Sussex Tree Festival is back this summer

CPRE Sussex column written for West Sussex Gazette, April 2026

The Sussex Tree Festival is back this summer to once again celebrate the incredible value of trees. 

This year’s programme is packed with events for tree lovers of all ages, with guided walks, workshops, storytelling and much more. 

While the main festival takes place across May and June there are already plenty of opportunities to get involved. 

Our popular “I love this tree because…” photographic competition is open for entries. 

This is an opportunity for photographers of all abilities to capture what their favourite Sussex tree means to them. 

There are two categories. Rising Stars, for young photographers, and the CPRE Sussex Photography Award. 

The overall winner will be selected from either category. First prize is £100 with a £50 prize for the winner in each category. 

The entry deadline is Thursday, 28 May. 

Find out more about the competition and read the full submission guidelines at: cpresussex.org.uk/tf26/photographic-competition. 

Another event which is already underway is Another Sussex at Worthing Museum & Art Gallery. 

Another Sussex, an exhibition by Figment Arts, is a fresh, contemporary perspective on local heritage.  

It includes the story of Worthing’s Mid-Summer Oak – a tree saved from felling 20 years ago where skeletons are said to dance on Midsummer’s Eve!  

Figment Arts will also be hosting an evening of singing and storytelling at the museum on Thursday, 18 June. 

The main festival programme officially begins in May.  

What is fantastic to see is how many different areas are joining the Tree Festival to make it a truly Sussex-wide event. 

A Forest School Taster session will be held in Steyning on Friday, 29 May. 

This is a great opportunity for young people to take part in a variety of activities including fire lighting, cooking and creative craft. 

Also on Friday, 29 May, there will be a Magical Trees! Creative Workshop in Buckingham Park, Shoreham.  

Unravel the excitement of creative writing and image making with artist Jane Fordham and poet Jackie Wills as you explore Buckingham Park’s beautiful trees, from root to canopy. 

Walking tour highlights include the hidden gem of Highdown Chalk Garden on Saturday, 30 May, and a Meander Through the Trees in Washington on Sunday, 31 May. 

Also on Sunday, 31 May, is a guided walk around some of the most important trees in the beautiful market town of Arundel. 

There will also be walks taking place in Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes and Horsham, as well as a circular walk through Hassocks Ancient Woodland led by Bob Epsom from the Woodland Trust. 

Other events include a Tribute to the Trees in Preston Park, Brighton, on Sunday, 24 May, and an exhibition at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery from 2-14 June. 

You can view the full programme for the Tree Festival 2026 at: cpresussex.org.uk/tf26.   

CPRE Sussex organises the Tree Festival with the invaluable support of local community groups and volunteers. 

We look forward to welcoming you to this year’s events.