Norfolk & Norwich Festival is a registered charity and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. It encompasses one of the UK’s longest-running arts festivals alongside a dynamic, region-wide creative engagement programme, with a strong focus on enhancing cultural opportunities for children and young people.
Every May the festival transforms public spaces, city streets, performance venues, parks, forests, and beaches, uniting audiences through extraordinary and inspiring events. This year the festival is running from 9-25 May with a variety of free events open for everybody. The festival is also mostly volunteer-led so if you choose to come along, you’re sure to see lots of helpful and happy faces.
The festival also has a Connect & Create scheme that enhances cultural opportunities for young people in East Anglia through three strands: Creative Leaders (collaborating with educators and artists), Creative Schools (supporting under-resourced schools), and Creative Places (connecting artists with communities). It culminates each May at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival.
Throughout the festival there are over 80 events including radio shows, publishing fairs and poetry readings. Here’s a list of ten free events you can go to just to give you a taste of what this festival is all about.
Welcome Weekend | 10 May – 11 May
The “Welcome Weekend” is the best introduction you can possibly get to this festival. During these two days there are numerous pop-up performances including singing trapeze performers, a group meditation and hip-hop dance shows. You can take your pick and even try to watch all of them!
River of Hope | 9 May – 25 May
This event is part of the Connect and Create scheme, working with local schools. River of Hope showcases artwork from over a dozen Norfolk schools in a stunning large-scale installation suspended in The Forum’s roof. Guided by artist Ali Atkins and supported by river visits with Norfolk Rivers Trust and Norfolk Wildlife Trust, pupils have designed boating sail-inspired pieces reflecting local rivers. This event is non-ticketed and runs throughout the whole festival.
Compline by Candlelight | 13 May
The Girl Choristers, Lay Clerks, and Choral Scholars of Norwich Cathedral Choir perform the ancient monastic night prayer in the breathtaking candlelit setting of Norwich Cathedral. The performance is at 9:00pm and will last an hour.
The Band Stand | 15 May – 18 May and 22 May-25 May
Each year the festival is always accompanied by live music from local performers. Each evening The Band Stand will showcase new performers and musicians within the region. Performers and set times will be announced shortly.
Artist Event | 17 May
This is an Artist Networking event for knowledge exchange, peer support and inspiration, with a focus on amplifying and developing work. The event will also involve talks given by industry professionals including Gemma Paintin and Dan Canham. Gemma, co-founder of Action Hero with James Stenhouse, creates multidisciplinary artworks exploring modern humanity. Dan, an award-winning choreographer and filmmaker, focuses on the intersection of dance, community, and place, with his film Four Portraits from an Edgeland featured at this year’s Festival.
Where the Flock am I Now | 19 May
Flock is a network for young creatives (18-25) across East Anglia, designed to support future arts leaders. It offers networking, skill development, and bursary opportunities. Each year, past bursary recipients share their experiences and achievements at the annual event.
MONSTERS | 21 May
MONSTERS is a free cinema event at cinema city, debuting an experimental documentary created by children from East Anglian schools. Artists Andy Field and Beckie Darlington have worked with four primary schools, collaborating with groups of ten to twelve children at each school to write and perform their own part of a larger film. The film blends fantasy and reality, reinterpreting disaster tropes through the eyes of a younger generation, familiar with crisis.
Rebel Resistors Radio Club | 21 May – 24 May
As part of Festival Connect & Create, twelve girls from Great Yarmouth have collaborated with Action Hero to craft and broadcast personal manifestos for their futures. Through a playful yet thought-provoking installation, they take control of their voices, creating a post-digital, pirate social network that reimagines a future on their own terms.
City of Literature Publishing Fair | 25 May
Explore the rich publishing culture of the East of England at the National Centre for Writing’s popular biannual publishing fair. From hardbacks to zines, meet publishers, browse their work, and join engaging lightning talks. A perfect Sunday event for writers, readers, and creatives alike.
Dual Narratives: An Exhibition Takeover | 1 May – 1 June
Takeover is an artist-led project space in Beirut, and this exhibition traces its journey since 2022, showcasing the interplay between creativity and socio-political realities. It highlights the resilience of art spaces like Takeover amid regional challenges. Photographs of its events, exhibitions, and workshops are layered with concurrent national and regional events, presented through dates, statistics, and media coverage. On Thursday, 15 May, at 6:30 pm, Takeover will curate a special screening of selected artists’ films.
For further information about these events and to get tickets for others throughout the festival, make sure to head over to the Norfolk and Norwich Festival website.
Words by Gemma Mcdonald
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