2026 Patrons’ Tour of English Champagne Country
Photo copyright Rother District Council & James Ratchford
We’re very pleased to offer, for the first time, a four-day tour devised exclusively for our Patrons, especially those based outside the UK. The programme invites you to experience the south coast in the final stages of the 2026 competition, and includes a tour of English champagne country, tours of public and private art collections and historic monuments, as well as tickets to the orchestral finals.
James Burton, the architect behind London’s Regent’s Park, created Hastings as a fashionable seaside retreat in the early 19th century and the young Queen Victoria was a regular visitor. Today, Hastings and neighbouring St Leonards are experiencing a fantastic revival, attracting a creative, bohemian crowd. The town is alive with independent festivals, eateries and galleries. Outside the town, the Sussex landscape has always drawn dreamers: artists, writers and musicians. Now we are blessed with some of the finest winemakers whose sparkling wines compete and win regularly against French grand cru Champagnes. Hastings International Piano is proud to be part of this rich cultural landscape.
This tour offers our Patrons a unique opportunity to combine musical brilliance with the best of English heritage and hospitality. We invite you to join us as we discover the next generation of the world's leading classical pianists, with the food wine and art of Sussex as our backdrop.
Dates: Thursday 5 - Sunday 8 March 2026
Your Experience Includes
Musical Splendour– Best-in-house seats for the orchestral semi-final and two-night final of the Hastings International Piano Competition, with performances by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Sinfonia Smith Square.
Gala Dinner at Fairlight Hall – An exclusive celebratory evening in a stately home following the crowning of the 2026 Hastings International Piano Competition prize-winners.
Culinary excellence – Dining at BAYTE, Coquina and The Crown, three acclaimed restaurants at the heart of Hastings and St Leonards’ revival.
Vineyard tours and tastings – Explore Gusbourne and Oxney Organic Estate, sampling sparkling wines that have earned international acclaim.
Cultural visits – A curator-led tour of the Hastings Contemporary gallery, a tour of Lamb House in Rye (home of Henry James), a guided tour of a significant private art collection and a visit to Battle Abbey, site of the historic Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Elegant coastal stay – Three nights at the Bannatyne Spa Hotel, a Regency country house with woodland grounds, daily à la carte breakfasts.
Total package price $4,700 including hotel accommodation at the Bannatyne Spa Hotel and all meals and tours. Please contact us for the cost if you don’t require hotel accommodation.
Places are limited.
Booking closes 1 December 2025
Full board, transport and all guided tours are included. Airport transfers can be arranged on request.
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12.00pm Meet and greet and check-in at Bannatyne Hotel and Spa, Hastings.
1.30pm Lunch at Coquina at the Hastings Contemporary followed by curator- led tour of the gallery
3.30pm Visit fish markets and Shipwreck Museum and Hastings Old Town.
5.00pm Return to Hotel
7.00pm Semi-finals of the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition with the Sinfonia Smith Square at the White Rock Theatre.
9.00pm Supper with the jury at Fairlight Hall.
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Des9.00 Gusbourne Vineyard tour and tasting
Gusbourne vineyard stands out as a world class English wine producer, renowned for its award-winning sparkling and still wines made from estate grown Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, and celebrated for its immersive visitor experience.
11am – Tour and lunch at Oxney Organic Estate
1.00pm - 3.30pm The Ancient Citadel of Rye
visit Lamb House and the ancient church of St Mary’s
Lamb House was the cherished home of literary giant Henry James. It was a creative haven where he wrote some of his most important later works including The Wings of the Dove and The Golden Bowl.
St Mary’s, often called the cathedral of East Sussex is a striking medieval cruciform Basilica dating from the 12th century, with one of the oldest working church turret clocks in England.
3.30pm - 4.30pm - Explore & shop in the cobblestoned Rye
4.30pm Return to Bannantyne Hotel.
6.30pm First final with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the White Rock Theatre, followed by supper at BAYTE restaurant in St Leonards.
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10.00am - A morning tour of Battle Abbey and the battlefield of the Battle of Hastings.
A compelling tour of the historic site where William the Conqueror defeated King Harold in 1066 – marked by evocative Abbey ruins and a rooftop view over the iconic Senlac hill and a walking trail that brings the turning point of English history vividly to life.
1.00pm - Traditional pub lunch at the award-winning Crown, Hastings Old Town
An independent free house with a creative modern British menu sourcing local Sussex and Kent ingredients, a stone’s throw from the sea front.
3.00pm - Free afternoon with options for using the hotel spa, local hikes or shopping in Hastings and St Leonards.
5.30pm - Reception drinks at the White Rock Theatre circle bar.
6.00pm - 9.00pm Finals of the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and awards ceremony.
9.15pm - Gala Dinner for finalists and patrons at Fairlight Hall.
12.00pm - Return to Hotel.
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10.00am - Check out of Hotel
11.00am - Brunch at Fairlight Hall followed by a guided tour of the Fairlight Hall art collection.
12.30pm - End of visit
