FULL PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED & TICKETS NOW ON SALE
One of the oldest arts festivals in England, having been established in 1772, Norfolk & Norwich Festival continues the tradition of presenting world-class international performances alongside trail blazing local artists and emerging new talent.
Woven through the festival are a number of thematic programme stories. Under the umbrella of Magic and Mystery, The Dirty Work (14 & 15 May), is a new solo performance by Jo Bannon, blending the trickery of magic with the lived experience of visual impairment. Gandini Juggling present their new show Heka (13 & 14 May), which combines juggling, magic and contemporary choreography; and acclaimed magician Vincent Gambini’s Close-Up (16, 17, 23, 24 May) is an intimate one-to-one performance in a cafe, melding sleight-of-hand magic with the dreamlike nature of cinema.
Festival Director, Daniel Brine, has today announced the full programme for the 2025 Norfolk & Norwich Festival. Tickets are on sale at What’s on, Norfolk & Norwich Festival
Another strand of the programme, Coastlines celebrates our country’s diverse coast – home to communities, nature, industry and endless stories. As part of this strand, River of Hope (9 – 25 May) explores the Norfolk rivers that empty into the North Sea and brings together the work of around 500 young people in a large installation. In Cromer, on the North Norfolk Coast, Sea Like a Mirror (15-26 May) is an ambitious national partnership programme led by Cement Fields and commissioned to mark the 200th anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. At the heart of the project is White Horses, a new artwork by Ivan Morison.
The third strand of programme stories – Create and Share celebrates the Festival’s year-round work with young people, schools and communities. Highlights which have been created by artists with people from across the region include The Norwich Nine (11 May), an intergenerational collaboration between Bootworks Theatre Co. and a group of nine-year-old children – born the year the UK voted to leave the European Union; MONSTERS (21 May), a short film depicting a post-apocalyptic fairy tale; created by and starring children from East Anglia; and Rebel Resistors Radio Club (21-24 May) – a new project by Action Hero, in which they work with a group of girls on analogue radios, to broadcast their manifestos for the future.
The Adnams Spiegeltent now has a fierce reputation for staging awe-inspiring circus within the celebratory settings of Festival Gardens. This year is no different as Upswing presents Showdown (14-25 May) – a mix of circus thrills and cheeky humour as six contestants battle to the top in a fast-paced game show style competition.
The festival will begin with the Welcome Weekend (9-11 May), inviting audiences to enjoy free outdoor performances across the centre of Norwich. Kicking off on the Friday, Speak Percussion and local musicians reimagine the concept of a marching band, heralding the opening of the 2025 Festival before High Voltage brings together over 150 electric guitarists from across the region as a huge garage band. On Saturday and Sunday, a host of premiere performances from some of the UK’s leading outdoor arts companies will fill the streets.
Music is another lynchpin in the Festival programme and 2025 highlights include Grammy award-winner Arooj Aftab (9 May) and DJ and record collector Gilles Peterson (10 May) in the inspiring setting of Norwich Cathedral. Other highlights include 2024 Mercury Prize nominated Liam Shortall aka corto.alto (22 May) and the return of the multi-award-winning Chaos String Quartet (14 May). Celebrating their 30th anniversary, the iconic Apartment House present Music in Four Parts (19 May) which includes a new work by Cassandra Miller – written for the group. 2025’s festival also hosts musical residencies from mezzo soprano Lottie Betts-Dean who presents a trio of shows demonstrating the extraordinary range of her voice, and guitarist Sean Shibe who plays lute, acoustic and electric guitars across his varied programme.
In a partnership with Norwich Theatre, Norwich Theatre Playhouse hosts Songs of the Bulbul (20 & 21 May) – a new dance work by Aakash Odedra, with choreography by Rani Khanam and music by Rushil Ranjan and Show Pony (16 & 17 May), a new show from Still Hungry and Bryony Kimmings, which brings a new perspective on women in circus.
Presented in partnership with the National Centre for Writing, The City of Literature Weekend (23-25 May) returns with a lively programme of events and talks with writers including Hattie Crisell, Nicola Dinan, Erica Hesketh, Seán Hewitt, Val McDermid, Noreen Masud, Nicola Streeten and many more.
