. Profits will be donated to the Cuckmere Haven SOS campaign, which seeks to save the cottages from coastal erosion.

Lapwing has an established tradition of hosting renowned solo artists to present deeply personal recitals. Our line-up of performers this year is truly exceptional. Maya Youssef is a Syrian virtuoso instrumentalist, hailed as “the queen of the qanun”. Manu Delago is a unique and innovative performer specialising in the Swiss hang drum who appears regularly alongside Björk and Anoushka Shankar. Lea Desandre is an exquisite mezzo soprano in demand across Europe, and will be accompanied by Thomas Dunford, a “rockstar” of the lute, who will also present a concert of solo Bach from his latest album on the Alpha label.

The festival features an exclusive world-premiere screening of Manu Delago’s 30-minute film ‘Parasol Peak’, a delicious buffet lunch of local produce on Sunday with a guest speaker to-be-announced (2017’s guest speaker was David Dimbleby), and the chance to learn more about the environmental and historical significance of this stunning location from representatives of the Sussex Wildlife Trust and Cuckmere Haven SOS. We look forward to welcoming people to Cuckmere Haven to help save one of the iconic views of England.

Maya Youssef – qanun – Friday, August 31 7:30pm

Manu Delago – hang drums – Saturday September 1, 3pm and 7:30pm

Lea Desandre (with Thomas Dunford) – mezzo soprano – Sunday September 2, 3:00pm

Thomas Dunford – lute – Sunday September 2, 7:30pm

Recital Tickets £40. All tickets include drinks and canapés.

Buffet Lunch £35 – Sunday September 2, 12:30pm, Guest Speaker TBA