Art events in Dorset
Are you looking to find the best arts events in Dorset?
Dorset is a hotbed of creativity and expression and hosts a vibrant programme of productions in theatre, music, comedy, dance and film alongside an exciting mix of exhibitions and visual arts.
Dorset is also proud to promote a well supported network of Art Centres and organisations that promotes cultural development in the county.
Enjoy a live performance
The atmosphere of watching a play or live music in a village hall environment is much more intimate and engaging than in a large theatre and it stimulates a special connection between the performers and the audience that you don’t get elsewhere.
Wherever you are based in Dorset, you’ll have the opportunity to see some amazing productions from professional touring companies.
Be astounded at the exquisite talents of ballet dancers as they pirouette before your eyes or marvel at one-man plays; feel your spirit soar as your venue becomes filled with the sounds of samba and giggle until your sides split at a local comedy night.
Extraordinary festivals
Be surprised, moved, entertained or contemplative, or maybe them all, as you make your way round Dorset as part of the Inside Out Festival.
Taking place every other year, Inside Out Dorset wows the crowds with some of the zaniest events around.
From circus acts in Gillingham, sculpture at Hengistbury Head, a big wild sleepout with the RSPB and an outdoor performance to celebrate the Autumn Equinox, these are extraordinary events in extraordinary places.
Feast your eyes
As well as performance, Dorset has a varied programme of touring visual art exhibitions which circulate to rural galleries and other venues throughout the area.
You can visit contemporary craft shows, thematic exhibitions and displays from both national and regional artists.
Find out more
For a more comprehensive view of all the great arts events going on in Dorset, visit:
- Activate Performing Arts
- Artsreach
- Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
- Bridport Arts Centre
- B Sharp
- Coda Music Trust
- Dorchester Arts Centre
- Dorset Music Service
- Opera Circus
- Shaftesbury Arts Centre
- Sherborne Arts Link
- Sting in the Tale
- Walford Mill Crafts
Art eventscoming soon!
Artists in Residence Exhibition at Cerne Abbey
Artists in Residence is an open art exhibition at Cerne Abbey in the historic village of Cerne Abbas, Dorset, forming part of Dorset Art Weeks 2026. Set within the medieval Guest House and Pond Garden...
Dorset Art Weeks
23 MAY - 7 JUNE 2026 Dorset Art Weeks (DAW) returns 23 MAY - 7 JUNE 2026. The largest visual arts event of its kind in the county offers 16 days to explore an extraordinary variety of art, from...
Flower Fairies™: Enchantment by the Sea
Discover the magic of Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies in a stunning seaside setting. Step into a world of magic and wonder with Flower Fairies™: Enchantment by the Sea, an exhibition...
Lucian Freud's Etchings: A Creative Collaboration
Poole Museum invites you to step into the creative world of Lucian Freud with a FREE exhibition that's all about discovery and detail. Lucian Freud's Etchings: A Creative Collaboration shines...
Purbeck Art Weeks
Purbeck Art Weeks 2026 promises two inspiring weeks of creativity, performance and discovery across one of the most beautiful corners of the UK. Here's a taste of what's in store: A...
Purbeck Art Weeks Festival - In the Spirit of PAW art exhibition
In collaboration with Purbeck Art Weeks Festival Castle View Welcome Centre will play host to an exhibition of work from local emerging artists alongside some more established ones too. You will find...
Events at Durlston Country Park: Art Workshops with Madelaine Devenay
Art Workshop with Madelaine Devenay 1. Saturday, 6 June, 11am-1pm Learn to paint buildings in a landscape in watercolour. £25 2. Saturday, 25 July, 11am-1pm Learn to paint in watercolour...
Summer Art Exhibition at the Wild Chesil Centre
Join us at the Fine Foundation Wild Chesil Centre for this exhibition inspired by Dorset's incredible wildlife and beautiful natural land and seascapes. The exhibition showcases work by 10...
727 Seven Women, Two Hospices
Please join us for an afternoon of music and arts in the marquee at Sandy Hill Arts, Corfe Castle, to raise funds for Forest Holme Hospice, Poole and Arthur Rank Hospice, Cambridge. The event is in...
Highcliffe Food and Arts Festival
The Highcliffe Food and Arts Festival returns for 2026 and takes place on Saturday, June 13, and Sunday, June 14. The event, which started in 2014, will once again be held throughout the village...
Plan Your Visit
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