Artistic Director & Chief Executive, Daniel Brine said: “We’re delighted to unveil this year’s programme in full. It feels like a really vibrant and dynamic mix with a number of international voices peppering the music programme; exciting new performance pieces; some fascinating literary conversations; and a strong sense of community with a number of events that showcase our participation work. I’m really looking forward to May!”
The full programme for Norfolk and Norwich Festival 2025 includes many more unmissable dance, performance, music, visual arts and literature – visit nnfestival.org.uk for full listings and to filter events by genre and dates.
Norfolk & Norwich Highlights
- Theatre & Performance
- Music
- Dance
- Film
- Workshops
- Spoken Word
- Little NN Festival
- Literature
- Visual Arts
JOSEPH O’FARRELL (JOF) & SAM HALMARACK
High Voltage
SPEAK PERCUSSION & ALL THE QUEEN’S MEN
March Static
Friday 9 May, 6pm
The Forum
Free
In a modern-day mash up of dance, music and performance, High Voltage brings together over 150 guitarists from across the region in a showcase of musical talent that really makes you want to rock-out!
Speak Percussion, All the Queens Men and local musicians herald the opening of the Festival with a composition by Thomas Meadowcroft. With bespoke choreography they create an immersive sonic experience that re-imagines the concept of a marching band – celebrating community and peace over military might.
WELCOME WEEKEND
Saturday 10 – Sunday 11 May
Norwich City Centre
Free
Free performances across the city centre – see website for full listings.
What’s on, https://nnfestival.org.uk/whats-on/& Norwich Festival
BOOTWORKS THEATRE CO.
The Norwich Nine
Sunday 11 May, 5pm
The Garage
Tickets: £15 | U18/Young NNF £10
The Norwich Nine is an intergenerational collaboration between Bootworks Theatre Co. and a local group of nine-year-old children born the year the UK voted to leave the European Union and we were all running around the streets trying to catch Pokémon!
Created in one week, the show reflects the children’s fascinating memories and perspectives at this crucial juncture in their lives – the halfway point between birth and adulthood.
GANDINI JUGGLING
HEKA
Tuesday 13 & Wednesday 14 May, 7.30pm
Norwich Theatre Playhouse
Tickets £22 | U18/Young NNF £10
In a welcome return by Gandini Juggling, their new show, Heka blends juggling, magic, and contemporary choreography to explore the boundaries between reality and illusion. Packed with humour and philosophy, it challenges audience perception through repetition, counterpoint and misdirection. A thrilling show that reimagines magic as a choreographic art form.
UPSWING
Showdown
Wednesday 14 – Sunday 25 May, Various Times
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets: £28, £26, £25, £23 | U18/YoungNNF £10
Circus at the Adnams Spiegeltent returns as this electrifying British company ask us ‘Who will be the new face of circus?’
Daring stunts, sassy attitudes, and fierce competition collide in Showdown. Six contestants battle to the top, blending circus thrills with cheeky humour. Through audience votes and fast-paced games, the show dives into the tricky ways we connect, clash, and compete in today’s world.
JO BANNON
The Dirty Work
Wednesday 14 & Thursday 15 May, 7.30pm
The Garage
Tickets: £15 | U18/YoungNNF £10
Access: Integrated audio description, touch tour available before each show
Peek behind the velvet curtain of The Dirty Work, a new solo performance by Jo Bannon blending the trickery of magic with the lived experience of visual impairment. Using delicate choreography and magician’s patter, Jo unveils the invisible labour that shapes how we navigate the world through a disability lens.
VINCENT GAMBINI
Close Up
Friday 16 & Saturday 17 May, Friday 23 & Saturday 24 May, Various times
The Yard Coffee
Tickets: £10
Join magician Vincent Gambini at a café table for 15 minutes. Surrounded by unsuspecting customers, watch as playing cards transform and sugar cubes vanish. Combining sleight of-hand magic with the dreamlike nature of cinema, Close-up invites us to re-imagine everyday life as an illusion.
STILL HUNGRY & BRYONY KIMMINGS
Show Pony
Friday 16 & Saturday 17 May, 7.30pm
Norwich Theatre Playhouse
Tickets: £22 | U18/YoungNNF £10
Do you know what happens when acrobats hit middle age? In a candid look at a life on the stage and the painful moment when the stage no longer wants you, three women try to decide how they can go on… or if they should go on at all.
