The Fair
The Fair will run from 10am-5pm on Sunday 3rd May of the Bank Holiday weekend. We will be running a jam-packed and exciting schedule of speakers, panels, environmentally-minded retailers and fabulous caterers all day. See the schedule below for the full lineup.
Links to free tickets for all our Speaker events are available online: https://twlf.ssboxoffice.com/events/. If searching the ticket listings, please choose "Calverley Pavilion" or the date as 3rd of May. All our Fair events will also have walk-in availability on the day; simply turn up, have a wander around, and see what we have on. We have no doubt you'll find it hard to choose!
Michaela Strachan: renowned television presenter, singer, and wildlife broadcaster. Rising to fame in the 1980s children's TV, she became a staple of nature programming.
Dr Rupert Read: prominent academic, environmental philosopher, and activist known for his work on climate change, ecological risk, and the "moderate flank" of climate activism.
Tony Juniper CBE: environmentalist, author, campaigner. Former Exec. Director of Friends of the Earth and Sustainability Advisor to the Prince of Wales (now King Charles III).
Dr Ella Gilbert: climate scientist and multi-award-winning presenter with a PhD in Antarctic climate change. AKA a professional cloud nerd, climate modeller and polar enthusiast!
Bors Hulesch: climate and social scientist who speaks mainly on the climate and ecological emergency and how individuals and communities can understand and act on it.
Tony Burdon: former CEO of Make My Money Matter, a pensions and banking campaign co-founded by Richard Curtis, the film director, focused on ensuring our money is invested sustainably.
Isabel Losada: author, actress, broadcaster, comedienne, public speaker, researcher, campaigner and environmentalist. Author of 'The Joyful Environmentalist: How to Practise without Preaching'.
Dr Sarah Lonsdale: accomplished journalist, author, and senior lecturer in journalism at City University of London. Author of 'Wildly Different: how five women reclaimed nature in a man's world'.
Mark Herbert: This Local Hero and woodsman-ecologist is the custodian of the ancient woodland at Combwell Wood, a rare and extraordinary habitat, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest near Tunbridge Wells.
Frankie Read-Cutting: marine biologist, spokesperson for UK Youth for Nature, and an active advocate for nature and ocean conservation.
- How can we, the residents of TW, lead local action for nature and people?
- Does what and how we buy make a difference ?
- How can we push for clean rivers and a reliable water supply in our Borough?
- How can we, as young people, help each other and ourselves through this crisis?
Schedule - Speaker Marquee/Calverley Pavilion
10:00 Fair opening
10:20 Michaela Strachan - Extreme Conservation Conversations
11:00 Tony Burdon - Our Money can be Our Superpower
11:40 Bors Hulesch - The World We Want
12:20 Tony Juniper - Just Earth: How A Fairer World Will Save The Planet
13:00 Dr. Ella Gilbert - Beyond Hope - Taking Courage in a Changing Climate
13:40 Isabel Losada - The Joyful Environmentalist
14:20 Dr. Rupert Read - Adaptation and Building Climate Emergency Resilience
15:00 Dan Edelstyn - How to Crowdfund Your Project
15:40 Mark Herbert and Frankie Read-Cutting - The Hidden Woods of Kilndown
16:20 Sarah Lonsdale - Wildly Different
16:50 Ending
Schedule - Community Action Marquee/Thoughtful Spot
11:00 Local Communities in Action Panel. Host: Tina Cook, Climate & Nature Coalition
Panellists: Juliet Oxborrow, Lewes Climate & Nature Hub; Parisa Wright, Greener & Cleaner; Charlie Moore, Charlie's Angels Kitchens; John Barber, Friends of the Commons
12:00 People's Assembly 1 - What should the priorities be for a Climate and Nature Hub in Tunbridge Wells? Host: Alison Seddon
13:00 Young Activists Panel. Host: Frankie Read-Cutting, UK Youth 4 Nature
Panellists: Cllr Marina Lademacher, Young Greens; Lola Corrigan, Model COP; Ellen Edwards, Green New Deal Rising
14:00 Protecting our Water: a Filthy Business Panel. Host: Dr Ffion Thomas, Ripple Effect
Panellists: Zofia Page, Friends of the Medway; Danielle McCallum, Citizens Arrest Network; Justin Holmes, Friends of the Earth; Emma Brown, Wild Wells
15:00 People's Assembly 2 - What should the priorities be for a Climate and Nature Hub in Tunbridge Wells? Host: Alison Seddon
16:00 Better Buys for People & Planet - Panel. Host: Isabel Losada, Author, broadcaster, comedian
Panellists: Penny Salman, Threads for a Penny; John Shevlin, Tepeo; Tony Burdon, Make My Money Matter; Alexander Coles, West Kent PSC
Schedule - Entertainment Zone
11:00 Tow Rag
12:10 Sing Meraki
13:20 Soul Train Choir
14:00 Kate Daniels' Jazz Quartet
15:20 Talentz performers
Our 2026 Fair will feature some familiar faces from last year, and many more new! We are thrilled to be able to showcase a whole range of environmentally and socially conscious local stallholders. From food and coffee to local and national charities, by way of myriad creative retailers, we anticipate being able to offer our audience around 40-50 stalls.
If you are the owner of a local business, charity or social enterprise which you believe would be a good fit for the Fair and you would like to apply to be a stallholder, please fill out the form on the Join The Fair page and our excellent stalls coordinator, Julie Simpson, will get back to you.