9 events to have on your culture radar this summer
1st June 2026
Catherine, General Tilney and Henry, from Moving Parts Theatre Company’s adaptation of Northanger Abbey © Jason Harris, www.jasonharris.co.uk
From garden tours to Gothic revivals, and classical concerts, Harriet Cooper brings the inside track on the North Norfolk events to bookmark this season
Look out for Miss Trunchbull
Matilda The Musical, inspired by Roald Dahl’s beloved tale about a brilliant child with a vivid imagination, comes to Norwich Theatre Royal from 6 August to 6 September. The Royal Shakespeare Company touring production, with original music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and book by Dennis Kelly, has captured hearts and minds (both young and old) ever since it made its debut in 2010, winning multiple accolades for its high-energy choreography, sharp-witted songs, spellbinding staging and stellar acting. Book a table at the theatre’s in-house restaurant Prelude for a pre-show meal, returning in the interval for dessert. Did someone say chocolate cake?
Enjoy the Show in Sunny Hunny
Nothing says British seaside holiday like a variety show and the Princess Theatre in Hunstanton delivers with a brand-new extravaganza. Fun-packed and family-friendly, The Great British Seaside Summer Show promises magic, comedy, music and more, featuring masters of illusion Raymond & Cannon, multi-instrumentalist Andy Eastwood, the Rollason dancers, as well as Domino, pictured, and his kooky circus world. Performances take place on Wednesdays from 29 July to 2 September at 3pm. Under 5s go free.
Follow the garden path
The characterful Desmond MacCarthy has lived at Wiveton Hall since he was born – indeed, you may recall the BBC series Normal for Norfolk, which documented his day-to-day running of the 17th-century manor house and its estate. Now you can meet the man himself on a Garden Tour. As you wander the grounds, from the walled kitchen garden to the secluded Sunk Garden with its views out to sea, Desmond will share stories of the Jacobean hall and its gardens, which are a family passion in memory of his mother Chloe. Afterwards, pop into the Norfolk Tea Co. cafe for a cuppa and a slice of cake. Tours are on 25 June, 9 and 30 July at 11am.
Hit the right notes this summer
Since it was established in 1989, Music in Country Churches (of which His Majesty the King is now Patron) has arranged classical concerts in more than 60 country churches, raising a considerable amount of money for these historic buildings along the way. Performances are held regularly in 14 counties, including Norfolk. On 22 July, hear Richard Strauss’s powerful Violin Concerto performed by three talented musicians from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama – José Matias on violin, baritone Owain Rowlands and pianist Rebecca Selley – in St Nicholas Church in Dersingham. Proceeds from the evening, which begins at 6.30pm and lasts approximately 70 minutes, will go towards the restoration appeal for St Mary the Virgin in nearby Hillington.
www.musicincountrychurches.org.uk
Catch a new classic
Jane Austen is known the world over for her witty Regency romances but perhaps the least celebrated is Northanger Abbey. Now’s the time to familiarise yourself with her Gothic spoof as Moving Parts Theatre, the outdoor touring company that creates bold, inventive adaptations of classic works, brings to life the coming-of-age story of Catherine Morland and the dark secrets of the Abbey. You can catch the multi-talented ensemble at Hindringham Hall (10 July); Stow Hall Gardens (12 July); Norwich Plantation Garden (23 to 24 July); Hoveton Hall (25 July); Baconsthorpe Castle (25 July) and Creake Abbey (26 July).
Wonder at Wolterton
Since opening its doors to visitors for the first time in a generation, there’s been no stopping the owners of Wolterton, the Palladian hall between Holt and Aylsham. 2026 promises yet more interesting events, not least its Arts and Culture Programme. This year, 70 works by Phyllida Barlow – one of the most revered British artists and sculptors of her generation – are displayed across the hall and into the landscape, from drawings to large-scale sculptural installations. Running concurrently, in the just-opened ground-floor gallery, Daisy Parris presents a new body of paintings, with a five-metre textile installation ‘Kiss the Storm’ at the heart of the exhibition.
Photo: Eva Herzog courtesy of Wolterton. © Phyllida Barlow Estate
Visit a medieval manor
Hindringham Hall is one of those gems you’ll wish you discovered earlier. The house was built around 1538 by Martin Hastings, who made his wealth as a courtier to Henry VIII’s illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy. It’s a lesson in storied splendour with its brick-and-flint manor house, 900-year-old moat and fishponds, working walled vegetable garden and beautifully maintained informal borders. During the summer season, its current owners Charles and Lynda Tucker will take you on a guided history tour of the gardens, the medieval site and the ground floor of the hall, sharing its extraordinary secrets and quirks. Tours take place at 2.30pm on 3 June, 8 July, 5 August and 9 September.
www.hindringhamhall.org/house-tours
Say it with flowers
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a green-fingered hobbyist, you’ll be wanting to put the RHS Sandringham Flower Show in your diary (22 to 26 July). Taking place in the grounds of the royal family-owned estate, it has every horticultural tick-box, including a series of garden displays, many created by Norfolk’s landscape designers. These include Amanda Thomas’s Butterfly Sanctuary Garden; The Chestnut Group Garden for The Gurkha Welfare Trust by Jane Scott Moncrief; Joe and Laura Carey’s The RHS Pollywiggle Garden; Girlguiding Anglia and their The Girlguilding Journey; and Dean Price’s Wildscaping for Wildlife border. In addition, there’ll be ample opportunity to shop for your outside space, with local companies in attendance including Wensum Pools and stone, water features and garden accessories specialists Foras, whose Head for Flowers show-stand – a Norfolk collab celebrating the county’s craftsmanship and horticultural talent – is set to be spectacular.
Walk the talk
Are you sitting comfortably – or should we say standing? Then we’ll begin… As part of the Norwich History Festival, join Norwich Story Walks for a two-parter tour, with each tour telling the tales of 10 individuals who have contributed to the city’s rich history. Designed as part of VisitNorwich’s 20th anniversary celebrations, the first 90-minute walk is on 20 July at 4pm, while the second starts at 5.30pm on 24 July. Do one or both, but either way learn about the medieval rebels and mystics, the campaigners and unsung champions who have shaped Norwich – and whose legacy can still be discovered across the city today.
www.norwichstorywalks.co.uk; www.visitnorwich.co.uk
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