The vibrant Great Dorset Steam Fair
Soak up the atmosphere of Camp Bestival at Lulworth Castle

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Festivals in Dorset

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Highlights

Come to Dorset during any month and you’ll find an array of festivals and events to enjoy!

Dorset plays host to a variety of events such as music, theatre, comedy, country shows…and there are even a few more unusual events to be found that you simply won’t find anywhere else.

Spring into life!

As spring emerges, it’s time for a colourful mix of music, fossils and swans!

The Sherborne Abbey Music Festival is as majestic as it sounds with beautiful music in a magnificent setting. They say don’t look down but make sure you look up – the fan vaulted ceiling has to be seen to be believed, it will simply take your breath away!

Children will love taking a step back in time and discovering more about the dinosaurs that roamed our lands at Lyme Regis Fossil Festival.

If you’re looking for something a bit out of the ordinary then make sure you visit Abbotsbury Swannery from mid May. Walk through the paths and watch as fluffy cygnets hatch from eggs right before your eyes.

Dates for a foodie’s diary

As if that wasn’t enough, the wide variety of Dorset events includes plenty of events for those with a love of food.

In May, Christchurch Food & Wine Festival takes place and is one of the premier events of its type.

Or why not enjoy a day at the Dorset Knob Throwing Festival…we did say that there are more slightly unusual events taking place in Dorset!

The Pommery Dorset Seafood Festival in July is also a must where you can enjoy some of the finest, freshest seafood whilst relaxing with a cold glass of bubbly!

Get into the carnival spirit

June really kicks off the start of summer when the county is alive with festivals and carnivals.

Chill out and really get into the swing at the Wonky Donk festival in July or let the kids (and grown ups!) enjoy some explosive fun at Tankfest!

The summer months also see traditional village fetes hang their bunting all across Dorset.

August gets off to a great start with Camp Bestival. Lulworth Castle provides the stunning backdrop for this well renowned family festival.

With music to tackle all taste buds, a fantastic line up for the little ones and much more, this is a festival not to be missed!

Morris Dancers bring the streets to life with their bright costumes and jingling bells with folk festivals in Lyme Regis and Purbeck during August.

Plus, if you like it hot then make sure you pop along to the Great Dorset Chilli Festival!

A unique blend of nostalgia and entertainment

Enjoy a giant trip of nostalgia into the days of yesteryear at the Great Dorset Steam Fair at the end of August, widely recognised as the leading event of its type in the world with 2,000 exhibits, 800 trade stalls and over 220 full size steam engines!

You’ll be all puffed out after an action packed day!

A true celebration of country life

If you’re looking for a great day out for the young and old to all enjoy then make sure you go along to one of our agricultural shows.

Melplash Show and Dorset County Show are crammed full of animal shows, magnificent displays, trade stalls and all the fun of the fair!

Don’t be fooled into thinking these are low key events, they really are buzzing with activity!

Fun and frolics with flamboyant and fabulous headwear

Get your hats at the ready by September for the Bridport Hat Festival, a wonderfully British celebration of eccentricity!

With music all around and entertainment for the whole family this wonderful, quirky event is not to be missed!

Celebrate Autumn

Celebrate the start of Autumn with a spectacular display of colours in the beautiful lakeside gardens at Sherborne Castle or take a magical evening stroll along candle-lit pathways through enchanted glades at Abbotsbury Sub Tropical Gardens.

Festive Dorset events with magic and sparkle

And it doesn’t stop there!

The year might be drawing to a close but there are still plenty of events to enjoy in Dorset, many of which have a touch of festive sparkle about them!

If you are planning to visit Dorset to take part in one of our amazing festivals and events, why not stay a while and make a holiday of it?

We’ve got plenty of accommodation for you to choose from – your perfect break is just a click away!

Also, we recommend you take a look at our things to do, places to visit, food and drink and travel pages to find out more on the following:

Last but not least, we highly recommend you to take a trip up to the iconic landscape of Broadchurch where ITV's famous crime series of the same name was filmed, you will be amazed at its stunning beauty!

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BELINDA O’HOOLEY – ‘INVERSIONS’

Type

Type:

Arts and Culture

LYME REGIS

CANCELLED - This event has been cancelled.
This date of this event has changed (the previous date was 18 April 2020). All original tickets are valid for the new date.
The pianist from folk duo O'Hooley & Tidow, who wrote and performed the theme…

Venue

The Marine Theatre, West Dorset

Dates

From:
22 April 2021

Price £15.00 to £17.50 Per Ticket
SCOTT MATTHEWS

Type

Type:

Music

LYME REGIS

We're delighted to welcome the Ivor Novello award-winning singer songwriter for a very special solo concert.Over 14 years and with his seventh album on the horizon, Matthews has continued to push the envelope with songs of breath-taking majesty.…

Venue

The Marine Theatre, West Dorset

Dates

From:
20 May 2021

Price £16.00 to £18.50 Per Ticket
Jazz Jurassica

Type

Type:

Festival

LYME REGIS

Jazz Jurassica, the four-day jazz and blues festival in Lyme Regis, will go ahead at the end of May with full social distancing measures in place. After a year in lockdown, Jazz Jurassica will kick off this year's summer festival season with a…

Venue

The Marine Theatre, West Dorset

Dates

From:

28 May 2021to31 May 2021Various Opening Times

Price Free to £14.00 Per Ticket
Swanage Fish Festival

Type

Type:

Festival

SWANAGE

Cancelled - This event has been cancelled for 2021.
Prince Albert Gardens, overlooking the beautiful bay, is the stage for cooking demonstrations by of top-notch chefs by day and popular entertainment by evening. Stalls offering a mouth-watering…

Dates

From:

