Early-bird tickets to Singing With Nightingales 2025 are available on this site
More Information on Singing With Nightingales
“A meditative trek into the mud and moonlight and a communion with nature, Lee’s performances are also designed to extol mindful presence and the power of deep listening.” – The Guardian
Many of our Singing With Nightingales events are hosted by conservationist and folk singer Sam Lee, who is joined by a different special guest musician for each concert. We also occasionally welcome other hosts to lead guests on this journey; you’ll find details about who is hosting on each event page.
Running from 7pm through to around 12:30am, this is not a typical gig, and each night is unique.
The evening includes musical performances by the campfire, an eco-tour of the woods, and post-dinner tales of this majestic bird’s life, songs and folklore, as you are guided in a descent into nature’s realm, culminating in the now-famous finale: a silent walk into the dark to hear our signature human-avian musical collaboration under the stars.
Our friends at our Sussex site have recently begun letting out The Bull Pen – a recently converted farm outbuilding that blends rustic charm with modern comfort. The Bull Pen is in the farmyard at the edge of the wood, overlooking the pond. Single night lettings are available to Singing With Nightingales attendees. Find out more here.
Each year, for a short period mid-April, a few thousand nightingales fly to southern UK from Africa. They can be heard in just a small number of special locations, taking up songful residence after dusk. The territorial males serenade loyally each night for no more than six weeks among the blackthorn and forest margins, giving unbelievable privilege to those who know where to go.
Inspired by famous recordings of cellist Beatrice Harrison playing with a nightingale in 1924, folk singer, song collector and nature lover Sam Lee has been hosting reverent celebrations of this endangered bird each spring since 2015.
These truly unique events have taken place at various sites, and have been featured in ‘Pick of the year’ BBC Radio 4 documentary, a critically acclaimed adaptation for theatres and concert halls, and many broadcasts on BBC Radio 3.
“If you have never heard a nightingale before this will bring magic into your life” – Alan Davey (Controller, BBC Radio 3)
“It was, as promised, magical” – Dan Damon, BBC Radio 4
“Gigs don’t come much more secret than this.” – The Guardian
“The strangest and most wonderful concert… magical and spontaneous.” – The Observer
Singing With Nightingales has been featured many times across various press outlets. You can read reviews on The Guardian, Evening Standard, Classical Music, and 5 Media here.
Singing With Nightingales is an all-weather and multi-terrain experience with specific demands on guests’ physicality, particularly during the night walk to the nightingales which is done in darkness. Please do read the full event description and take a look at our FAQs before confirming your place.
