Oxford Events
Four days of equestrian spectacle at 2026 Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials
Four days of world-class equestrian sport brought riders, horses and thousands of spectators to Blenheim Palace, culminating in a record-breaking weekend for Britain’s Tom McEwen.
For four days, from Thursday 17 to Sunday 20 September, Blenheim Palace became the setting for one of Oxfordshire’s most spectacular sporting occasions.
The Agria Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials brought together some of the world’s leading event riders, promising young horses and thousands of spectators, with Dressage, Cross Country and Showjumping unfolding across the Palace’s historic parkland.
There was plenty of competition to follow, but there was also something broader about the occasion. The sport took place alongside demonstrations, grassroots competitions, family activities and a busy gathering of exhibitors, creating an event that extended well beyond the arenas and the Cross Country course.
Against the backdrop of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the four days offered a succession of very different experiences: the precision of Dressage, the speed and spectacle of Cross Country, the tension of Showjumping and, throughout, the atmosphere of a major country sporting event.
Thursday: the competition begins
The competition began with Dressage on Thursday, as the first riders entered the Palace arenas and the initial leaderboard began to take shape.
Tom McEwen was among the early names to make an impression, scoring 27.2 with Brookfield Danny de Muze in the GFS Saddles CCI4*-S for eight- and nine-year-old horses. In the principal Agria CCI4*-L, Australia’s 22-year-old Oliver Barrett made his mark, moving to the top of the CCI4*-L leaderboard with Sandhills Briar.
Elsewhere, the inaugural Blenheim Challenge introduced a new international dimension. The competition pitted a British Rising Lions team against a Stars and Stripes U25 team in a series of head-to-head contests modelled on the Ryder Cup, with points awarded according to the best performance in each phase.
The event also opened its arenas to a much wider equestrian community. Riding Club and Pony Club competitors took part in the evoke™ Eventer Challenge, while Retraining of Racehorses classes showcased former racehorses competing in Dressage and showing.
It was an early indication of the breadth of the four-day event: alongside Olympic and world-level competitors were riders and horses competing at a range of levels, all sharing the same Blenheim setting.
Friday: the picture begins to take shape
The second day of Dressage continued in the Palace Arena, with Australian rider Oliver Barrett maintaining his lead in the Agria CCI4*-L on Sandhills Briar. New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell moved into second, while Tom McEwen slipped to third on Brookfield Quality and fourth on The Fieldmaster.
In the GFS Saddles 8 & 9 Year Old CCI4*-S, Britain’s Bubby Upton produced a 26.9 with Auckland 7 and matched the score later in the day with Sancerre de Tiji. But it was France’s Astier Nicolas, the 2016 Olympic team gold medallist and individual silver medallist, who ultimately took the lead with a 23.5 on Hitchqote du Coudray.
Away from the four-star competition, Friday showed the broader character of the Blenheim weekend. The Evoke Eventer Challenge brought Pony Club riders into the parkland, while the Retraining of Racehorses Dressage and showing classes gave former racehorses their own stage. Dog Agility and the event’s shopping, food and family attractions added to the atmosphere around the Palace.
With Dressage complete, attention turned towards Saturday’s Cross Country — the first major test of the weekend in which the leaderboard could be transformed.
Saturday: the drama arrives
If the first two days established the competition, Saturday supplied its defining spectacle.
Thousands of spectators gathered across the Capability Brown parkland as riders tackled the Cross Country course, with the Palace providing a distinctive backdrop to one of the most demanding phases of eventing. The clock proved almost as important as the fences. The optimum time of 10 minutes and eight seconds was achieved by only one rider, causing significant movement in the standings.
McEwen emerged as the day’s outstanding performer. Riding The Fieldmaster, a nine-year-old new to his string this season, and Brookfield Quality, the 17-year-old campaigner owned by John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn, he produced two of the fastest rounds to finish the Cross Country in first and second place in the CCI4*-L. The two horses were separated by just 0.1 of a penalty.
McEwen had first noticed The Fieldmaster at Blenheim the previous year, when the horse was competing with his former rider. Now, a year later, the pair were leading one of the world’s most prestigious eventing competitions. “He’s a phenomenal horse,” McEwen said after the round.
There were other dramatic changes further down the leaderboard. Oliver Townend climbed 29 places to third with Sommersby after producing the only round inside the optimum time. Zara Tindall, who won the European title at Blenheim 21 years ago, also enjoyed a significant rise, moving 12 places to seventh with Classicals Euro Star.
The Cross Country course produced movement throughout the field, with young riders, established names and international competitors all facing the same combination of fences, terrain and time.
