Events Planned To Celebrate The 400th Anniversary Of William Shakespeare’s Death

Saturday, April 23 marks the 400th anniversary of the passing of William Shakespeare, meaning Stratford-upon-Avon, his hometown in England, is planning some special events.

For anyone with an interest in history and theater, Shakespeare’s hometown is a must visit, and what better time to head to Stratford-upon-Avon than the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death.

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England on April 23, 1564, and in his life, the Bard penned many well-known plays, which are still performed in theaters around the world today, as well as poetry. He was also renowned as an actor during his life.

“Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.”

William Shakespeare, 1564-1616#Shakespeare400 pic.twitter.com/NxHHu1sGt7

— HISTORY HIT (@HISTORY_HIT) April 22, 2016

He died on April 23, 1616, at the age of 52, and his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon has several special and unique events planned to celebrate the 400th anniversary of his passing that are suitable for all members of the family.

To start off the anniversary event, April 23 and 24 will see a special birthday celebrations weekend where a procession of actors, civic dignitaries, foreign diplomats, and children will hold a birthday procession on Saturday, the day the world’s most famous poet and playwright both came into this world and left it. The procession will start at the town hall and wind its way through the town to Shakespeare’s birthplace (pictured below).

Tours will be on offer where the Bard himself will be represented, taking visitors around the town and telling stories of both his life and his works. According to a recent travel blog by Black Prince, visitors will be able to hear Shakespeare’s life history and stories of what it was like to live in Stratford-upon-Avon during the 16th century.

These tours will also continue after the celebration weekend and will be on offer on Saturdays and public holidays. Visits on the tour will include the Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare was both baptized and buried. Visitors can also see the graves of the Bard himself, as well as his wife Anne Hathaway and other members of the family.

Another new tour option starting on April 23 will be the new, self-guided tour, Shakespeare Steps, where visitors can walk in Shakespeare’s footprints around eight locations in the historic town by following footsteps and speech bubbles painted onto the pavements. These tours include a free map and information giving the historical background of the town along with a fun treasure hunt challenge for the kids.

Among the many exciting events and options on offer, visitors will be able to visit New Place, which is the site of Shakespeare’s family home for the last 19 years of his life, transformed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust into a new heritage landmark. With the re-imagination of the site, visitors will be able to get a feel for what Shakespeare’s life was like when he was at the peak of his success, walking in the Bard’s footsteps in his family home.

Among the displays on offer will be a range of commissioned artworks, giving a sense of family life back in those days as well as depicting the 26 major works created by the poet and playwright in the last 19 years of his life. An exhibition on offer in New Place will give impressions of Shakespeare as a family man and entrepreneur and will display many never-before-seen rare artifacts of his life.

There will also be a range of exciting new exhibitions by Shakespeare’s England, which will include a brand new immersive theatrical experience by the Royal Shakespeare Company of his most classic works, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cymbeline, Doctor Faustus, Don Quixote, Hamlet, and The Alchemist.

All the world’s a stage. BBC’s correspondents in tribute to William Shakespeare????https://t.co/b5Mgve8Bpp pic.twitter.com/0ziPYEgCIb

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) April 22, 2016

There will also be a new exhibition, dubbed “The Play’s The Thing,” opening in June this year in front of house at The Swan Theater. This new exhibition is set to celebrate the magic of Shakespeare and will give an insight into the stories and secrets of theater-making in Stratford-Upon-Avon over a 100 year period.

[Photo painting of William Shakespeare attributed to John Taylor via Wikimedia commons/Public Domain]