Events and Festivals in Wimborne

If you want fun and colour in your life then the Wimborne Minster area is the place to visit! 

An amazing range of events, from quality music, arts and food festivals to open gardens, traditional village fetes, vehicle displays, guided walks and even a wonderful winter carnival, fill a packed annual diary.

In town and around

With many festival making use of Wimborne Minster’s wonderful courtyards, squares and open spaces, you can combine an entertaining event with a satisfying shopping spree or a trip to one of the town’s visitor attractions.

Events can also be a great way to discover new venues with festivals and activities at some more unusual and perhaps slightly quirky locations.

Set in 12 acres of working farmland, Family Fest bring the best craft, sweet food and small business traders along with two days of fun-packed live music in June.

We Out Here Festival returns for another year, just a 15 minute drive out of town. Across four days, enjoy the biggest names in Jazz, Soul, Hip Hop, Brazilian and sounds from across the globe, and at night, dance to some of the scene's most exciting DJs. Alongside the music, there'll be a wellness programme (yoga, breathwork, massage, dance and more), a Talks Tent, Roller disco, and independent Record Fair.

Discovering Wimborne's past

Explore the area’s heritage with special events at the Museum of East Dorset.

You can also discover fabulous buildings and historic sites, usually closed to the public, as part of the Dorset-wide Architectural Heritage Week organised by the East Dorset Heritage Trust.

At the nearby Ancient Technology Centre in Cranborne, find out about life in times gone by or watch a magical performance in their impressive and 'hobbit-house like' round Earthouse.

Tempting treats

Everyone loves a tasty treat and with its rich horticultural heritage the Wimborne Minster area is blessed with quality producers keen to showcase their delicious food and drink.

Set the taste buds (and you're tongue) tingling with the amazing products on offer at the Great Dorset Chilli Festival or nearby Cheese and Chilli Festival at Christchurch.

Perhaps a visit to the annual Beer Festival, will then be needed - just to cool you down! 

Together with regular Farmers’ Markets, in the town centre and at Market Square, there are plenty of opportunities to try and buy scrumptious local produce.

Culture vultures

Holidays are meant to be full of fun and who doesn’t like a good laugh? 

Wimborne Minster’s beautifully restored art deco Tivoli Theatre & Cinema hosts well known and emerging comedians as well as a varied programme of drama, music, dance and the latest film releases.

The town has a very strong arts scene, get your toes tapping at the annual Folk Festival, when the streets are filled with music and dance displays, meet a favourite author or listen to an eminent speaker at the Literary Festival or be enthralled by magical tales at the Earthouse at Cranborne's Ancient Technology Centre.

Regular photography, art and craft exhibitions, together with professional open-air theatre productions bring local scenes and historic settings to life.

And now for something different…

Colourful characters with a quick wit and booming voices, the Town Criers of southern England gather biennially on Wimborne Minster’s delightful Minster Green to perform in the Southern England Town Criers Championships.

Wimborne’s own Town Crier helps to organise the town’s annual Buskers Bash for Cash - where passers by are the judges and decide who has the X-Factor! 

Sometimes it is wonderful to return to a time when life seemed simpler, so take a moment to visit one of the area’s traditional village fetes, flower and plant shows or open garden events. 

Events for all seasons

Whatever the season there is something to entertain all the members of the family, and it doesn’t need to cost the earth with many events free of charge.

If you are coming for a specific event, take the chance to stay a while longer and discover all that the Wimborne Minster area has to offer. 

A great range of guest houses and self catering accommodation is available; start planning your Wimborne weekend (or week!) today.

Events coming soon

Easter Egg Hunt at Kingston Lacy Mar 28

Easter Egg Hunt at Kingston Lacy

Join in the Easter fun this spring in our adventure field. Put on your bunny ears and complete the ten amazing activities before claiming your tasty prize. You can go back again and again to practice...

Pre-History Open Weekend Mar 30

Pre-History Open Weekend

The Ancient Technology Centre welcomes families to one of our Pre-History weekend focusing on the Stone Age to Iron age in the UK and across the world! There will be Living History displays, have a go...

Sunset Boulevard Apr 05

Sunset Boulevard

High Contrast Cinema Presents: Sunset Boulevard Friday 5th April, 8pm Sunset Boulevard is widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time. It stars William Holden as a struggling...

Celtic Music Live Gig Apr 13

Celtic Music Live Gig

"Dallahan is one of the most distinct forces in the international folk music scene. Forged in Scotland and Ireland's traditional music community, but drawing on the traditional music styles...

Fairytales for Grown Ups: And Other Wonders Apr 13

Fairytales for Grown Ups: And Other Wonders

In a field in Dorset there is a hill with a door. This is the Earthouse, a 250-seat fire-lit theatre, where audiences sit on wooden benches, under an earth roof, held up by 21 huge oak tree trunks....

It's Spring, Art and Craft Exhibition Apr 13

It's Spring, Art and Craft Exhibition

Wimborne Art Club are holding an exhibition at the Pamphill Village Hall in April. The exhibition entitled 'It's Spring' showcases the artistic talents of its members and features crafts...

Meet The Lambs Apr 13

Meet The Lambs

Drop in sessions to meet the farm manager and, more importantly, the rare breed lambs that are now frolicking in the parkland. Hear how we care for them, see the lambs close up and discover more about...

FREE Family Film Apr 14

FREE Family Film

A free film for all the family The Free Family Film events we put on are intended to provide a warm, safe activity for parents to bring young children that is completely free, at a time where prices...

Deer Butchery and Cooking Apr 20

Deer Butchery and Cooking

Craig Brooks, author of Eat like a Viking! 1 & 2 will be hosting this event at the Ancient Technology Centre. Come hang out in the longhouse, where you'll get hands on with skinning and...