Away from the main competition, spectators could watch falconry displays, equestrian masterclasses, the Shetland Pony Grand National and dog agility, adding to the sense that Saturday was as much a day out in the Palace parkland as it was a day of elite sport.
Sunday: the final test
Sunday brought the final phase, with the CCI4*-L Showjumping deciding the destination of the title.
McEwen entered the arena with a remarkable position: he already held first and second place, and the result of the final round would determine which of his two horses would take the title.
The Fieldmaster was the last horse to jump. By then, McEwen had already secured victory, but he completed the round to finish the competition with The Fieldmaster in first and Brookfield Quality in second, the pair still separated by only 0.1 of a penalty. The result made McEwen the first rider to win both the Agria CCI4*-L and the GFS Saddles CCI4*-S for eight- and nine-year-old horses at Blenheim in the same year.
It also gave him the first one-two finish in the CCI4*-L at Blenheim since William Fox-Pitt achieved the feat in 2002. “I came here with five very nice horses and no expectations,” McEwen said afterwards. “What a weekend.” His success provided the headline ending to a competition in which the wider field had supplied plenty of its own stories.
Sam Ecroyd finished third and fifth, Jesse Campbell fourth, and Gemma Stevens sixth in the CCI4*-L. Australia’s Oliver Barrett finished 10th and was the highest-placed of the eight young riders competing for the Stars and Stripes team. The Stars and Stripes also took the inaugural Blenheim Challenge, winning 12.5 points to the Rising Lions’ four.
In the GFS Saddles CCI4*-S, McEwen completed his own double by winning with Brookfield Danny de Muze. Bubby Upton finished third with Sancerre de Tiji, following her strong Dressage performances earlier in the week.
More than a competition
The sporting results were only part of the Blenheim experience.
Across the four days, the parkland became a meeting place for spectators, competitors, families and the wider equestrian community. The programme included the evoke™ Eventer Challenge, Retraining of Racehorses competitions, Pony Club Jumping Championship and demonstrations from the European 3* Squad.
Away from the arenas, visitors could watch falconry and dog agility, while exhibitors and food stands added to the country-event atmosphere. More than 200 exhibitors were also recognised through the event’s stand awards.
The presence of dogs was another part of this year’s experience, with the organisers highlighting the event’s ambition to become the UK’s most dog-friendly equestrian event.
For spectators, however, much of the appeal remained in the simple combination of place and occasion: horses moving through the Palace parkland, crowds lining the Cross Country course, riders emerging from the trees and the Palace providing a constant architectural presence beyond the competition.
It is a setting that gives Blenheim an identity beyond the sport itself.
A weekend to remember
By Sunday afternoon, the arenas were quietening and the crowds were beginning to leave the parkland, bringing four days of competition to a close.
There had been the precision of Dressage, the drama of Cross Country and the final tension of Showjumping. There had been established champions and emerging riders, young horses and veteran campaigners, international teams and grassroots competitors.
And there was a record-breaking performance from Tom McEwen, whose remarkable one-two finish and victories in both four-star classes provided the defining sporting moment of the 2026 event.
But the photographs from Blenheim tell a broader story: of horses and riders, spectators and countryside, competition and celebration, all coming together for four days in one of Oxfordshire’s most recognisable landscapes.
The Agria Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials returns from 16 to 19 September 2027.
What’s on in Oxford and across Oxfordshire this October
Hello and welcome to your invaluable guide to what’s on in Oxford and across Oxfordshire this October.
Despite the recent rains, September gave us some spectacular sunny spells, and we hope you made the best of it with brunch (or dinner) at one of Oxfordshire’s finest restaurants with outdoor seating.
Now that the nights are getting darker and everything is taking on the sickly sweet taste of pumpkin spice, what lies ahead for October? Well, your guess is as good as ours. But we have a feeling brollies and wellies will come in handy.
And aside from resisting the urge to turn on that exorbitantly expensive central heating, what we can say for sure is that there’s plenty to do in Oxford and across shire this month.
It’s also worth pointing out that half term will be upon us from 27 to 31 October, incorporating Halloween on Friday, 31 October. We’re scouring the length and breadth of Oxfordshire to put together a list of the best October half-term and Halloween activities we can find. Take a look at our suggestions and get planning.
As always, be sure to visit our “What’s on section”, where you’ll find more events in Oxford and across Oxfordshire, as well as a limited number of unmissable events beyond the county that would make for a great day out.
Got an event that should be on the list? List your event on The Oxford Magazine website and reach an engaged audience of people who live, work or place in Oxfordshire.
