Make a date
14th May 2025
Diaries at the ready! Here’s our guide to some of the leading cultural events and activities taking place in Norfolk in 2025
May
Now until 3 August: Sainsbury Centre, Norwich
The Centre continues its series of investigative exhibitions which examines: ‘Can the Seas Survive Us?’ Featuring contemporary art, historical paintings, ancient atlases and maps from across the globe, the three concurrent exhibitions include A World of Water which brings together works by British and international artists from the last 250 years including Maggi Hambling and George Vincent, while Darwin in Paradise Camp sees the British premiere of Yuki Kihara, who is of Samoan and Japanese descent, and Sea Inside is a mixed media exhibition looking at humanity’s interconnections, interrelationships and immersion in oceans.
Now until 28 September: Houghton Hall
A major exhibition by the acclaimed British sculptor Stephen Cox will run across the park, gardens and interiors. It represents the largest and most comprehensive group of work the artist has ever shown. Spanning more than 40 years, it includes work conceived and produced all over the world from India to Egypt, Italy and the UK.
Around 20 sculptures in marble and stone will be placed in the landscape, while smaller works will be installed in the State Rooms on the first floor of the house. A modern gallery space in the south wing of the house will show a group of works on paper together with the large marble and porphyry sculpture, Shrine.
Photo: Pete Huggins © Houghton Hall
Now until 25 May: Norfolk & Norwich Festival, various venues
This annual event sees 17 days jam-packed with events ranging from talks to poetry, magic, dance, classical music and more. Look out for mezzo soprano Lotte Betts-Dean (a resident artist) at the Duke Street Theatre at the University of the Arts on 22 May and Upswing, a contemporary circus, who perform their new show, Showdown, in the Adnams Spiegeltent from 14 to 25. The Britten Sinfonia return to Norwich Cathedral on 24 May, and author Val McDermid talks about her latest best sellers at St Peter Mancroft, also on 24 May.
14 May: La Bohème
Ellen Kent Productions presents a powerful new interpretation of this Puccini opera at King’s Lynn Corn Exchange, featuring the Ukrainian Opera & Ballet Theatre Kyiv. Expect colourful costumes, lavish sets and extensive special effects.
www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk
16 May: Dracula in Space
Forget what you know about string quartets at a performance of Dracula in Space by Bowjangles, a group of classically trained musicians who have been touring together for more than 15 years. Their production on 16 May at Wells Maltings is described as a musical comedy and certainly sounds fun!
18 May: New Worlds, King’s Lynn Corn Exchange
The Norfolk Symphony Orchestra’s next concert will feature music from Joan Tower (Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman), Gerald Finzi (Clarinet Concerto with soloist Sarah Williamson) and Antonin Dvořák (Symphony No 9). The conductor is Steve Bingham. Look out for a number of free tickets for those aged 18 and under.
19 May: Anne Boleyn Walk
The Blickling Estate, which was the home of the Boleyn family from 1499 to 1505, commemorates the anniversary of Anne Boleyn’s death with a free walk on 19 May (11.45am to 12.30pm). There’ll be a costumed procession down the drive by the Living History Team, subject to good weather conditions.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/blickling
20 to 24 May: Jane Eyre
Ballet lovers are in for a treat as the always superlative Northern Ballet brings Charlotte Bronte’s passionate classic to Norwich Theatre Royal. Expect great story telling alongside superb technical ability.
21 May: Revelations – Songs Boys Don’t Sing
Craig Revel Horwood, the fab-u-lous judge on Strictly Come Dancing, calls in at King’s Lynn Corn Exchange to promote his debut solo album, Revelations, on 21 May. Expect songs, tall tales and plenty of glamour!
www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk
22 to 24 May: Handel’s Xerxes
North Norfolk Chamber Opera will present this rarely performed work at St Margaret’s Church, Cley on 22, 23 and 24 May (7pm). ‘It will be a fully staged and costumed performance ‘in the round’, to give the audience a truly immersive experience along with a seven-piece orchestra,’ says Katharine Jones, chair of this award-winning local community opera society.
