Xanthe Arvanitakis, Director of Chiswick House & Gardens Trust, and Torin Douglas, Director of the Chiswick Book Festival, are delighted to announce details of two special events to mark 60 years since the Beatles recorded their ground-breaking music videos, Paperback Writer and Rain, in the beautiful 18th Century surroundings of Chiswick House & Gardens.
At 2.30pm on Thursday September 10th, Guy Fairbank, Blue Badge guide and leader of the Festival’s annual ‘Chiswick Rocks’ walk, will lead people through the gardens pointing out the sites where the videos were filmed, before moving on to nearby houses with rock music connections along the river.
At 7pm that evening, in the Garden Pavilion at Chiswick House, the Festival will celebrate this highlight of Chiswick’s 20th Century history – and reflect on the group’s unique place in rock and social history with three Beatles experts and paperback writers.
Broadcaster Samira Ahmed, author of the new BFI Classics book on A Hard Day’s Night (also filmed in west London), will chair a discussion on ‘The Beatles: Film, Fame and Social Change’ with Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn (The Beatles: All These Years, Volume 1 – Tune In) and Tony Palmer, author and director of the 17-part TV documentary series All You Need Is Love: The Story of Popular Music.)
Doors will open in the Garden Pavilion at Chiswick House & Gardens at 6pm on Thursday 10 September 2026, where drinks, books and DVDs will be on sale. At 7pm, the panel session will begin in the presence of other Beatles writers and followers, gathered to celebrate the anniversary. Afterwards, there will be book signings.
Ten years ago, on the 50th anniversary, Chiswick House reflected on the significance of the two films: https://chiswickhouseandgardens.org.uk/2016/05/20/50-years-since-beatles-filmed-two-groundbreaking-music-videos-chiswick-house-gardens/
From this Friday, Members of Chiswick House & Gardens Trust will be given a week’s priority booking for the evening session – ahead of tickets going on general sale on Friday July 3rd 2026. They will be sent a special booking code to buy their tickets.
As thanks for their support of the charity, Chiswick House Members enjoy a range of other benefits. You can find out more here: https://chiswickhouseandgardens.org.uk/support-us/become-a-member/
Xanthe Arvanitakis, Director of Chiswick House & Gardens Trust says: “We’re thrilled to welcome Chiswick Book Festival for another stimulating and enlightening evening that our visitors look forward to every year. The Book Festival is a valued part of our diverse programme for our visitors and is instrumental in helping the Trust raise vital funds to keep these historic spaces free and open to the public all year round. This year’s event will give attendees the added joy of being in a space where The Beatles made music history, which in turn earned one of the stunning cedar trees in the Gardens a nomination for The Woodland Trust’s 2025 ‘Tree of the Year’. We’re eagerly looking forward to the event and for another memorable evening in these beautiful spaces.”
Torin Douglas, Director of the Chiswick Book Festival, says: “The Festival’s Chiswick House evening is always a highlight for book lovers in west London and this year we are marking another notable cultural moment, featuring British writers and performers with global reputations. A year ago, we celebrated the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen. This year it’s 60 years since the Beatles filmed their groundbreaking Paperback Writer and Rain videos in these beautiful gardens.”