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Waterside’s Weekly Drama sessions offer children aged 7 to 11 the chance to develop drama skills through games, improvisation, devising, scripts and creative activities in a fun, safe and inclusive environment.
23 September to 11 October
Step aboard When the Blackbird Sings, an immersive promenade production that takes audiences on a remarkable journey through Oxford’s past and present. Following Paulette’s inspiring story from 1966, this powerful new production combines live performance, travel by bus and historic locations to explore identity, community, resilience and the people who have shaped the city’s history.
Every Friday until 27 November
Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury
Taking place every Friday until 27 November, Waddesdon cellar tour and wine tasting is held in the Vault Room and surrounded by one of the most historic collections of Rothschild Wines in the world.
Founded in 2007, the Henley Literary Festival has firmly established itself as one of the UK’s most popular literary festivals, bringing together punters and pundits from far and wide in an annual meeting-of-minds set across its stunning riverside hometown.
Henley Literary Festival is established as one of the UK’s biggest book festivals. Previous speakers have included John Mortimer, Doreen Lawrence, John Major, Julia Donaldson, Richard E. Grant, Candace Bushnell, John Sentamu, Cressida Cowell and Graham Nash.
The North Wall Arts Centre
Join Mark Thomas for a taster menu of government and personal mayhem, jokes, rants and a personal state of the nation broadcast as he tries to turn ‘what the f*ck is going on’ into a cogent hour of stand-up.
Join DogFest at Blenheim Palace for an autumnal weekend to celebrate your four-legged friends with a whole host of canine fun as well as live music, family entertainment and more.
Rectory Farm, Stanton St John
Rectory Farm is delighted to bring back The Pumpkin Patch for 2026. Families can wander through the pumpkin field to pick their own farm-grown pumpkins and squashes in a rainbow of colours, perfect for Halloween. Tickets are priced at £8.50 per person. Children under 2 go free and require no ticket for entry.
Millets Farm has been nurturing a large number of pumpkins in their fields this year, and now’s the perfect time for picking a pleasingly plump one. The pumpkin patches are open at weekends from Saturday 03 October, then daily from Thursday 22 October. The patch costs from £4.00 to enter, and then you pay for what you pick before leaving. Pumpkin and squash prices vary depending on the size and variety.
Freya Ridings heads to New Theatre Oxford in 2026, bringing powerful vocals, emotional ballads and new music from her upcoming album Mother Of Pearl to the stage.
Explore the historic motoring hub at Bicester Heritage October 2026 Scramble and take a glimpse behind the doors of industry-leading specialists, allowing behind-the-scenes access to their showrooms and workshops – a guaranteed fun day out for the whole family.
Jonathan Pie is back on tour with The End of the World, a biting and hilarious live show exploring politics, culture and the chaos of modern life through his signature ranting style. Come and see this helpful and hilarious guide to surviving the impending apocalypse.
From The Jam bring the timeless music and spirit of The Jam to audiences across the globe, performing beloved classics alongside tracks from their recent chart-topping albums. With passionate live shows and a loyal multigenerational fanbase, the band continue to honour one of Britain’s most iconic musical legacies.
The Abingdon Michaelmas Fair is the longest street fair in Europe, running from Market Place, through the High Street, The Square and the entire length of Ock Street. It takes place annually on the Monday and Tuesday falling first before the 11 October from noon to 11.00pm on both days.
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Join the iconic international West End and Broadway smash hit musical comedy Legally Blonde, an upbeat, fun story about self-discovery and challenging stereotypes.
Scummy Mummies, Helen and Ellie are back with a brand new comedy show that will have you laughing till you wee. Featuring brand new songs, sketches, standup, and of course, sparkly new catsuits. Bring your mates, bring your mum, bring your partner if they’re feeling brave enough… It’s a big Scummy party!
Seen by millions across the globe, this worldwide smash hit tells the classic story of Baby and Johnny, two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds, who come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives. See the hit film come to life before your eyes with this fantastic, emotional and triumphant live stage show.
Experience Steve Reich’s Different Trains performed by the Ligeti Quartet alongside works by Justė Janulytė and Reich in a powerful contemporary concert.
The Hoosiers, known for their infectious hooks, sharp lyricism and high-energy live shows bring a night packed with high energy and nostalgia. Expect plenty of singalong choruses, hands-in-the-air moments and chances to dance along with friends and family.
Amanda Ross is joined by Ben Miller, Lucy Foley, James Prichard & Nigel Havers, brining Between The Covers Live! to celebrate Agatha Christie, the bestselling novelist of all time, with a line-up guaranteed to deliver a thrilling dive into the world of crime thrillers.
