Events and Festivals in Poole
Poole has a vibrant and exciting events calendar ranging from concerts and shows at the Lighthouse Arts Centre to the popular annual quayside events programme Summertime in the South. Make sure you're in town for classic car shows, music events and spectacular fireworks and you may even spot a ghost walk or a pirate event on the events calendar too.
Whether your interest is music, dance, vintage cars or sports, there is something to entertain all ages throughout the whole year.
Dream Machines
Taking place every Tuesday night from April to September, see hundreds of motorbikes on Poole Quay. From classics to sports, Harley Davidsons to Kawasaki and everything in-between. The event creates a unique, exciting atmosphere as bikers and spectators enjoy a relaxed evening. Bring your own bike or just admire them, the choice is yours.
Harry Paye Pirate Day
Avast me harties! Tis time for land lubbers to dig out yer eye patch, earing and cutlass for Poole’s annual celebration in June, of its favourite pirate son Harry Paye.
The popular shindig gets underway from 12 under the noonday sun with the Parade of Pirates along Poole Quay.
Folk on the Quay
A free folk music festival in June with three outdoor music stages, dancers in the streets, traditional folk dancing, ceilidhs on the Quay and lots more.
Quay for my Car
Throughout July and August, Poole Quay will be lined by classic cars for all to admire. Each week has a different theme including Mini, Lotus, Best of British, VW, Italian Stallions, American Dreams and more.
Poole Goes Vintage
Celebrate all things retro on the Quay as Poole goes Vintage returns to town each summer! This celebration of 1940s-60s music, fashion, memorabilia, entertainment and transport is a feel-good festival the whole family will enjoy.
Summer Spectacular
Get your groove on for Rockley's Summer Spectacular as fabulous free live music, entertainment and fireworks come to Poole Quay!
It takes place every Thursday (from end July until the end of August) bringing a party atmosphere to Poole’s continental quayside with live music, entertainment and family fun before finishing with a firework finale over the largest natural harbour in Europe at 10pm!
British Beach Polo Championships
The Championships returns to Sandbanks Beach in July. With up to 10,000 people in attendance, it is the biggest beach polo event in the world. It’s a feast of fast action, gladiatorial horse polo, beach rugby, fashion and fun is to be had.
The event will see four competitive polo teams play thrilling polo whilst demonstrating spectacular horsemanship on the sand. Spectators are able to watch the professionals up close and personal as they manoeuvre their athletic polo ponies with agility and power.
The event attracts a host of top polo players, VIP guests and fashionistas.
In the evenings, as the sun sets over ‘Old Harry Rocks’ the beach parties begin.
Christmas in Poole
New for Christmas 2022, the Maritime Christmas Light Festival will light up Poole like never before.
Stretching from the Dolphin Shopping Centre and along the High Street down onto Poole Quay you will find dazzling Christmas Trees, Tallships, Anchors and lit up canopies to walk under, as though you are walking under the sea!
Plan your holiday to Poole
For all the information you need to plan a holiday to Poole, please visit the Poole Tourism website or sign up for the latest destination and event news and special offers.
Events coming soon
Daily Red Squirrel Walks
Autumn is the best time of the year to catch a glimpse of our shy red squirrels as they come down from the tree canopy to store food for the colder months ahead. Our free guided walks will not only...
Inside Out Dorset Festival
Inside Out Dorset, the international arts festival, returns this autumn with art and performances outdoors that celebrate the county’s sense of place. Running over two weekends from 15 -...
Into The Wild Sculpture Exhibition
From 3rd July to 1st October, 2023, visitors from near and far are invited to experience the charm of the "Into The Wild" sculptures at Compton Acres. The exhibition seamlessly integrates...
Poole Dream Machines
Dream Machines will be back at Poole Quay, every Tuesday, from 2nd May - 26th September 2023. The event creates a unique, exciting atmosphere as bikers and spectators enjoy a relaxed...
Early Morning Yoga and Breakfast
Good news, the Yoga sessions are continuing throughout September! Enjoy the peace and tranquillity of this beautiful location whilst local yoga teacher and meditation master, Sonja Lockyear, guides...
Oktoberfest Poole
The south coasts BIGGEST Oktoberfest operator heads to Poole! A weekend filled with traditional Bavarian food, live music, and of course, the finest German beer. Oktoberfest Poole aims to recreate the...
Words Music and Silence - The House of Life
A practice-based examination of songs and the silence that frames them. This lecture recital will consider Ralph Vaughan Williams' settings of 6 sonnets by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1904). The first...
BSO Rachmaninovs Rhapsody
Rachmaninov's Rhapsody is an exercise in both compositional and pianistic prowess. It brilliantly exploits Paganini's theme in a freely imaginative and rhythmically energetic Romantic...
South West Coast Path Exhibition
To celebrate its 50th Anniversary and to show case its members' skills, West Country Embroiderers is exhibiting embroideries which give a visual tour of the South West Coast Path from its...
Autumn Early Morning Bird Walk and Breakfast
A ranger from Dorset Wildlife Trust will lead you on a wander around the island, lakes and lagoon to experience the peace and tranquillity of Brownsea out of hours. The soundtrack to this experience...
BSO Eastern Promise
Borodin spent eight years composing his Second Symphony. It is seen by many as a distillation of the spirit of Prince Igor, with its bardic minstrelsy and depictions of the wide-open skies of the...
Fungi Foray
Can you spot a Fly Agaric or maybe a Destroying Angel, beautiful but deadly? Join our expert from the Dorset Fungus Group on this delightful romp across Brownsea in search of some fascinating fungi....
The Coastal Comedy Show with Sean Collins
Come and experience our popular triple bill standup comedy shows staged by award winning Coastal Comedy Club who offer the very best in stand-up talent in our beautiful intimate venue in the studio....
Walk for Wards
The Charity's flagship fundraising event, Walk for Wards will be back this year at Upton Country Park on Saturday 14 October at 11.30 am – 4.30pm. University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity is...
Violin Fireworks
The Violin Concerto marked a turning point in Barber's output. It is a work which both reflects the ingratiating melodic-Romantic style of his earlier compositions and the first intimations of a...
BSO The Two of Us
This two-act evening takes us chronologically from Lennon and McCartney's first meeting in 1957 to the end of The Beatles in 1970. With sold out performances in Liverpool, Gateshead, Dublin and...
The Wizards Forbidden Garden October Half Term Adventure
A spooky, immersive trail for the whole family with a magic prize at the end. This half term dare you enter the Wizard's Forbidden Garden at Upton Country Park? Tread carefully as you search for...
BSO Love and Death
Brahms' concerto stands as one of the largest and most challenging works in the solo violin repertoire, a work which shows the two opposite sides of his creative mind – Brahms the song...
Squirrel Walk and Cream Tea in the Castle
The squirrels are madly foraging for their winter stores at this time of year and as the island is closed to the general public, they tend to be more visible. Take advantage of this new opportunity to...
Fireworks Cruise with City Cruises
Enjoy a display of colours and celebration on Poole Quay! Join this amazing, festive atmosphere, listen to live music, watch acrobatic performances and shows for children, then end your evening on our...