12 June 2021to13 June 2021Various Opening Times

Free
Chesil Rocks

Type

Type:

Festival

Langton Herring, Weymouth

CANCELLED - This event has been cancelled for 2021.
Chesil Rocks 2020 will be taking place this year over 2 days, Friday 19th for classical and Saturday 20th June as usual performances, and will again be at Higher Farmhouse, Langton Herring and…

Dates

From:

17 June 2021to19 June 2021Various Opening Times

Price £10.00 to £20.00 Per Ticket
Raising Spirit Festival

Type

Type:

Festival

DORCHESTER

Raising Spirit festival is here to celebrate you're local and upcoming musicians. In such uncertain times we wanted to do something that not only supports you're local entertainment industry but also the community. We are bringing the people of…

Dates

From:

18 June 2021to20 June 2021Open 12:00 -

Price £200.00 Per Ticket
The Original Shake & Stir Vintage Music Festival

Type

Type:

Festival

Southbourne

Celebrating vintage… American hot rods, custom motorbikes, classic cars and retro fashion. Wartime moments, dance displays, and live music from the 1920’s to the 1970’s - including Rock 'n’ Roll, Rockabilly, Lindy Hop, Blues, Jazz, Americana and…

Dates

From:

19 June 2021to20 June 2021
Folk on the Quay

Type

Type:

Festival

Poole

**Event date TBC** Information on 2021 event to follow.
Free family folk festival including, three live music stages, street barn dances and Morris dancers.

Dates

From:
26 June 2021Open 10:30 - 21:00
Poole Quay For My Car

Type

Type:

Car & Motor Vehicles

Poole

Dates

From:

2 July 2021to27 August 2021Various Opening Times
Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim

Type

Type:

Charity

Bournemouth

We're back for our 30th anniversary! Take part on Saturday or Sunday and swim 1.4 miles between Bournemouth and Boscombe Piers in one of Europe's biggest charity swimming events.

Dates

From:
3 July 2021Open 14:00 - 20:00
From:
4 July 2021Open 10:00 - 14:00
Jurassic Fields Music Festival

Type

Type:

Performance

Bridport

Jurassic Fields will showcases the best music, comedy, food and entertainment the local area has to offer as well as having some well known artists perform and little gems we have found around the country.

Dates

From:

9 July 2021to11 July 2021
Bourne Free - Bournemouth's Pride Festival

Type

Type:

Free Event

Bournemouth

New Dates! Bourne Free will be back in 2021 on the 9th and 10th July at Meyrick Park! Bournemouth Pride Festival - Bourne Free. We invite you to join us for a weekend of fun and frolics, good music, great entertainment and of course the famous…

Dates

From:

9 July 2021to10 July 2021
SandFest

Type

Type:

Festival

Poole

Sandfest will be back in 2021 with the date of 11 July 2021.

Dates

From:
11 July 2021Open 12:00 - 22:00
Wonky Donk'21

Type

Type:

Festival

LYTCHETT MATRAVERS

After a fantastic weekend of a very different Wonky Donk and so much positive feedback we would like to see you again.
So here's to Wonky Donk'21 same place but this time 3 days and of course we will be following all the current government…

Dates

From:

16 July 2021to18 July 2021Various Opening Times

Price £25.00 to £43.20 Per Ticket
Family Fest

Type

Type:

Festival

WIMBORNE MINSTER

We are excited to invite you to our 2021 festival, Family Fest! Taking place on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th July 2021, join us at The Meadows, B3078, (BH21 3DH) from 11am to 7pm on both days.
We have a fantastic line up for Family Fest…

Dates

From:

24 July 2021to25 July 2021Open 11:00 - 19:00
Lyme Regis Lifeboat Week

Type

Type:

Festival

LYME REGIS

Lyme Regis Lifeboat Week is a week full of fun, from a teddy bears picnic, pavement art to a bathtub race. There will be various displays, music evenings, fireworks, Paras Red Devils Parachute Team display and duck race. Lyme Regis Lifeboat Week…

Dates

From:

24 July 2021to31 July 2021
Camp Bestival

Type

Type:

Festival

East Lulworth

A music and performance festival hosted at Lulworth Castle, set against the backdrop of England’s dramatic Jurassic coastline in Dorset.

Venue

Lulworth Castle & Park, Lulworth

Dates

From:

29 July 2021to1 August 2021
Poole Harbour Boat Show

Type

Type:

Boating

Poole

***CANCELLED*** The 2021 Poole Harbour Boat Show has been cancelled due to coronavirus

Dates

From:

30 July 2021to1 August 2021
Swanage Carnival & Regatta

Type

Type:

Festival

Swanage

2021 Swanage Regatta and Carnival is cancelled
Swanage Regatta and Carnival is the premier carnival on the South Coast. For one week at the end of July and the beginning of August, Swanage will be radiating to the sound, fun and excitement.

Venue

Swanage Beach, Swanage

Dates

From:

31 July 2021to7 August 2021
Lyme Regis Regatta & Carnival Week

Type

Type:

Carnival

Lyme Regis

A variety of events during Lyme Regis Regatta & Carnival Week including carnival procession, regatta races. Activities and events for all ages! Lyme Regis Regatta & Carnival Week, run during the school summer holidays, is our biggest fundraising…

Dates

From:

7 August 2021to14 August 2021

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Festivals in Dorset

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Things To Do

What's On

Food & Drink

Search What's On

Highlights

Spring into life!

Dates for a foodie’s diary

Get into the carnival spirit

A unique blend of nostalgia and entertainment

A true celebration of country life

Fun and frolics with flamboyant and fabulous headwear

Celebrate Autumn

Festive Dorset events with magic and sparkle

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