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Join Jack Carroll in his comedy show The Fall Guy. Expect jokes about the broken promises of modern life, internet rabbit holes, and his disability.
Discover a major new exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum that invites you to step into the world of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and desire – later worshipped by the Romans as Venus, featuring more than 200 remarkable objects – from sculpture and bronzes to gems and terracottas from Cyprus, Greece, and Italy, dating from 1400 BCE to the 21st century.
Various venues across Oxford
The 25th Oxford International Song Festival will mark a landmark year with a timeless theme: Love Songs. An international roster of artists will explore love through poetry and music, in performances that range from passionate to witty and ironic. Audiences can look forward to over sixty events featuring more than 200 world-class artists, including three special events in the inaugural season of Oxford’s new Schwarzman Centre.
Festival lineup includes: Benjamin Appl / Juliane Banse / Helen Charlston / Dame Sarah Connolly / Alice Coote / Konstantin Krimmel / Christoph Prégardien / Anna Prohaska / Brindley Sherratt / Camilla Tilling / Roderick Williams
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
The Orbison Project is a fantastic six-piece tribute band celebrating the memorable music of Roy Orbison featuring classics including Only The Lonely, In Dreams, It’s Over, Oh Pretty Woman, Running Scared, I Drove All Night, You Got It and many more.
Celebrate the opening of the 2026 Oxford International Song Festival with an unforgettable recital by Dame Sarah Connolly and acclaimed pianist Joseph Middleton. Featuring songs by Mendelssohn, Brahms, Liszt, Debussy and Errollyn Wallen, this captivating programme explores the Festival’s ‘Love Songs’ theme through some of the finest works in the vocal repertoire.
Cliveden Literary Festival offers a distinctive setting for lively discussion, thought-provoking ideas and political debate, bringing together leading authors, thinkers and public figures at the National Trust’s historic Cliveden estate.
Beyond the programme of talks and conversations, visitors can explore the beautiful gardens and enjoy scenic walks through the estate towards the River Thames, making the festival as much an opportunity to soak up its surroundings as it is to engage with literature and ideas.
Welcome to Oktoberfest at Cogges Manor Farm where the barns will be transformed into a Bavarian Bierkeller with long tables decorated for autumn and you can sit with your friends and family and enjoy a laid-back afternoon of Oktoberfest and rustic farm inspired fun.
The Oxford Half Marathon is a flat and fast 13.1-mile race through historic Oxford. The route starts and finishes on Mansfield Road, right in the heart of Oxford – taking runners on an unforgettable journey through history, culture, and leafy surroundings, including Sheldonian Theatre, Radcliffe Camera & Bodleian Library, Bridge of Sighs, Summertown, Cutteslowe, University Parks and Old Marston.
Discover more: Running events in Oxfordshire
The biggest selling classical artist of this century, Katherine Jenkins OBE, is celebrating an incredible 25 Years in music with a new tour featuring all her biggest hits, including ‘Time To Say Goodbye’, the emotional ‘Jealous of the Angels’ and ‘I Will Always Love You’ and more.
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Following a sell-out performance in 2024, Steve Hackett returns to Friars Aylesbury with his Best of Genesis & Solo Gems tour. Joined by his acclaimed touring band, the legendary guitarist will perform favourites from Genesis’ classic 1970s catalogue alongside highlights from his extensive solo career, in a venue that played a pivotal role in the band’s early success.
The Abingdon Runaway Fair is a smaller funfair that takes place on the Monday, one week after the Abingdon Michaelmas Fair in October. This hiring fair was held specifically so those hired at the earlier Michaelmas Fair and had found their conditions intolerable could quite literally “run away”, i.e. return back for another try at finding suitable paid work before the winter set in.
Violin virtuoso Nigel Kennedy takes to the stage with a bold, genre-blending performance, combining classical mastery and jazz influence in an unforgettable live concert.
Roderick Williams returns to the Oxford International Song Festival with an inventive programme exploring stories of courtly love across the ages. From the medieval poetry of Guillaume de Machaut and Romantic evocations of ruined castles to 20th-century songs by Ina Boyle and Ralph Vaughan Williams, this recital brings together music spanning centuries of love, longing and devotion.
Direct from London’s West End, and featuring a spectacular cast of world-class Singers and an epic live band, join the show for a landslide concert, jam-packed with Fleetwood Mac hits, as you’ve never heard them before, including Little Lies, The Chain, Rhiannon, Don’t Stop and many more, performed by candlelight.
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Tony Blackburn OBE brings his Sounds of the 60s Live Tour to audiences across the UK in 2026, celebrating the decade’s greatest hits with live music, stories and timeless classics from some of the biggest names in pop.
