Festivals in Dorset

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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Light Up Poole: A Festival of Light

Type

Type:

Festival

Poole

As daylight fades, Poole will provide a dramatic backdrop to series of interactive digital Light Art installations designed to inspire, delight and enchant residents & visitors.

Dates

From:

21 February 2019to23 February 2019Open 18:00 - 21:00
Swanage Blues Festival

Type

Type:

Festival

Swanage

The Big Blues Parties on the South Coast - Twice a year!

* 15 Indoor Venues
* 30 Top Class Acts
* 60 Great Gigs, Open Mic and Jam Sessions

Dates

From:

28 February 2019to3 March 2019

From:

3 October 2019to6 October 2019
COMEDY | ROB NEWMAN’S TOTAL ECLIPSE OF DESCARTES | SATURDAY 2 MARCH

Type

Type:

Comedy

LYME REGIS

‘A jaunty and refreshingly intelligent show’ ★★★★ ~ The Guardian
Based on the hit BBC Radio 4 series, this whirlwind tour of philosophy explores 3000 years of good and bad ideas from Pythagoras to driverless cars, by way of levitating Buddhist...

Venue

The Marine Theatre, West Dorset

Dates

From:
2 March 2019

Price £14.00 Per Ticket
MUSIC | KATHRYN ROBERTS & SEAN LAKEMAN | SATURDAY 16 MARCH

Type

Type:

Music

LYME REGIS

Winners of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Best Duo, Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman have created an enviable class act of imaginative songwriting and musicianship
The Dartmoor-based husband and wife have twice won the Best Duo title at the BBC Radio...

Venue

The Marine Theatre, West Dorset

Dates

From:
16 March 2019

Price £14.50 to £17.00 Per Ticket
OriGin's

Type

Type:

Festival

Wimborne

The first of our quarterly 'OriGINS' event, kicking off with our home county of Dorset.
Come and enjoy a night of local gin, meeting the distillers, sampling their gins, conversing with fellow gin lovers and having a chance to get your hands on...

Dates

From:
21 March 2019Open 17:00 - 22:00

Price £5.00 Per Ticket
From Page To Screen Festival

Type

Type:

Festival

Bridport

The UK's only festival celebrating the adaptation of books to film. Full details of films showing on the website.
Tickets range in price and are available from Bridport Arts Centre 01308 424204.

Dates

From:

24 April 2019to28 April 2019
Sherborne Abbey Music Festival

Type

Type:

Performance

SHERBORNE

Sherborne's Annual Abbey Music Festival, with a full programme of concerts. See website for full details. Tickets available from Sherborne Tourist Information Centre.

Venue

Sherborne Abbey

Dates

From:

3 May 2019to7 May 2019
Lyme Regis Fossil Festival

Type

Type:

Major Event

Lyme Regis

Lyme Regis Fossil Festival 2019
Saturday 4th - Sunday 5th May 2019
Enjoy one of Dorset's largest science festivals. Find out all about the amazing Jurassic Coast with specialist talks, walks and incredible interactive activities.
More info to...

Dates

From:

4 May 2019to5 May 2019
Dorset Knob Throwing & Food Festival

Type

Type:

Fete/Fair

Dorchester

The world-famous Dorset Knob Throwing and Food Festival returns for 2019. Moores, creators of the famous Dorset Knob biscuit, and Kingston Maurward College will assist us in supporting this unique Dorset event.

Dates

From:
5 May 2019Open 10:00 - 16:00

Price Free to £5.00 Per Ticket
MUSIC | JO HARMAN

Type

Type:

Music

LYME REGIS

The Mirror called her ‘UK’s finest female soul blues voice’ who, according to Country Magazine, writes ‘lip-biting beautiful songs’
Regarded as one of Europe’s finest blues singers, Jo Harman is an international touring and recording artist who...

Venue

The Marine Theatre, West Dorset

Dates

From:
9 May 2019

Price £12.50 to £15.00 Per Ticket
Shaftesbury Food & Drink Festival

Type

Type:

Festival

Shaftesbury

A celebration of local food, with farmers' market. cookery demonstrations, events and dancing in Shaftesbury and the surrounding villages. For a full list of events please visit the Festival website.

Dates

From:
12 May 2019
The Dorset Job

Type

Type:

Festival

Swanage

A great fun packed weekend for all of the family, live music, good food, great beer and live music, kids' activities, shopping, Auto jumble, show and shine not only for the car but for the K9 as well.
Please come and party!!!

Dates

From:

17 May 2019to19 May 2019Open 10:00 - 20:00

Price £25.00 Per Ticket
Spring Tide Food Festival

Type

Type:

Festival

Bridport

This spectacular West Dorset outdoor food event offers you the chance to meet and buy from West Dorset‘s hugely talented local producers who will once be on hand to show off Dorset produce at its very best. From 10am - 4pm

Dates

From:

18 May 2019to19 May 2019Open 10:00 - 16:00

Price £2.00 Per Ticket
Bournemouth 7s Festival

Type

Type:

Festival

East Parley, Christchurch

Renowned as the Sporting Glastonbury, Bournemouth 7s has established a formidable reputation amongst sportspeople and festival-goers alike!

Dates

From:

24 May 2019to26 May 2019Various Opening Times
Jazz Jurassica Festival

Type

Type:

Festival

Lyme Regis

Music | Festival | Jazz Jurassica 2019 | Friday 24th - Monday 27th May 2019
Lyme Regis Jazz and blues Festival featuring live music.
Tickets on sale at the Lyme Regis Tourist Information Centre. Telephone 01297 442138.

Venue

The Marine Theatre, West Dorset

Dates

From:

24 May 2019to27 May 2019
Corfe Castle village May Fair

Type

Type:

Country Show

Corfe Castle

Visit the castle and enjoy a traditional May Fair celebration organised by Corfe Castle village, with a selection of stalls, food and drink, a dog agility show and more.
Price: normal admission prices apply.

Dates

From:
27 May 2019Open 10:00 - 17:00
Wessex Folk Festival

Type

Type:

Festival

Weymouth

Family festival on Weymouth Harbourside with two free stages showcasing a range of traditional and modern folk acts. Morris dancing, food and craft stalls along the picturesque harbourside. Workshops and traditional music sessions in the local pubs...

Dates

From:

31 May 2019to2 June 2019
Wimborne Folk Festival

Type

Type:

Festival

Wimborne

The famous Wimborne Folk Festival returns to the town. We're taking part with Morris dancers, music sessions, crafts, games, face painting and lots more!
The folk festival was estsblished in 1982 and received over 70,000 visitors in 2018. With...

Dates

From:

6 June 2019to9 June 2019Various Opening Times

Free
Swanage Fish Festival

Type

Type:

Festival

SWANAGE

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 array of exotic fish fare and locally sourced fresh...

Dates

From:

8 June 2019to9 June 2019Various Opening Times

Free
Bridport Food and Beer Festival

Type

Type:

Festival

Bridport

The BRIDPORT FOOD FESTIVAL will be celebrating its 15th anniversary with exciting foodie events for all ages to enjoy.

Dates

From:

9 June 2019to15 June 2019

Price £3.50 Per Ticket

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Bridport Hat Festival

Great Dorset Steam Fair

Bestival at Lulworth Castle

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What's On

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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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