I’m always keen to have something in the calendar to enjoy, whether that’s tickets for a show, a new movie release, a local festival or an art exhibition. It’s so uplifting to have an event or activity to look forward to so, if I have something planned for the coming weekend, I’m happy.
Plus, if you make some plans in advance, you can incorporate seeing friends and having some fun at the event together. So, if you’re thinking ‘what can I do at the weekend?’, I’m sharing some of the things I can’t wait to do this spring/summer; you can put a date in your diary now and make sure you don’t miss these fun events.
Cinema releases
I’m very excited about the upcoming cinema season as there are many new British films being released. The first one I’m definitely watching is British Comedy Swede Caroline, which is in cinemas from 19th April. It’s a mockumentary-style film about the world of competitive vegetable growing – already sounds hilarious, doesn’t it?
Couple that with a talented cast including Jo Hartley, Richard Lumsden, Celyn Jones, Fay Ripley, Alice Lowe and one of my favourite comedians Aisling Bea, and I think it’ll be a hit. I’m always a fan of British comedies such as The Full Monty and Swimming with Men, so I’m so excited for it to be released this coming weekend.
Another movie I can’t wait for is A Family Affair. This new British comedy is out on digital from 20th May and it stars another of my top comedians Joe Wilkinson, alongside Laura Aikman from the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special and the lovely Jane Asher.
With the main character being a hotel manager and the farcical nature of the plot, I can’t help but imagine it’ll be rather Fawlty Towers-esque, which I would certainly enjoy!
Coming to UK cinemas in May is The Present starring Isla Fisher and Greg Kinnear. I’m a fan of these two actors and the story is about time travel so I’m looking forward to heading to the cinema when this is released on 24th May.
Festival events
I’ve attended the Norfolk and Norwich Festival in previous years and thoroughly enjoyed it so, when I spotted the incredible programme for this year’s Festival I knew I wanted to attend as many activities as possible. The Festival is taking place from the 10th-26th May 2024 and this year’s programme features a number of ‘stories’ that bring together shows and events that share common themes.
I’ve already booked tickets for some epic shows such as the spoken word events at the Speak Easy and dance events in the Adnam’s Spiegeltent and there are so many shows to choose from that you could easily fill up your calendar and have something fun to do throughout May.
There are also plenty of free events happening around the city that you don’t need to book for, such as the bandstand, activities for kids, a street party and the Welcome Weekend’s opening extravaganza with a giant puppet parading through the streets of Norwich by French company L’Homme Debout.
Art exhibitions
There are a couple of exhibitions on my must-see list for this spring/summer. The first is Antony Gormley’s Time Horizon at Houghton Hall, which runs from 21st April to the 31st October 2024. This installation will feature 100 life-size sculptures across 300 acres of the park, house and gardens.
I’m especially excited to see this as I’ve previously seen individual sculptures at the Martello Tower in Aldeburgh and at the University of Norwich but this is the first time that the large-scale Time Horizon installation has been on display in the UK.
If you go to see this installation, you can enjoy a full day out at Houghton Hall (which is always a joy) and you’ll also find sculptures inspired by the state rooms by Magdalene Odundo within the hall itself.
Also, while at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, make sure you head to the Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery to see the exhibitions there: Holding Space and Roger Ackling’s Sunlight. I previously had one of my most surprisingly enjoyable days out at the Castle Museum – there’s so much to see there, it’s a full day of interesting artefacts, historical stories and fine art.
I hope my top picks for arts and entertainment have given you inspiration for planning your own spring/summer and that you’ll find something here that you’ll enjoy. Let me know what films, art and events you’re excited to see this season in the comments below – I’m always up for hearing about more fun things to do.
Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience 🙂