Following a successful anniversary tour of their album The Ghosts That Haunt Me, Canadian rock band Crash Test Dummies are back on the road. This time, they will be celebrating 30 years since the release of their Grammy nominated and platinum certified album God Shuffled His Feet.
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
The Dung Beatles return to Aylesbury to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Revolver, performing the groundbreaking Beatles album in full alongside a selection of timeless favourites in an evening dedicated to the music of John, Paul, George and Ringo.
Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds heads on tour in 2026 with a brand new concert experience, showcasing the legendary double album with live orchestra, band and West End performers.
17 October to 01 November
Children are invited to join Halloween at Tumblestone Hollow as they weave through Stonor’s gardens and into the woodland adventure playground, completing wild and mischievous challenges along the way, to win a Magical Mayhem Certificate, together with a chocolate treat.
18 October to 02 November
Take part in the Waterperry Halloween Hunt throughout this October half term. It costs £4.50 per child with a prize. Children must be accompanied by an adult for whom the garden entrance fee applies. Open from 10.00am till 5.30pm daily.
The Banbury Michaelmas fair has been a fixture of the life of the town for hundreds of years. The annual attraction will run as a four day event this year including rides, games, food and more, spread across Horsefair, North Bar, Market Place, and Bridge Street in the town centre. The fair will open from 3.00pm to 11.00pm on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and from noon to 9.00pm on the Sunday
IF Oxford returns in 2026 with events from 17 to 31 October. It is a thought-provoking and interactive science and ideas festival that creates an opportunity to bring together hundreds of researchers with thousands of people every year – with science, ideas and creative activities for everyone to explore.
English pop rock band Transvision Vamp return for their first UK tour since 1991, playing all the favourites you’ve wanted to hear live.
The North Wall Arts Centre
Celebrated folk duo Megson return with their distinctive blend of soaring vocals, rich harmonies and masterful musicianship. With a career spanning two decades and numerous award nominations, Debs and Stu Hanna continue to captivate audiences with their songwriting, humour and authentic folk sound.
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Stewart Lee shares the stage with his alter ego, The Man-Wulf, a ferocious werewolf comedian from the subconscious. As the beast challenges his relevance and legacy, Lee must confront his fading profile, health struggles, and the evolution of modern stand-up.
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
This is the Cosmos takes audiences on an imaginative journey through space, time and the mysteries of the universe, combining storytelling and big ideas in an intimate production.
The Silence of the Lambs arrives on stage in 2026, transforming the legendary thriller into a gripping live experience packed with tension, iconic characters and psychological suspense.
The Alonetimes is a bold new music-theatre work about memory, loneliness, and belonging by composers Jennifer Walshe and Philip Venables.
22 October to 01 November
The Manor House is mystically transforming into the home of the most famous Vampire in history – Dracula. Step inside his castle and enjoy an immersive experience as you journey from room to room, experiencing the daily life of the charismatic count and meeting some of his friends along the way. It’s a spooktacular and entertaining experience – perfect for all the family.
22 October to 01 November
As Halloween creeps closer and the days shorten, there’s a chill in the air at Blenheim Palace, where ghosts, ghouls and witches get ready to deliver a whole host of tricks and treats along a spooktacular trail. Your very spookiest Halloween starts here…!
Experience Mozart: Bliss Beside Us, featuring the songs and piano music of Mozart to life in a stunning fusion of movement, words and music brought by world-renowned choreographer Andreas Heise.
Once In A Lifetime features an incredible ensemble of world-class musicians who recreate every note, riff, and vocal nuance of the 80s. Featuring the raw talent and undeniable genius of bands and artists like U2, The Police, Tears for Fears, Toto, Prince, Kate Bush, Bruce Springsteen, Hall & Oates, The Smiths, and many more.
Join the Halloween Comedy Club in association with Rock the ATIC for a seriously spooky evening with terrifying jokes from three of the best comedians around.
24 October to 01 November
Get ready for a frightfully fun family adventure at Blenheim Palace this October. Haunted Half Term brings creepy creatures, magical activities and plenty of spooky entertainment to the Walled Garden. Meet friendly snakes, tarantulas, giant snails and frogs at the Zoolab show, then enjoy circus workshops, witchy storytelling, wizard walkabouts and more.
Veteran journalist John Simpson draws on nearly six decades of reporting to examine the leaders and dictators who have shaped modern history. Combining personal experiences, political insight and audience questions, this thought-provoking event explores power, conflict and the forces influencing today’s world.
