WATCH: Shropshire Virtual Show goes live

The inaugural Shropshire Virtual Festival, taking place entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic, has begun.

A packed schedule features 75 performances, films and workshops streamed across eight online arenas, which people can watch any time between 10am and 9pm today.

While free to view and enjoy, visitors to the show are being asked to make a donation, with proceeds split between five Shropshire charities: The Cavalier Centre (home of Perry Riding for the Disabled), League of Friends to RJAH, The Movement Centre, Dog A.I.D. and Shropshire Rural Communities Charity.

Highlights of the line-up include cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs ‘Shropshire Lad’ ’Adam Purnell, Marcus Bean, and MasterChef winner Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed, plus a magical tale about a dream that comes to life from equestrian theatre team Theatrick and an ‘access all areas’ video for the spectacular Circus Funtasia.

Watch the Shropshire Virtual Festival live stream:

• Get involved at shropshirevirtualshow.com

Some of Shropshire’s best loved tourist attractions will share behind-the-scenes insights in the Through the Keyhole arena plus the music tent, sponsored by Marches Care, which will feature 14 local artists including Todd Edwards, Beth Karp and Tiny Towers Music.

Olympic gold medallist and BBC commentator Garry Herbert will also be putting his taste buds to the test in a light-hearted and informative cheese tasting session with Mark Pitts-Tucker, Head Cheese Grader for Davidstow Cornish Cheddar at Saputo Dairy UK – one of the show sponsors.

The horse arena, dog show, open gardens and arts & crafts tents will feature films and workshops from experts in those fields, with an evening of live music from top-class local performers capping off the main stage line up.

Rural broadband firm and show sponsor Airband will be powering the evening’s live-steamed concert, which is taking place at the Cavalier Centre in Much Wenlock.

A shopping village will feature local traders offering exclusive show-only discounts on a range of products and services including pet portraits, eco skincare and floral bouquets, and the Shropshire residents who entered the show’s competitions – including dog and horse categories, arts and crafts, talent show and open gardens – will find out who the winners are, with all entries shown in their respective virtual tents and arenas.

For more information on the Shropshire Virtual Show, visit and follow @shropshirevirtualshow on Facebook and Instagram or visit shropshirevirtualshow.com