www.ticketsource.co.uk/north-norfolk-chamber-opera
23 to 25 May: Outdoor cinema, Holkham
How better to enjoy the balmier weather than watching a film alfresco at Holkham Hall? Adventure Cinema has a weekend of outdoor screenings alongside the walled garden, kicking off with The Greatest Showman Sing-A-Long on 23 May; followed by Moana 2 and Mamma Mia! ExtrABBAganza on 24 May and The Gruffalo & Stick Man and Queen Spectacular on 25 May
24 May: Music in the Burnhams
Music in the Burnhams has a packed season ahead. Highlights include mezzo soprano Bethany Horak-Hallet and pianist Ben Horden performing songs by Elgar, Brahms, Grieg, Vaughan Williams and Clara Schumann on 24 May (7.30pm) at St Mary’s Church, Brancaster and an afternoon concert at St Mary’s Westgate Church, Burnham Market on 5 July, where violinist Ben Holland and organist Simon Leach will perform pieces by Bach, Widor, Handel and Lloyd Webber.
24 May to 8 June: North Norfolk Open Studios
Around 130 artists from Castle Acre to Cromer, Holt to Happisburgh will open their studio and exhibition spaces to visitors for North Norfolk Open Studios. This free event comprises 12 trails based around well-known locations, with a diverse range of work to discover. The Holt, High Kelling & District Trail, for instance, features 11 artists, including painters Carole Griffin and Antonia Clare (pictured), and woodwork by Ian Clifft. Studio opening dates vary so do check the website.
25 May: Pageant of Motoring, Sandringham
Live Promotions is hosting the Pageant of Motoring in the Royal Parkland on 25 May. There’ll be seven decades of motoring on display including the Royal vehicles, plus live music, a craft and vintage fair and – new for this year – the Holt Sunday Market, with over 50 local traders in attendance.
www.sandringhammotoringpageant.co.uk
29 May to 15 June: Edgeland
Limbik Theatre and Norwich Theatre present this new show at NWT Sweet Briar Marshes, Norwich. Audience members are taken on a journey through the reserve, with silent disco headphones, as a story of a young woman’s disappearance is finally solved. It is suitable for those aged 12 and above.
June
1 June: Ladies Day, Fakenham Racecourse
It’s Ladies Day at England’s smallest racecourse so grab your hat and be prepared for a flutter or two. The Payne Crop Nutrition Ladies Day also includes best dressed competitions and dancing to a DJ in the evening.
6 June: Trunch concerts
St Botolph’s in Trunch is hosting violinist François Pineau-Benois and pianist Ádám Szokolay at 7.30pm, with a programme featuring sonatas by Beethoven and Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances. www.trunchcinema.com
7 June: Celestial Voices
Celestial Voices’ free concert is set to take place at St Mary & All Saints Church, Little Walsingham on 7 June (6pm). Led by music director, Janet Kelsey, the 35-strong choir, who recently spent five days in France on a singing workshop, will sing music dating from the 1500s to the present day; think Fauré, Britten, Abba and more. Contact ft.am@btinternet.com for details.
14 June: ‘From Baroque to South Pacific’
Local woodwind trio Serendipity, pictured, is returning to Binham Priory on 14 June (6pm), with ‘From Baroque to South Pacific’, including works by Mozart, Richard Rodgers and Jenni Brandon. The priory’s summer concert series begins on 19 July with a performance by Norwich Baroque.
14 June: Le Bureau de Strange
The comedy duo of Dan Lee and Neil Frost, aka The Establishment, bring their version of good old fashioned silly fun and games to West Acre Theatre. Their show is called Le Bureau de Strange and lasts a couple of hours.
18 to 21 June: Forest Live
This annual outdoor concert series at High Lodge, Thetford Forest kicks off with Rag’ n’ Bone Man on 18 June, James and Shed Seven on 19 June, The Script and Tom Walker on 20 June and Gary Barlow and Beverley Knight on 21 June. It’s the chance to grab a picnic, pray for good weather and enjoy some great sounds in the fresh air.
21 June: Fakenham Choral Society’s Summer Concert
By popular demand, Fakenham Choral Society’s summer concert will feature contemporary British composer Will Todd’s Mass in Blue. When the society celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, choir members were asked which pieces of music they would most like to perform again, says chairman, Rosemary Dear, with Mass in Blue ‘high on the list of favourites’. Enjoy the jazz setting of the Latin mass at this concert at Fakenham Parish Church at 7pm.
22 June: Norfolk Symphony Orchestra
Join the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra for their season finale at St Nicholas’ Chapel, King’s Lynn on at 3.30pm. Opening with Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn, the concert will then feature a violin solo – Beriót’s Scène de Ballet – by the NSO’s music director, Steve Bingham, and Beethoven’s much-loved Symphony No. 6 in F major ‘Pastoral’.
