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.
Running something lovely? Promote your event with us →
All of the UKLondon · 15South East · 14South West · 6East of England · 8West Midlands · 9East Midlands · 13Yorkshire · 12North West · 7North East · 7Wales · 9Scotland · 11Northern Ireland · 1
This week in the South East
ExhibitionUntil 18 Oct · Eastbourne
Comrades in Art: Artists Against Fascism
The definitive show on Britain's 1930s anti-fascist artists' movement, uniting eleven founding members' work with Nash, Knight and Pissarro.
Towner Eastbourne, Devonshire Park, College Road, Eastbourne, BN21 4JJ£5.50–£11 (under-25s free; pay-what-you-can first Friday of the month; Towner members free)
ExhibitionUntil 1 Nov · Chichester
British Landscapes: A Sense of Place
Sixty-plus artists' takes on Britain's coasts and countryside, from 18th-century idylls to unsettled modern views, in a Georgian townhouse gallery.
Pallant House Gallery, 9 North Pallant, Chichester, PO19 1TJ£14 (Art Fund members £7.25; under-18s, students & Gallery Friends free)
CultureUntil 22 Nov · Canterbury
The Making of Marlowe: Poet, Playwright, Provocateur
An interactive Beaney exhibition on Christopher Marlowe's short, scandal- shadowed life, built around artefacts you won't see displayed elsewhere.
The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge, 18 High Street, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2RAFree entry (donations welcome)
FamilyUntil 8 Nov · Dorking
Moominvalley Trail at Polesden Lacey
A gentle garden trail through the National Trust's Surrey estate, meeting the Moomin family among the borders and woodland.
Polesden Lacey, Great Bookham, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6BDFree with garden admission (Adult £14 / Child £7 / Family £35; free for National Trust members)
Family👋 Meet peopleUntil 12 Oct · Sevenoaks
Babyccino Coffee Morning & Storytime at Knole
Weekly babyccinos, toys and storytime for under-5s in Knole's Brewhouse — a soft landing for meeting other parents.
Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0RP (Brewhouse Café and Bookshop)Free with normal admission (Outdoor & Tower ticket around £6; free for National Trust members)
Family👋 Meet peopleUntil 8 Nov · Brighton
The Story Trail
Thirty giant, artist-painted BookBenches turn Brighton and Hove's streets and parks into a free citywide trail.
Streets, parks and open spaces across Brighton and Hove, Brighton, BN1Free
ExhibitionTue 15 – Sat 19 Sept · Winchester
Wild! A Festival of Flowers and Nature
A once-every-four-years flower festival fills Winchester Cathedral's ancient nave with wild, immersive floral art.
Winchester Cathedral, 9 The Close, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9LSFrom £19
Food & drinkFri 18 – Sat 19 Sept · Oxford
The Oxford Wine Festival
A weekend of wine tasting in Oxford's grand Examination Schools, with your first ten tasting vouchers included in the ticket.
Oxford University Examination Schools, 81 High Street, Oxford OX1 4ASFrom £24.50 (includes first 10 tastings)
Outdoors👋 Meet peopleSat 19 Sept · Birchington
Great British Beach Clean: Minnis Bay
Join the Marine Conservation Society's flagship beach clean and litter survey on the Kent coast — dogs, kids and beginners all genuinely welcome.
Northern Sea Wall, Minnis Bay, Birchington-on-Sea, Kent, meet outside Minnis Bay Bar & Brasserie, The Parade, CT7 9QPFree (registration required)
OutdoorsSat 19 – Sun 20 Sept · Maidstone
Paws in the Park: Kent Show
The UK's largest outdoor dog show marks its 20th year at Kent Showground, with agility, flyball and more than 30 have-a-go activities.
The Kent Showground, Detling, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3JF£14 in advance / £16 on the gate; dogs go free
Food & drink👋 Meet peopleSat 19 Sept · Reading
Reading Vegan Festival
Forty-plus vegan food and craft stalls fill Reading's Market Place for a free, all-day plant-based graze.
Market Place & Broad Street, Reading, BerkshireFree entry
Outdoors👋 Meet peopleSat 19 – Sun 20 Sept · Portsmouth
Send It 100
Two days of skate jams, vert ramp showcases and free beginner coaching at Portsmouth's indoor skatepark, marking the city's 100th year.
Pitt St. Skatepark, 315 Commercial Road, Portsmouth, PO1 4AYEarly bird from £25 for adults, under-5s free
Music👋 Meet peopleSun 20 Sept · Brighton
Sylvan Esso: Ow ∞ Album Launch In-Store
An intimate in-store performance from electronic duo Sylvan Esso marking the release of their new album, on the shop floor of Brighton's Resident Music.
Resident Music, 27-28 Kensington Gardens, North Laine, Brighton BN1 4ALFrom £20 (ticket includes the new album)
Craft & making👋 Meet peopleSun 20 Sept · Winchester
Winchester Art & Design Market
A monthly street market of original art and craft — jewellery, ceramics, textiles, prints — sold by the makers themselves through Winchester's old town.
The Broadway, Winchester, HampshireFree to browse
Get the good stuff, every Thursday
One free email a week with the weekend's best hand-picked days out. No filler, no tourist traps, no selling your attention to the highest bidder.
Join free →