Packed full of circus, love, laughter and lunacy, Show Pony is a brutally honest confrontation with childhood conditioning, growing older and the importance of friendship
JOANNA HOLLAND WITH LEAH CLEMENTS AND LOUISE KIM SALTER
The Haunted: Insomnia & Reverie – A Dream of Autoimmunity
Monday 19 May, 7pm
St George’s Theatre, Great Yarmouth
Pay what you want: £15, £12, £9, £6, £3. Free for people who identify as living with chronic illness, disabled, D/deaf or neurodiverse
Strange occurrences at nighttime, dancing illness, listening houses and otherworldly portals… The Haunted is a collection of disabled and non-disabled performances and talks investigating female-led narratives exploring insomnia and chronic illness.
Age: 14+
ALEX MCALEER – MIND READER
Tuesday 20 May, 7pm & Wednesday 21 May, 9.30pm
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets: £22, £18 | U18/YoungNNF £10
Access: BSL interpreted on Tuesday 20 May
Norwich’s own Alex McAleer possesses the uncanny ability to apparently tap into his audiences’ minds and read their thoughts at will. This unforgettable show is packed with unbelievable demonstrations of psychological skill as Alex combines contemporary mind reading with sharp wit and a flair for showmanship.
ANDREW PEPPER
House of Pepper
Tuesday 20 May, 9.30pm
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets: £22, £18 | U18/YoungNNF £10
London’s cabaret sensation descends in a hurricane of limbs and a musical repertoire covering everything from Broadway to Barry Manilow. Following sell-out residencies in the West End, singular singing sensation Andrew Pepper brings his show to Norwich for the first time. Brace yourselves!
Age: 14+
ST. GEORGE’S THEATRE COMPANY
Crossing the Line
Thursday 22 May, 6pm
St George’s Theatre, Great Yarmouth
Tickets: Pay what you want, £10, £3, £5, £0
A work in progress showing of a new stage adaptation of Tia Fisher’s award-winning debut novel.
Erik’s life has been falling apart since his Dad died. Being good, school and homework stop feeling so important when you’re the new man of the house. Erik’s bad behaviour attracts the wrong crowd and he’s sucked into a terrifying new world of drug dealing, trap houses and violence.
Age: 11+ your content here…
AROOJ AFTAB
Friday 9 May, 8pm
Norwich Cathedral
Tickets: £30, £26, £20, £12 | U18/YoungNNF £10
Declared “the coolest rock star in the world right now,” by UNCUT magazine, Grammy award-winner Arooj Aftab has earned her position at the vanguard of creative music for her embrace of risk and nonconformity. Over the last few years, she has delivered rapturous performances at major venues and festivals all over the world. We’re delighted to welcome her for a special first concert of this year’s Festival.
AN EVENING WITH GILLES PETERSON
with support from Tadi the Great
Saturday 10 May, 8pm
Norwich Cathedral
Tickets: £25, £20, £12 | U18/YoungNNF £10
Broadcaster, DJ and record collector, Gilles Peterson has played a pivotal role in supporting and promoting underground music in the UK and beyond over the past three decades. We welcome him for a unique sit-down evening in which he will join the musical dots, playing and chatting about some of his favourite sounds past, present and future… like a radio programme in front of your eyes.
IDRÎSÎ ENSEMBLE
Lost Harmonies: Endangered and Medieval Traditions
Sunday 11 May, 7.45pm
Norwich Cathedral
Tickets: £22, £17, £12 | U18/YoungNNF £10
The singers and instrumentalists of Idrîsî Ensemble present a concert of rare music from Corsica, Greece, and Mallorca, alongside other treasures, including Gaelic Psalms and Old Roman chant. This is a celebration of human imagination and a powerful encounter with sounds on the brink of extinction.
LEONKORO QUARTET
Monday 12 May, 7.30pm
Norwich Theatre Playhouse
Tickets: £25 | U18/YoungNNF £10
Founded in 2019 in Berlin, the Leonkoro Quartet debuted at Norfolk & Norwich Festival as one of the BBC Radio 3 New Generation artists in 2023. Having garnered numerous accolades, they are rapidly becoming one of the most exciting ensembles on the international scene, with a reputation for technical excellence and thoughtful, impassioned performances.
