What's On in Canterbury

Fri 16 – Sat 31 Oct

Canterbury Festival

Venues across the city, including Augustine Hall and The Great Hall

The closing days of Canterbury Festival's two-week arts programme of concerts, theatre, circus and talks, with a Family Takeover day on Saturday 31 October from 10am to 4pm.

Tue 27 – Sat 31 Oct

Halloween at Whitefriars Free

Whitefriars shopping centre

Whitefriars sets up an inflatable Halloween scare maze for ages 3 and over, with face painting in return for a donation to Demelza House.

Sat 31 Oct – Sun 1 Nov

Shadows of the Abbey: Halloween history tour

St Augustine's Abbey, Longport

English Heritage leads an hour-long Halloween history tour of the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey from 4pm to 5pm on both days.

Sat 31 Oct

Trick or Treat in The King's Mile

The King's Mile, Palace Street

Primary-school children in costume, with a grown-up, call at King's Mile shops showing a Trick or Treat bag for a treat between 2pm and 4pm.

Thu 5 Nov

Kent Cricket's Fireworks Evening

St Lawrence Ground, Old Dover Road

Kent Cricket's ticketed Bonfire Night show at the St Lawrence Ground pairs the fireworks with live music and a food village, and it sold out last year.

Sun 8 Nov

Remembrance Sunday Free

The Buttermarket, then the Cathedral nave

The city's civic act of remembrance and wreath-laying in the Buttermarket begins at 10:15, followed at 10:45 by the Civic Service of Remembrance in the nave.

Thu 12 Nov – Thu 24 Dec

Canterbury Christmas Market Free

St George's Street, Whitefriars and the Cathedral Precincts

Around 120 wooden huts run along St George's Street, through Whitefriars and into the Cathedral Precincts, with live music and visits from Santa.

Fri 13 – Sat 14 Nov

A Christmas Carol at Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral

Operation Moonlight stages Dickens' A Christmas Carol inside the Cathedral on two evenings at 19:30.

Fri 13 Nov

Christmas lights switch-on

Burgate, Westgate Hall and Westgate Square

Lights go on in turn at Burgate at 6pm, Westgate Hall's Twilight Artisan Market at 6.30pm and Westgate Square at 7pm, when the High Street and all three market sites light up too.

Sat 14 Nov – Thu 24 Dec

Sylvanian Families Christmas Window Trail Free

City-centre shops, starting at The Beaney

Collect a trail ticket at The Beaney on the High Street, gather stamps at 8 shops along the trail, then claim a mini prize at Fenwick.

Sat 21 Nov

Handel's Messiah by Candlelight

Canterbury Cathedral

The Cathedral's girl choristers and Lay Clerks sing Messiah by candlelight with a period-instrument ensemble at 19:30; tickets are £25 plus a £2 booking fee.

Fri 27 Nov – Sun 10 Jan

The All-New Adventures of Peter Pan (pantomime)

The Marlowe Theatre

The Marlowe's family pantomime stars Janette Manrara, Phil Gallagher and Ben Roddy, with tickets from £19 to £87.

Sun 29 Nov

Advent Carol Service Free

Canterbury Cathedral

A candlelit service from 17:30 to 18:30 opens Advent at the Cathedral, with every member of the congregation holding a candle.

Wed 9 Dec – Sun 3 Jan

Goldilocks and the Three Bears (pantomime)

The Malthouse theatre

The Malthouse turns into a big top for its pantomime Goldilocks and the Three Bears, with tickets from £10 to £29.50.

Fri 18 – Sat 19 Dec

Lumos candlelight Christmas concerts

Canterbury Cathedral

Two candlelit evenings of festive classics at 19:30, the second with soprano Camilla Kerslake; tickets run from £40 to £90 plus booking fees.

Wed 23 – Thu 24 Dec

Cathedral Carol Services Free

Canterbury Cathedral

The Cathedral Choir leads two unticketed carol services seated first come, first served; doors open at 16:30 and queues are likely.

Thu 24 Dec

Midnight Mass Free

Canterbury Cathedral

The Cathedral's Christmas Eve communion service begins at 23:00 and ends at midnight as Christmas Day starts.

Fri 25 Dec

Christmas Day at the Cathedral Free

Canterbury Cathedral

Christmas Day brings an 11:00 Christmas Eucharist and a 15:00 Evensong with Carols, both open in person and livestreamed.

Thu 31 Dec

New Year's Eve Gala Dinner & Dance

The Lodge, Cathedral grounds

A six-course gala dinner with live music, a DJ and a Scottish piper at midnight at The Lodge inside the Cathedral grounds, at £155 per person.

Fri 15 – Sat 16 Jan

Tribute to Hans Zimmer & Film Favourites Illuminated

Canterbury Cathedral nave

Illuminated Orchestra plays Hans Zimmer and other film scores by light in the Cathedral nave at 19:30 on two January nights, with tickets from £23 plus booking fees.

Fri 14 – Sat 15 May

Canterbury Wine Festival

Westgate Hall

Westgate Hall's two-day tasting of Kent wines opens with a VIP evening on the Friday and the main festival on the Saturday, for over-18s only.

Sat 12 Jun

Pride Canterbury

Canterbury High Street, then Dane John Gardens and Whitefriars

Kent's biggest Pride begins with a parade along the High Street and carries on with music, a marketplace, food and drink in the city centre.

Thu 1 – Sun 4 Jul

Shadowlands

Gulbenkian Arts Centre, University of Kent

A new four-day boutique festival of international, genre-crossing music at the Gulbenkian Arts Centre on the University of Kent campus.

Sat 3 – Sun 4 Jul

Canterbury's Medieval Pageant and Family Trail

City centre

The medieval pageant and family trail return for a weekend with a Norman theme, from 10am to 5pm on both days.

Tue 21 Sept

England Women v Bangladesh Women, One Day International

St Lawrence Ground, Old Dover Road

England Women meet Bangladesh Women in a day/night One Day International at the St Lawrence Ground, starting at 12:30pm.