Curated · updated weekly
What's on
The markets, craft events, exhibitions and small, lovely things worth your time — hand-picked, never the tourist-trap stuff. If it's here, we'd go ourselves.
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This month in the East of England
ExhibitionUntil 27 Sept · Colchester
Tim Noble & Sue Webster: Love and Hate — Last Weeks
Free, glowing neon-sign sculptures fill Colchester's contemporary art gallery — catch this long-running show before it finally closes.
Firstsite, Lewis Gardens, High Street, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1JHFree entry, no booking
ExhibitionUntil 4 Oct · Norwich
Living by the Rule: Contemporary Meets Medieval
An exhibition pairing contemporary artists with medieval monastic art and objects, exploring rules, ritual and rebellion.
Sainsbury Centre, University of East Anglia, Earlham Road, Norwich, NR4 7TJPay if and what you want
ExhibitionUntil 30 May · Norwich
Tree of Life — Seyi Adelekun
An immersive, hand-woven sisal-rope installation honouring trees as anchors of cultural memory, filling the Sainsbury Centre's East End Gallery.
Sainsbury Centre, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJPay what you want
ExhibitionUntil 31 Oct · Colchester
Museum of the Moon at Colchester Castle
A glowing seven-metre lunar sculpture by artist Luke Jerram floats inside Britain's oldest Norman keep for its final weeks on show.
Colchester Castle, Castle Park, High Street, Colchester CO1 1TJCastle admission (adult £13.95, child £8.50) plus £1 exhibition supplement
Outdoors👋 Meet peopleUntil 21 Nov · Westleton
Discover Minsmere in Autumn
Guided walks through the RSPB's most famous Suffolk reserve, timed for migrant birds, fungi and the last of the autumn colour.
RSPB Minsmere, Sheepwash Lane, Westleton, Saxmundham, Suffolk IP17 3BY£9 adult / £5 child (non-members; includes reserve entry and a hot drink)
Market👋 Meet peopleSat 19 – Sun 20 Sept · Cambridge
Cambridge Autumn Food, Home & Craft Fair
A free weekend fair on Parker's Piece, with food and drink, arts and crafts, and cookery demos running all day.
Parker's Piece, CambridgeFree entry
ExhibitionUntil 31 Jan · Cambridge
Sunil Gupta: Life with a Camera
A major, free photography retrospective opens at Kettle's Yard, tracing five decades of Sunil Gupta's work.
Kettle's Yard, Castle Street, Cambridge CB3 0AQFree entry
ExhibitionUntil 17 Jan · Colchester
Simon Carter: From the Landscape
Essex artist Simon Carter's most ambitious show yet turns Firstsite's galleries into a walk-through painting of the coast — free entry.
Firstsite, Lewis Gardens, High Street, Colchester CO1 1JHFree
Music👋 Meet peopleWed 23 Sept · Cambridge
Robyn Hitchcock at the Portland Arms
Cult songwriter Robyn Hitchcock plays an intimate solo show at Cambridge's much-loved back-room pub venue.
The Portland Arms, 129 Chesterton Road, Cambridge CB4 3BASee Cambridge Live for ticket price
Music👋 Meet peopleThu 24 – Sun 27 Sept · Burnham Deepdale
Deepdale Festival
A friendly folk, roots and acoustic music festival across three small stages on the North Norfolk coast, now in its 8th year.
Deepdale Camping & Rooms, Burnham Deepdale, North Norfolk PE31 8DDDay tickets from £15; weekend day ticket £30 adult / £15 under-16
ExhibitionUntil 24 Oct · Norwich
Print Rotate Repeat
A free exhibition at Norwich University of the Arts exploring pattern design in the age of AI, with talks and workshops alongside.
East Gallery NUA, Cavendish House, St Andrews Street, Norwich NR2 4AEFree admission
Food & drink👋 Meet peopleSun 27 Sept · Cambridge
Cambridgeshire Biodiversity & Regenerative Food Festival
Up to 50 regenerative growers, bakers and street food stalls take over Cambridge's central park for a free, nature-minded Sunday.
Parker's Piece, Cambridge CB1Free
Craft & making👋 Meet peopleSat 3 Oct · Colchester
Folk & Bespoke Artisan Craft Market at Firstsite
Forty independent makers fill Colchester's striking contemporary art gallery for a morning of ceramics, silverwork, macrame and cake.
Firstsite, Lewis Gardens, High Street, Colchester CO1 1JHFree entry
Food & drink👋 Meet peopleSun 4 Oct · St Albans
St Albans & Harpenden Food & Drink Festival Street Finale
St Peter's Street closes to traffic for a free day of cookery demos, a world food zone and local producers, closing out the city's food festival.
St Peter's Street, St Albans AL1 3LDFree entry (most activities require no pre-booking)
Outdoors👋 Meet peopleSun 4 Oct · Norwich
Walk on the Wild Side
Norfolk Wildlife Trust's annual sponsored walk through Broadland Country Park, with routes for families, dog walkers and bigger challenges alike.
Broadland Country Park, Norwich, NorfolkSponsored-walk entry fee — see norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk
Culture👋 Meet peopleFri 9 Oct · Chelmsford
The Essex Alcohol-Free Comedy Club
A professional stand-up night with zero alcohol on sale anywhere in the room, in the County Hotel's Crystal Ballroom.
County Hotel, 29 Rainsford Road, Chelmsford CM1 2PZ£20
Market👋 Meet peopleSat 10 Oct · Norwich
Local Makers Market at The Forum, Norwich
Over 80 designer-makers spill inside and outside Norwich's landmark Forum building for jewellery, ceramics, prints and street food.
The Forum, Millennium Plain, Norwich NR2 1TFFree entry
Music👋 Meet peopleWed 14 – Sun 18 Oct · Norwich
Wild Paths Festival
Fifteen-plus venues across Norwich's old lanes and churches fill with new music, talks and late-night sets for one boundary-pushing autumn weekend.
Multiple venues across Norwich city centre, including Cinema City, St Laurence Church and the Octagon ChapelDay and weekend passes — see wildpaths.co.uk for current prices
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