Haydn String Quartet in F major, Op. 50, No. 5, The Dream
Berg Lyric Suite
Mendelssohn String Quartet No. 4 in F minor, Op. 44, No. 2
STERLING ELLIOTT & JOSEPH HAVLAT
Tuesday 13 May, 1pm
Octagon Chapel
Tickets: £18, £16 | U18/YoungNNF £10
Young American cellist Sterling Elliott has established an exciting reputation for his effortless, joyous musicianship. Joined by Joseph Havlat, they perform a programme of cello and piano pieces from modern American composers.
Amy Beach Dreaming from Four Sketches, Op. 15
Amy Beach Romance, Op. 23
George Walker Cello Sonata
Kevin Day Cello Sonata
William Grant Still Mother and Child
EMMA RAWICZ
Tuesday 13 May, 7.30pm
Octagon Chapel
Tickets: £18, £16 | U18/YoungNNF £10
At just 23, saxophonist Emma Rawicz’s ascent has been meteoric. Her performances are distinct, engaging and full of thrilling interplay and with over 70 international shows in the past year, she has become one of the most sought after artists of her generation. Bringing to Norwich a set specially written for her unique quintet line-up, expect an evening of exciting musical collaboration.
COMPLINE BY CANDLELIGHT
Tuesday 13 May, 9pm
Norwich Cathedral
Free, no booking required
The Senior Girl Choristers, Lay Clerks and Choral Scholars of Norwich Cathedral Choir sing the ancient monastic office of night prayer in the stunning, atmospheric surroundings of Norwich Cathedral.
CHAOS STRING QUARTET
Wednesday 14 May, 7.30pm
Octagon Chapel
Tickets: £18, £16 | U18/YoungNNF £10
The multi-award-winning Chaos String Quartet return for a second year. Formed by musicians from Germany, Hungary, Italy and the Netherlands, they have quickly garnered a reputation for their expressive and boundary pushing performances. Here they present a blend of classic and contemporary works in the glorious Georgian surrounds of the Octagon Chapel.
Haydn String Quartet in G minor, Op. 20, No. 3
Francesca Verunelli String Quartet No.2
Beethoven String Quartet in G major, Op. 18, No. 2
THE BAND STAND
Thursday 15 – Sunday 18 May | Thursday 22 – Sunday 25 May
Times and lineups online from April
Festival Gardens
Free
The Band Stand brings you alfresco tunes with some of the best young music-makers from across the region.
SEAN SHIBE
Forgotten Dances
Thursday 15 May, 7.30pm
Maddermarket Theatre
Tickets: £22 | U18/YoungNNF £10
In the first show of his residency, Sean explores overlooked corners of the guitar repertoire at the venue in which Julian Bream made his final appearance, including Martin’s Quatre pieces breves – largely neglected until championed by Bream in the 1960s.
Frank Martin Quatre pièces brèves pour guitare
Bach Cello Suite No. 6 in D major BWV1012, arranged for guitar
Harrison Birtwistle Oockooing Bird, Sad Song, Berceuse de Jeanne
Thomas Adès Forgotten Dances
SARAH-JANE MORRIS
The Sisterhood
Thursday 15 May, 9.30pm
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets: £18 (£20 on the day) | U18/YoungNNF £10
Sarah-Jane Morris presents a work of tender love and utter respect with 12 original songs which pay tribute to some of the world’s most iconic female artists – swashbuckling pioneers whose enormous musical footprints trace the sands of time – among them Nina Simone, Patti Smith and Kate Bush.
SEAN SHIBE WITH 12 ENSEMBLE & GBSR DUO
Friday 16 May, 7.30pm
St Peter Mancroft
Tickets: £27, £24, £20, £10 | U18/YoungNNF £10
Oliver Leith’s recreation of imaginary band Doom and the Dooms’ only concert is the centrepiece of this wistful programme, celebrating the porousness of high and low art, from the stylistic magpies of the Scottish Lute Manuscripts to brand new work by genre-hopping composer, violinist and electronic musician Sasha Scott.