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
The Searchers and Hollies Experience is a long-running tribute show performed by the FOD Band, celebrating iconic 60s and 70s hits. Featuring over 30 classics, it recreates the magic of two legendary groups, delivering a high-energy show with nostalgia music.
Ghost Fest: Potion Making at Oxford Castle & Prison invites families to uncover magical ingredients, solve clues and create drinkable potions with Merlin’s apprentice. You can also craft a wand, enjoy magical demonstrations and explore an interactive experience inside a real medieval crypt.
Michael Palin brings In the Philippines to the stage, sharing untold stories, photography, behind-the-scenes moments from his latest journey and reflections from nearly 40 years of travelling the world for television.
26 October to 07 November
The Beacon and other venues across Wantage
Wantage Literary Festival returns for its 16th year, bringing acclaimed authors, historians, journalists, artists and musicians to the Oxfordshire town. The packed programme explores literature, history, politics, art, science and the natural world.
Highlights include Victoria Hislop, Jasper Fforde, Stephen Sackur and Janina Ramirez, alongside family events, music, walking tours, sea shanties and the Big Town Read.
Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky’s acclaimed political drama brings to life the tensions that shaped a generation of politics. This sharp, provocative and richly entertaining event is political theatre at its most gripping.
Oxford Castle & Prison’s annual spooktacular Ghost Fest is back with Spooky Tours! Do you dare visit for one of their evening Spooky Tours? Hear the haunting stories of their 1,000-year past and let their gruesome history come to life! It won’t be too long before their ghosts reveal themselves!
Join this Musical Theatre Workshop for an engaging and high energy musical theatre workshop run by Scott’s Performing Arts, where you will learn the number ‘Hard Knock Life’ from the musical Annie ahead of the show coming to New Theatre Oxford this December.
JukeBox Halloween Special brings decades of feel-good music, singalong favourites and spooky fun to Oxford for a night of dancing with friends.
Join a frightfully fun afternoon of creativity at this Halloween Crafternoon packed with Halloween-themed arts and crafts, creative activities and plenty of seasonal fun.
The inimitable Michael Portillo brings his show A Life of Two Halves live on stage, featuring funny, insightful, and poignant stories from his extraordinarily rich and varied life.
Get ready for the ultimate night out – Vegas: After Hours brings five Strictly dance legends together for a spectacular new show Think neon lights and electric nights, roulette tables spinning, glamorous showgirls, dazzling casinos, desert sunsets, lavish pool parties, whirlwind weddings, iconic hotels, and world-class entertainment. Vegas: After Hours captures it all in one unforgettable evening.
The North Wall Arts Centre
Brian returns to the stage with his latest book, How to Lay an Egg with a Horse Inside. Get ready for an evening of comedy and laughter, as he takes us through the hows, whys and whats of reading, writing and enjoying poetry every day.
After a sensational 2025 that saw over 60,000 Tina Turner fans across the UK singing, dancing, and having the time of their lives, What’s Love Got To Do With It? is back and bigger than ever for 2026! This electrifying tribute show celebrates the music and unparalleled career of the one and only Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Tina Turner.
Fisherman’s Friends return in 2027 with a new UK tour, bringing traditional Cornish sea shanties, rich harmonies, humour and coastal spirit to the stage.
Every Saturday (Except 26 December)
Out of the Deep is a family-friendly specimen handling and exploration of the underwater world of marine reptiles.
Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Join Family-Friendly Sundays for free sessions including nature-themed activities, creative crafts, family-friendly trails and more, all provided by the museum’s volunteers.
The Bodleian Libraries’ Wonder of Birds exhibition explores art, science and culture through the lens of avian life. Featuring rare archives, manuscripts and immersive sound, it invites visitors to reflect on both the beauty of birds and their decline.
Join Pip & Posy’s Treehouse Trail in Adventure Play on an adventure to solve the mystery of the missing toy Piggy!
Playhouse Youth Theatre offers young people aged 12 to 16 the chance to collaborate on an exciting year-long theatre project. Working alongside Youth Theatre leaders Lucy Findlay and Caitlin Kirby, participants will devise an original production while developing performance skills, creativity and confidence. The project will culminate in a full-length performance at the Burton Taylor Studio in July 2027.
Oxford Events
Stage Watch: Oh, Mary!, Beetlejuice, Hay Fever, Cinderella, and The Silence of the Lambs
Stage Watch brings together a curated selection of upcoming theatre, musicals and live performances from London and across the broader Oxfordshire region – from star-led revivals and Broadway transfers to cinematic thrillers and bold reimaginings of familiar stories.
