A STAR-STUDDED line-up has been announced for this year’s Chalke History Festival.

The festival sees some of the world’s leading historians and living history experts converge near Salisbury to share their vast knowledge and experience with history fans, students and families alike.

Taking place in the beautiful setting of the Chalke Valley from June 23 to 29, Chalke is now firmly cemented into the summer festival calendar as one of the top cultural must-attend events, attracting a wide audience from both home and abroad and making headlines with its top-level list of VIP names and attendees.

The speaker line-up this year boasts a plethora of household names, including former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, social media sensation and historian Alice Loxton and the co-host of the hugely popular podcast The Rest is History and bestselling author Tom Holland.

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Also appearing at the festival are the historian and TV presenter Helen Castor, the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution (Stanford) and author Niall Ferguson, international bestselling writer Kate Mosse, broadcaster, curator, critic and author William Dalrymple, the UK’s top-selling true crime writer Kate Summerscale, and British designer, writer and Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud.

Festival organisers say they are thrilled to welcome back beloved author, TV icon, and Monty Python star Michael Palin, who will be offering a captivating glimpse into a decade of change, challenge, and adventure.

Amidst the uncertainty of the 21st century, his insatiable curiosity has driven him through four landmark travel documentaries – Hemingway Adventure, Sahara, Himalaya, and New Europe – confirming his place as one of the nation’s most adored TV travellers.

As he talks with warmth and wit about his latest book There And Back: Diaries 1999-2009, he will reflect on family, fame, and the Pythons, culminating in his greatest new role: a devoted grandfather.

Festival goers attend a stage talk at Chalke Picture: Ash Mills

Elsewhere on the bustling festival site, visitors can immerse themselves in a wide and exciting range of living history talks and activities.

The Time Travellers Kitchen will continue to travel through British culinary history, this year stopping in 1940 with the introduction of rationing during the Second World War and preparing food from that period.

Professional sailmaker Sarah Liscoe of The Historical Sailmaker will explore the history of sail making from the 1400s to 1800s, demonstrating a unique and endangered heritage craft and its role through history.

Plus, ticketed experiences such as the hugely popular SOE Training Camp, Tomahawk Axe Throwing, Have-A-Go Archery and Cowboy Circus Skills will keep the whole family entertained for hours.

Live music every day will get everyone up on their feet and dancing until the sun goes down, with the line-up including: The Branflakes, The D-Day Darlings, Supersonic Queen, new indie-folk band Good Habits, and Still Moving DJs.

A spokesperson for the festival said: “2025 is a significant year for historical anniversaries and one of the biggest is the marking of 400 years since the death of James I.

“Lucy Hughes-Hallett and Gareth Russell will explore the powerful men at the heart of James I’s court, from trusted confidants to passionate lovers.

“Anna Whitelock will uncover how James I’s vision laid the foundations for the British Empire, reshaping the nation’s future and global influence, from the Mayflower to key alliances with Persia, and opening new chapters in world trade and exploration.

“This year also sees the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen and, to celebrate this milestone, Gill Hornby and Helena Kelly will be discussing the woman behind the myth and what her novels can tell us about real life in Regency Britain.”

In May, the nation will be commemorating 80 years since VE Day and the end of WW2 in Europe.

Historic equitation at Chalke History Festival Picture: Ash Mills

There will be plenty of events at the festival to highlight this important anniversary, including a talk by James Holland and Al Murray, who will bring their trademark insight and wit to the gripping story of how the Second World War truly ended, uncovering the drama, diplomacy, and untold human stories behind the eight surrenders that reshaped the world.

International bestselling author Antony Beevor will also be returning to Chalke to discuss one of the most momentous moments of 20th-century history: the death of Hitler, the fall of Berlin in 1945 and the collapse of the Third Reich.

And the focus of this year’s Second World War Morning will be the war in the Far East and the Pacific – experts such as Richard Dannatt, Rob Lyman, Frank Close, Phil Craig and Saul David will come together with James Holland to examine the war in Southeast Asia, the bloody campaign of Okinawa, the significance of dropping the atomic bomb twice on Japan, and the Korean War of the 1950s.

For the first time entry tickets to the festival now include access to all the talks at no extra charge.

All under 16s are free and student discounted rates are also available.

Members of The Chalke History Club will be able to reserve seats at the talks from Monday 14th April onwards.

The Chalke History Festival will take place at Church Bottom, Broad Chalke, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP5 5DP.

For more details about the festival, visit www.chalkefestival.com