NABIHAH IQBAL
Friday 16 May, 9.30pm
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets: £18 (£20 on the day) | U18/YoungNNF £7.50
Musician, producer and DJ, Nabihah Iqbal’s album, Dreamer, was released to critical acclaim in 2023. The success of which has seen her tour extensively over the past 18 months, building her reputation as one of the most compelling live artists around. Gossamer vocals and melancholy lyrics combining for a memorable dream pop experience.
SEAN SHIBE
Lute Episodes
Saturday 17 May, 15 minute recitals, from 5-8pm
Norwich Castle
Tickets: £10
For the final act of his residency, Sean Shibe picks up his lute in the quiet of Norwich Castle after hours. With a backdrop provided by The Paston Treasure – a mysterious painting by an unknown Flemish artist depicting objects found at Norfolk’s Oxnead Hall – Sean will perform short but exquisite recitals of music that engage with stories found in the painting.
GURDJIEFF ENSEMBLE
Saturday 17 May, 7.30pm
St Peter Mancroft
Tickets: £22, £19, £15, £10 | U18/YoungNNF £10
Gurdjieff Ensemble play and preserve music from a variety of ancient folk traditions: Armenian, Greek, Arabic, Assyrian, Kurdish, Persian and Caucasian. Their haunting, mysterious and atmospheric performances reflect a clear contemporary vitality, with one foot firmly planted in the here and now, and resonances echoing through past, present and future.
STILL HOUSE PLANTS
Saturday 17 May, 9.30pm
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets: £18 (£20 on the day) | U18/YoungNNF £10
From a bare bones set up of guitar, drums and vocals, Still House Plants create fractious and sharp music with a melting pop heart. Bridging elements of sampling, slow core, and repetition, they have developed a sound that constantly breaks apart and fuses together again, a mesmerising exploration of texture and mood.
LOTTE BETTS-DEAN & JOSEPH HAVLAT
Harawi
Sunday 18 May, 5pm
Octagon Chapel
Tickets: £22, £19 | U18/YoungNNF £10
In the first of a trio of performances in her Festival residency, mezzo soprano Lottie Betts-Dean is joined by pianist Joseph Havlat to perform Messiaen’s Harawi – Chant d’amour et de mort. Considered his grandest song cycle, Harawi is the first part of his Tristan trilogy, a collection of works inspired by the medieval myth of Tristan and Isolde.
MARTIN HAYES
Sunday 18 May, 7.30pm
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets: £22 (£24 on the day) | U18/YoungNNF £10
Martin Hayes, a musician with an “insatiable appetite for adventure”, is much celebrated for his innovative, emotive interpretations of traditional Irish music. In 2023, he released his lauded album Peggy’s Dream with the Common Ground Ensemble. Expect an evening of superb artistry as Martin showcases his virtuoso mastery of the Irish fiddle.
BBC INTRODUCING PRESENTS BAND NIGHT
Monday 19 May, 7pm
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets: £10 (£12 doors) | U18/YoungNNF £10
A quartet of the brightest new local music artists. In a night programmed by BBC Introducing Ledbyher, Leo Lore, Con & Milsky and the genre defying Pleasure Inc take to the stage in the Adnams Spiegeltent.
APARTMENT HOUSE
Music in Four Parts
Monday 19 May, 7.30pm
Octagon Chapel
Tickets: £22, £19 | U18/YoungNNF £10
Celebrating their 30th anniversary in a concert tailor-made for the Octagon Chapel, the iconic Apartment House meld together a rarely heard work by Philip Glass; John Cage’s subtle, hymnal Harmonies; a new arrangement of Erik Satie’s elegant Socrate; and Cassandra Miller’s new work – written for Apartment House – featuring founder and cellist Anton Lukoszevieze.
John Cage Harmonies
Cassandra Miller New work for cello and ensemble
Erik Satie Socrate (arranged for ensemble by Apartment House)
Philip Glass Music in Eight Parts
JOSEPH HAVLAT, DENI TEO & BENJAMIN MELLEFONT
Nightweave
Tuesday 20 May, 7.30pm
Octagon Chapel
Tickets: £22, £19 | U18/YoungNNF £10
A focus on the music of Australian composer Lisa Illean, featuring her introspective février and the UK premiere of ever-weaver for cello and piano. The programme also includes the night music of Max Bruch and Bent Sørensen, presented by a trio of the finest chamber musicians in the UK.