This selection moves between dark comedy, supernatural musical theatre, wartime romance, classic comedy and psychological suspense. From the anarchic world of Oh, Mary! and the gothic exuberance of Beetlejuice to Matthew Bourne’s atmospheric Cinderella and the world stage premiere of The Silence of the Lambs in Oxford, these productions offer very different ways into the season ahead.
Oh, Mary!
Trafalgar Theatre, London.
Booking from 28 Sep to 05 Dec 2026. Save up to 50%.
A wildly irreverent reimagining of Mary Todd Lincoln, Oh, Mary! turns the private frustrations and ambitions of Abraham Lincoln’s wife into an anarchic 80-minute comedy set in the weeks before the president’s assassination. Beneath its deliberately absurd surface is a story about thwarted desire, celebrity, marriage and a woman struggling to find a life beyond the role expected of her.
Following its success on Broadway and in London, the production returns with Lolly Adefope taking on the central role of Mary Todd Lincoln from 28 September. The performance follows Jinkx Monsoon’s acclaimed London run and brings a distinctly British comic sensibility to a character described as miserable, suffocated and desperate for an audience of her own.
Written by Cole Escola and directed by Sam Pinkleton, the production has collected major recognition on both sides of the Atlantic, including Olivier and Tony Awards. Its deliberately heightened style makes history less a solemn backdrop than the raw material for a fast, strange and frequently outrageous theatrical comedy.
Best for: Audiences who enjoy boundary-pushing comedy, unconventional historical fiction and fast-paced, irreverent theatre.
Good to know: Expect dark humour, strong language, adult themes, references to alcoholism and a single gunshot. Age guidance 14+. Lolly Adefope is not performing as Mary on 14 October 2026.
Beetlejuice
Prince Edward Theatre, London.
Booking to 02 Jan 2027.
Tim Burton’s macabre world comes to life in Beetlejuice, a spectacular musical that combines gothic imagery, comic chaos and an unexpectedly life-affirming story about grief, family and finding a way forward. At its centre is Lydia Deetz, a teenager whose encounter with a recently deceased couple leads her into the orbit of Beetlejuice, the irrepressible ghost with the most.
David Fynn takes on the title role, bringing a manic physicality to the character, alongside Hannah Nordberg as Lydia. The production draws on the visual imagination of Burton’s original film while expanding the story through an exuberant score, elaborate design and theatrical effects.
With music by Eddie Perfect, a book by Scott Brown and Anthony King and choreography by Connor Gallagher, the musical moves between the supernatural and the deeply human. Its extravagant staging is matched by songs that explore mortality, adolescence, family and the complicated business of being alive.
Best for: Fans of Tim Burton, large-scale musical theatre, gothic comedy and spectacular stage design.
Good to know: The production runs for around 2 hours 40 minutes including an interval and is recommended for ages 12+ with adult supervision. Expect strong language, adult humour, mature themes and drug references.
Hay Fever
Wyndham’s Theatre, London.
Booking from 22 Sep to 12 Dec 2026.
Noël Coward’s Hay Fever returns to the West End in a new production directed by Emily Burns, with Christine Baranski making her West End debut as the theatrical and gloriously self-absorbed Judith Bliss.
The Bliss family’s country house is supposed to offer a peaceful weekend away. Instead, Judith, her novelist husband David and their children Sorrel and Simon each invite a guest without telling the others. As the visitors arrive, the family’s instinct for performance, provocation and personal drama turns an awkward weekend into a comic battle of manners.
Baranski is joined by Richard E. Grant as David Bliss, bringing two formidable stage and screen performers together for Coward’s celebrated comedy of vanity, eccentricity and social discomfort. The production’s appeal lies in the tension between the Blisses’ effortless theatricality and their complete inability to behave like conventional hosts.
First performed in 1925, Hay Fever remains a comedy about people who treat everyday life as a stage – and whose greatest source of entertainment may be one another.
Best for: Admirers of Noël Coward, sophisticated comedy, ensemble acting and classic British theatre.
Good to know: Running time is approximately two hours including an interval. The production includes smoking of cigarettes. Some performances in October and November will involve filming.
Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella
Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London. Booking from 1 Dec 2026 to 17 Jan 2027.
Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella relocates the familiar fairy tale to London during the Blitz, transforming the story into a wartime romance shaped by chance, separation and the extraordinary uncertainty of life during 1940.
A chance encounter brings Cinderella together with a young RAF pilot, but their brief moment of happiness is interrupted by the violence of the Blitz. Bourne’s production places their relationship against a London of air-raid sirens, bomb damage and blackout, giving the familiar fairy tale a darker and more cinematic atmosphere.