25 and 26 June: The Royal Norfolk Show, Norfolk Showground
The Royal Norfolk Show, the largest agricultural show in the country, returns for two days of non stop action. Expect a huge food hall, more than 700 trade stands, a Grand Ring with a packed programme of exciting events and more than 3000 animals including cattle, pigs, goats, poultry and rabbits.
28 June to 12 July: Festival Too
This free, unticketed pop festival runs over three weekends in King’s Lynn. It is in its 40th year and plans are being finalised for the line-up – which is always impressive.
28 June to 20 September: Cromer Pier Show
The annual summer variety show bursts into life on 28 June and runs until 20 September. It brings a touch of the West End to the seaside with a packed programme of magic, comedy, dancing, singing and general mayhem! It’s a terrific family show and spiced up with great special effects including the eight-metre video wall. The host is Ben Nickless, pictured, who excels at keeping everything on track, while the specialist act is Duo Douell who promise thrilling stunts!
July
4 to 5 July: Twelfth Night
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a theatrical company who celebrate their 21st anniversary this year, present Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at Norwich Cathedral Cloisters; it’s one of his most popular romantic comedies where there is much mistaken identity! The production also calls into Holkham Hall on 5 August.
www.cathedral.org.uk; www.holkham.co.uk
9 to 13 July: Five Churches Festival
Glaven Valley churches are taking part in the annual Five Churches Festival, curated by pianist Brenda Blewett and Chaos Collective, a Norfolk-based string quartet. Wiveton Church hosts the launch with the duo of Lotte Betts-Dean (mezzo-soprano) and Dimitris Soukaras (guitar), both pictured, whose programme Time Stands Still fuses the music of John Dowland and Nick Drake as well as other goodies. Other acts appearing in the festival include the Chris Cooper Trio, cellist Robert Cohen, legendary jazz singer Barbar Gough, and the London Central Brass Quintet.
9 July to 14 September: Summer Circus & Water Spectacular
If you’ve never seen the summer show at the Hippodrome, Great Yarmouth, then you’re in for a treat. Running from 9 July to 14 September, the annual Summer Circus & Water Spectacular, hosted by Jack Jay and Johnny Mac, offers the best international circus acts including trapeze artists, acrobatics, slapstick comics, and, of course, the amazing water routines.
12 July: Sense and Sensibility
It’s the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, and Dot Productions presents one of her classics, Sense and Sensibility at Wells Maltings on 12 July. Five actors take part in the two and a half hour show which explores that old debate of head versus heart as the two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, look for love in Regency England.
13 July: Vanity Fair
Moving Parts Theare Company is bringing its brand-new adaptation of Thackeray’s novel Vanity Fair to the ruins of Creake Abbey on 13 July, transporting audiences to a world of Regency salons and ballrooms, and the battlefield of Waterloo. With stunning costumes and original score of live music, this alfresco production is one not to miss. The open-air show is also coming to Norwich Plantation Garden on 11 July, Stow Hall Gardens on 12 July, Hindringham Hall on 25 July and Hoveton Hall on 26 July.
Pictured: Becky Sharp from Moving Parts Theatre Company’s Vanity Fair © www.jasonharris.co.uk
13 to 26 July: King’s Lynn Festival
Running for a fortnight, this event features an eclectic mixture of talks, walks, films, exhibitions, concerts of jazz, folk and classical music and more. One of the first events to be announced is Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra who perform on 25 July at the King’s Lynn Corn Exchange.
14 to 19 July: Chicago
Strictly sensation Janette Manrara takes on her first acting role as Roxie Hart in the dynamic musical Chicago, coming to Norwich Theatre Royal from 14 to 19 July. It’s packed with terrific songs such as Razzle Dazzle and All That Jazz but we all just want to see Janette dance! The legendary Bob Fosse’s choreography is dazzling.