LOTTE BETTS-DEAN & DIMITRIS SOUKARAS
Travels with a Guitar
Wednesday 21 May, 7.30pm
National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall
Tickets: £22 | U18/YoungNNF £10
Artist in Residence Lotte Betts-Dean joins outstanding Greek guitarist, Dimitris Soukaras, for a diverse programme – spanning Debussy, Britten, Burt Bacharach and Sinead O’Connor – which highlights their exquisite talents in equal measure.
LOTTE BETTS-DEAN
Voice Electric
LUKE ABBOTT, LOTTE BETTS-DEAN AND JACK WYLIE
Endless Joy
Thursday 22 May, 7.30pm
Duke Street Theatre, Norwich University of the Arts
Tickets: £17 | U18/YoungNNF £10
Exploring the full, colourful range of the human voice in her residency, Lotte Betts-Dean sings work for solo amplified voice with electronics – from groundbreaking 20th century pieces by Scelsi and Schwitters to contemporary work by Mathis Saunier and Cassandra Miller.
In an exciting addition to the programme, Lotte is joined by Luke and Jack for Endless Joy – in which electronics, voice and saxophone combine in a suite of music exploring the mystical writing of Julian of Norwich.
CORTO.ALTO
Thursday 22 May, 9.30pm
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets: £18 (£20 on the day) | U18/YoungNNF £10
The project of the remarkable Scottish composer and producer Liam Shortall, corto.alto, fuses jazz improvisation, electronic production and bass-heavy dub into a heady mix which saw his 2023 debut album, Bad With Names, nominated for the 2024 Mercury Prize. Always pushing sonic boundaries, this performance promises subverted expectations and transcendent grooves.
BBC SINGERS
Friday 23 May, 7.30pm
Cathedral of St John the Baptist
Tickets: £30, £20, £15, £10 | U18/YoungNNF £10
Sir James MacMillan directs the BBC Singers in a programme surveying a number of his choral compositions, juxtaposed with a selection of early works. Awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Ensemble Award in March 2024, the Singers celebrate their 100th anniversary with a welcome return to the Festival.
Britten Hymn to the Virgin
John Tavener Hymn to the Mother of God
Judith Weir Ave Regina Caelorum
MacMillan The Culham Motets
MacMillan O Virgo Prudentissima
Palestrina Misssa Papae Marcelli
ALOGTE OHO AND HIS SOUNDS OF JOY
Friday 23 May, 9.30pm
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets: £18 (£20 on the day) | U18/YoungNNF £10
Bringing their vibrant live energy to this year’s Festival for the first time, this Ghanian Frafra Gospel troupe will thrill you with songs from their acclaimed sophomore album, O Yinne!, recorded deep in the tropical rainforest of Ghana. As Alogte says, expect the band to “transcend this world for our audience to give them all the joy it can. They are the Sounds of Joy.”
BRITTEN SINFONIA
With Imogen Whitehead
Saturday 24 May, 8pm
Norwich Cathedral
Tickets: £40, £30, £20, £15 | U35 Half-price
Principal Trumpet Imogen Whitehead is the soloist in Hummel’s beloved 1803 concerto in a programme that also includes the haunting Fratres as part of Britten Sinfonia’s celebrations of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s 90th year.
Wagner Siegfried Idyll
Hummell Trumpet Concerto
Arvo Pärt Fratres
Beethoven Symphony No. 1
CLARISSA CONNELLY
Saturday 24 May, 9.30pm
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets: £18 (£20 on the day) | U18/Young NNF £10
Drawing inspiration from Nordic mythology and Celtic tradition, Clarissa Connelly’s 2024 album World of Work has been met with widespread acclaim. Her immersive sound invites listeners on spiritual and metaphysical journeys, blending the intimate with the cosmic into a distinctive experience that lingers long in the memory.Add your content here…
ARAGROOF TEA DANCE: CARMEN’S CANTINA
Sunday 18 May, 10am
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets: £18 | U18/Young NNF £10
A chance for everyone to trip the light fantastic with vintage music, glamorous costumes, glorious dance displays. This year, Carmen’s Cantina, is a fabulous fiesta celebrating the sun-fuelled rhythms of the Spanish diaspora – from Paso Doble and Tango to Mambo and Merengue. Enjoy tea and a Jarrolds scone!