Returning to Sadler’s Wells for a 30th anniversary celebration, the production combines Bourne’s distinctive storytelling with Lez Brotherston’s Olivier Award-winning designs, Neil Austin’s lighting and Duncan McLean’s video and projection work. Prokofiev’s score becomes the emotional landscape for a story that moves between intimacy and spectacle.
The result is less a conventional fairy tale than a portrait of love and resilience in a city transformed by war.
Best for: Dance audiences, admirers of Matthew Bourne and those looking for a visually immersive alternative to traditional Christmas ballet.
Good to know: The production runs for around 2 hours 20 minutes including an interval. Age guidance is 8+. Expect depictions of bombing raids, destruction, explosions, theatrical smoke and haze, strobe lighting and loud noises.
The Silence of the Lambs
New Theatre Oxford.
Monday 19 to Saturday 24 October 2026.
Thomas Harris’s psychological thriller arrives on stage for its world stage play premiere, bringing the unsettling relationship between FBI trainee Clarice Starling and imprisoned murderer Hannibal Lecter to the New Theatre Oxford.
When Starling is tasked with interviewing Lecter in the hope that his insight will help investigators catch another serial killer, the investigation becomes a psychological game in its own right. Lecter has information that Clarice needs, but every conversation brings the two closer to a dangerous boundary between interrogation and manipulation.
John Partridge stars as Hannibal Lecter, with Mollie Gallagher as Clarice Starling, Oliver Farnworth as Agent Jack Crawford and Sam Jackson as Buffalo Bill. The production is written by Gina Gionfriddo and directed by Nikolai Foster.
For Oxford audiences, the significance lies not only in the story’s enduring cultural impact but in seeing a landmark thriller reworked specifically for the stage. The production seeks to replace the cinematic distance of the original with the immediacy of live performance, bringing its central characters and disturbing encounters into close proximity with the audience.
Best for: Fans of psychological thrillers, crime drama and literary adaptations looking for a darker night at the theatre.
Good to know: The production runs for approximately 2 hours 15 minutes including an interval and carries a 15+ age guidance. It contains disturbing scenes of threats, violence and murder, very strong language, sexual references, sexual harassment and violence, onstage prosthetic human remains, flashing lights, haze and loud noises including gunshots.
Oxford Events
Ready for Bake-Off: get into the new series with our edit of baking essentials and Bake-Off favourites
There is something about the return of The Great British Bake Off that makes the kitchen feel a little more inviting.
The mixing bowls come down from the cupboard. The scales find their place on the worktop. Someone starts talking about sourdough. And, sooner or later, there is usually flour on the floor.
The new series brings another group of amateur bakers into the tent, but part of the pleasure of Bake-Off has always been what happens beyond it. The programme has made baking feel less like a test of technical perfection and more like something to share: a weekend project, an excuse to make a cake, or simply a reason to spend an afternoon in the kitchen.
For anyone feeling inspired, the equipment need not be complicated. A good mixing bowl, accurate scales, a sturdy rolling pin and a reliable cake tin will take you a surprisingly long way. Beyond those basics, there is a certain pleasure in choosing things that make baking feel like an occasion.
Traditional British kitchenware has a particular appeal here. Mason Cash mixing bowls have become almost shorthand for home baking, while patterned cake tins, wooden utensils and gingham textiles bring a more relaxed, country-kitchen feel. Elsewhere, modern design comes through in the form of stand mixers, smart bakeware and neatly considered tools for decorating.
Then there are the things that encourage you to try something different.
A loose-bottom tart tin opens the door to pastry. A Swiss roll tin suggests a slightly more ambitious afternoon. A proving basket makes bread feel within reach, while a piping set can turn a straightforward cake into something considerably more elaborate. None is essential, but each offers another reason to bake.
The visual side of baking matters, too. A cake stand can turn a simple sponge into the centrepiece of a table. A patterned tin can earn its place on an open shelf. Even an oven glove or tea towel can add a little personality to a kitchen.
That is perhaps part of the enduring appeal of Bake Off. It is not really about owning the perfect equipment or producing a technically flawless showstopper. It is about the ritual around baking — measuring, mixing, waiting, decorating and, eventually, sitting down to eat what you have made.
So, as the new series gets under way, we have put together a collection of baking essentials, useful equipment and a few things that are simply lovely to have around the kitchen.
From prep and measuring to mixing, baking, decorating and serving, our Ready for Bake-Off collection brings together some of our favourite pieces for the season ahead.
There is no guarantee they will help you win Star Baker.
But they might make the next bake rather more enjoyable.
Explore our curated Great British Bake Off collection and get your kitchen ready for the new series.
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