At exactly 5.30am, as daylight broke over Old Town, performers stepped forward with fire, music and movement, turning the misty hillside into an open-air stage.
Circus acts, storytelling, poetry and maypole dancing blended with birdsong, creating a theatrical start to the week-long programme.
Tony Hillier, a long-standing figure in the festival and closely associated with the Dawn Chorus over the years, described the event as a celebration of renewal. He said:
“It’s all about new beginnings. The winter has finished and we’re welcoming the spring… just listen to that birdsong… and then look at over 200 people out here at dawn for stories, dancing, fire juggling and the famous maypole.”
Despite light drizzle, a steady crowd turned out, many wrapped in coats and holding coffee as flames lit up the grey-blue sky.
Festival founder Matt Holland explained why organisers chose to begin at sunrise rather than in a traditional venue. He said:
“Many festivals start on a Friday evening in a posh hotel… and everybody does that. And we thought, in Swindon, we’ve got to do something different. Why not start at dawn, overlooking Swindon and celebrate the sunrise?”
What began as an experiment has become one of the festival’s defining traditions. Holland added:
“We tried it one year… and it worked, and more people came to that than to celebrity authors. So we’ve carried on. Rain or shine.”
Both organisers said the festival also offers an opportunity to reconnect in an increasingly digital world.
Hillier said:
“We miss the face to face and the human contact… so I would urge people to get off their mobile phones… and get face to face at the festival.”
Holland also highlighted the value of reading and imagination. He said:
“A child sitting with a book… is making pictures in their head… it’s a gym of the mind… and it does us so much good.”
The Dawn Chorus lasted around an hour but set the tone for a packed week of events across Swindon.
Organisers are encouraging residents to take part, whether attending a single session or supporting multiple events throughout the festival.