19 July: Sheringham and Cromer Choral Society
Sheringham and Cromer Choral Society’s July concert at Cromer Parish Church is titled ‘With the Voice of Joy and Praise’. Featuring soloist Alice Platten, twice finalist in BBC Young Chorister of the Year, expect a programme of uplifting European anthems including Hear My Prayer by Mendelssohn and Five Childhood Lyrics by Rutter. 7pm.
www.sheringhamandcromerchoral.org.uk
20 July: Carmina Burana
King’s Lynn Festival Chorus will perform Orff’s sweeping cantata Carmina Burana at St Nicholas’ Chapel, King’s Lynn at 4.30pm, for two pianos and percussion. Based on medieval poetry and opening with the iconic O Fortuna, the performance will be conducted by Ben Horden and feature guest artists.
www.kingslynnfestivalchorus.co.uk
August
1 to 3 August: Holt Bookshop
While there’s sadly no Holt Festival this year, Holt Bookshop is staging a big fifth birthday celebration. Owners Pam Horrocks and Keith Britten are still in the planning process but promise a long weekend of literature, music and arts. Events will take place in Lion House Court, St Andrew’s Church and Holt Community Centre. Holt Market takes place on the Sunday, too, so the town will be buzzing!
2 August: Classic Ibiza at Blickling
Bringing a little bit of the White Isle to us here in Norfolk, Classic Ibiza returns, for the 10th year, to entertain with cool sounds from Stephen Hussey’s 32-piece Urban Soul Orchestra, the London Community Gospel Choir and headline DJs. The Big C has been chosen as this year’s charity so hopes are running high for plenty of fundraising – look out for one of their shops at the site, for example.
6, 13, 20 and 27 August: The Seaside Special Variety Show
The Seaside Special Variety Show returns to the Princess Theatre, Hunstanton in August, with shows starting on 6 August and running every Wednesday until 27 August. They are performed at 3pm each week, with an extra 7pm show on 27 August. Expect a great mix of traditional variety acts including juggler Chris Marley, illusionist Michael Diamond and Ultra Vibrancy with their UV puppet spectacular. Bobby Dazzler is the host and look out for Dersingham-based Rollason Dance School stars!
7 August: Robin Hood
The Pantaloons bring their open-air version of Robin Hood to Dalegate Market’s pretty Deepdale Orchard setting and return with Hamlet on 23 August. Both shows are family friendly and promise a few surprises!
7 to 10 August: Gone Wild Festival
After a very successful debut last year, Bear Grylls’ Gone Wild Festival returns to Holkham, promising much for all ages. Think wellness activities, survival skills sessions, inspirational speakers and so on. There’s also a decent music line-up which includes Blue, Lucy Spraggan, the Lightning Seeds and Clean Bandit. You can camp or glamp.
8 to 16 August: North Norfolk Music Festival
The North Norfolk Music Festival, now in its 20th year, sees a series of classical concerts in the beautiful setting of St Mary’s Church, South Creake. Soprano Rosa Feola, the Carducci String Quartet and Ensemble 360 are just some of the acts performing.
www.northnorfolkmusicfestival.com
15 August: Mariah Carey
There’s a stellar line-up at Heritage Live’s outdoor concerts at Sandringham. Mariah Carey plus special guests Nile Rogers & Chic and Eternal will perform on 15 August. Stereophonics with Blossoms and Jake Bugg as support, take to the stage on 16 August while on 17 August, Michael Bublé performs his only UK date this year. Special guest acts are due to be released, too, and, for the first time, you can glamp.
25 August: Aylsham Show, Blickling Park, Aylsham
The Aylsham Show, attended by more than 18,000 people, once again takes place in the glorious setting of the National Trust’s Blickling Hall and offers a truly traditional agricultural show. Expect heavy horse displays, a children’s tug-of-war, stunt quads, falconry displays, a food market, flower competitions and more.
September/ October
12 to 21 September: Heritage Open Days
Heritage Opens Days offers you the chance to look behind the scenes or visit rarely open places in some of the region’s most spectacular historic buildings. It’s the chance to learn more about the history of your area, and you can expect accompanying exhibitions and activities for young ones.
16 September to 25 October: Hamilton
At Norwich Theatre Royal for a massive six weeks is Hamilton, the smash hit hip hop musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda. It is the first time the production has toured, and it tells the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and helped shape the very foundations of the America we know today.
November and December
8 November to 23 December: Thursford Christmas Spectacular
The biggest and brightest Christmas show in the region, the Thursford Christmas Spectacular attracts thousands of people from all over the country who simply love the full-on music and dancing extravaganza.
6 December to 4 January 2026: Cinderella
This year’s panto at Norwich Theatre Royal is Cinderella and promises all your favourite ingredients from a baddie to boo and hiss at to those naughty ugly sisters. It’s perfect all round family fun.
Please check websites for full details, prices and all up to date information.
