If you fancy having some fun this weekend, next week or at the start of the bank holiday, the Norfolk & Norwich Festival has something for everyone, and for all ages.
Artistic Director & Chief Executive, Daniel Brine said: “It feels like a really vibrant and dynamic mix with a number of international voices peppering the music programme; exciting new performance pieces; some fascinating literary conversations; and a strong sense of community with a number of events that showcase our participation work. I’m really looking forward to May!”
Even though I live quite far away from the city, I always try to attend at least a couple of events during each festival and, in previous years, I’ve seen some amazing international performers and the exhibitions of world-renowned artists.
That’s why I’d like to urge you to take a trip to the festival this year if you can. There are plenty of free and low-cost events and activities for all members of the family, including little ones, so it’s definitely worth checking out.
Here are a few of my top picks for this year:
Dancing
If you’ve been following my website for a while, you’ll know that I love to dance. So when I saw that there will be a Ragroof tea dance in the Adnams Spiegeltent again this year, I was immediately excited.
Last year, I went to the tea dance and not only did I get to learn the samba, mambo and many more Latin dances, but I also got to eat a giant Jarrolds scone – lush!
Just being inside the amazing spiegeltent is a sensory treat, and being able to watch professional dancers (and then learn some steps from them) was like stepping onto the Strictly ballroom dancefloor.
If you prefer to watch dance rather than participate, there are many more dance events taking place this weekend, including the free dance theatre event ‘Sea like a mirror‘ and the film ‘Four Portraits from an Edgeland‘, which features dance alongside personal narratives.
Be sure to check out all the dance performances from the festival here.
Circus
Another event in the Adnams Spiegeltent is Showdown, a high-energy circus spectacle. Having visited the big top tent last year, I can imagine how fabulous it will look when used for the jaw-dropping circus stunts in this epic show.
It’s so much more than a circus performance; Showdown combines comedy and spoken word with music genres like Hip Hop, Grime and Afrobeat, alongside a “competition” of circus skills. There’s a performance on each evening of the Festival, so it’s still possible to get tickets for this spectacular show.
Also, the Show Pony acrobatics show at the Norwich Theatre Playhouse this weekend sounds like a great grown-up way to enjoy circus, clowning and to have a good laugh.
Visual Art
During the festival, the city and surrounding countryside are scattered with amazing exhibitions showcasing the best of local, national and international art. In previous years, I’ve seen pieces by Antony Gormley, Roger Ackling and Ryan Gander.
This year, British sculptor Stephen Cox is the star exhibition at Houghton Hall, with more than 20 of his sculptures positioned in the landscape and on the State Floor. The gardens of this stately home are already a must-see for sculpture fans, with Stephen Cox’s pieces just adding to the visual arts spectacle there.
There are 17 art exhibitions and events taking place between now and the end of the festive with 9 of them being completely free to enjoy.
Family workshops
The family events and workshops hosted by the Norfolk and Norwich festival are second to none. There are so many activities going on during the festival that I couldn’t possibly list them all, but it’s worth checking out the list of workshops to see if something takes your fancy.
These activities are a great way to get creative while feeling like part of the local community. Plus, a great many of the workshops and family sessions are completely free – or an adult goes free with a child ticket – making it a budget-friendly way to get involved in the festival this year.
Music
I wouldn’t know where to begin with writing about the musical offerings from the Norfolk & Norwich Festival. There are SO many performances taking place every day during the next couple of weeks that I think it’s best if I just give you the link to the music listings and let you browse for yourself.
There’s a genre to suit everyone, from the free performances at the Band Stand in the festival gardens to quartets, soloists, ensembles, duos, orchestras and choirs. If I could stay in Norwich for the whole week to see all these incredible shows, I would.
I hope this round-up of fun things to do at the Norfolk & Norwich festival has given you some inspiration for things to do during this year’s festival. Please let me know in the comments below if there is a show you’ve particularly enjoyed from the N&N Festical, I’d love to hear your tips for what to see. 🙂
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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 🙂