AAKASH ODEDRA COMPANY
Songs of the Bulbul
Tuesday 20 & Wednesday 21 May, 7.30pm
Norwich Theatre Playhouse
Tickets: £22 | U18/Young NNF £10
This new dance work by Aakash Odedra, with choreography by Rani Khanam and music by Rushil Ranjan, is inspired by the ancient Sufi myth of a bulbul (a nightingale) captured and held in captivity.
A sensitive, beautiful dialogue between Sufi Kathak music that seamlessly blends orchestral and Indian classical tradition and Islamic Poetry, Songs of the Bulbul asks will we, like the caged bird, remain bound to the material world, or will we soar towards a higher existence of liberation, and the divine?dd your content here…
ADAN CANHAM
Four Portraits from an Edgeland
Saturday 17 May & Sunday 18 May
11am-4pm drop in
The Gallery, The Forum
Free – no booking required
A moving film, created in collaboration with young people from the Fens, weaves together dance, personal narratives and cinematic artistry to celebrate the young people’s creativity, resilience and passion – a testament to the power of community and the vital importance of dancing together.
ANDY FIELD & BECKIE DARLINGTON
MONSTERS
Wednesday 21 May, 11.30am
CinemaCity
Free – booking required
MONSTERS is a post-apocalyptic fairy tale created by and starring children from East Anglia. In this experimental documentary, they imagine a world after monsters have arrived, exploring survival, change, and uncertainty. The film blends fantasy and reality, reinterpreting disaster tropes through the eyes of a generation familiar with crisis.dd your content here…
YOUR TOWN, MY TOWN, OUR TOWN WORKSHOPS
Saturday 24 May, 9.30am & 12.30pm
Swaffham Museum
Free, booking required
In two workshops, as part of our Your Town, My Town, Our Town project, in Swaffham, young people from the town are invited to explore its history and propose a colourful new future. Visit nnfestival.org.uk for further information.
Age: 12-18
TOAST AT THE FESTIVAL SPEAK EASY
Tuesday 20 May, 4pm Georgie Jones, 5.30pm Rachel Long
Wednesday 21 May, 4pm A.F. Harrold, 5.30pm Kareem Parkins Brown
Thursday 22 May, 4pm Jo Bell, 5.30pm Ella Frears
Festival Gardens
Tickets £10
TOAST is poetry, but not as you know it. Norfolk’s biggest poetry night returns to the Festival Speak Easy for three days of poetry, spoken word, storytelling and performance from some of the UK’s best poets and performers… redefining what poetry is and can be.
HOUSE OF BEDLAM WITH LITTLE MESS NORWICH
Baby Bedlam x Messy Play
Saturday 17 May, 11am
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets: £10 per child. Up to two adults go free.
Age: 0-3 years
An immersive collaboration between the adventurous music ensemble House of Bedlam and Little Mess Norwich that blends live contemporary music with sensory messy play for babies and their grown-ups. Improvised flute, saxophone, and cello meet playful sensory explorations. Let your baby go full Bedlam in this playful event!
THE PAPER CINEMA
Rock Charmer & Night Flyer
Sunday 18 May, 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Norwich Puppet Theatre
Tickets: £12
Age: 7+
The Paper Cinema’s unique blend of hand-drawn animation and live performance brings us a double bill of delightful stories. Set against the backdrop of Dorset’s rugged coastline, Rock Charmer delves into the enchanting legends inspired by the area’s rich geological history. In The Night Flyer our hero crosses abstract landscapes on a bike in pursuit of a mysterious train and a lost girl.
AAKASH ODEDRA COMPANY
Little Murmur
Tuesday 20, 7pm & Wednesday 21 May, 1pm & 6pm
Norwich Theatre Stage Two
Tickets: £17.50 | U18/Young NNF £10
Age: 7+
Little Murmur explores the warped and exaggerated realities of living in a world you struggle to process. Based on Aakash’s own struggles with dyslexia, this dance theatre show for families and schools provides a stunning visual treat with groundbreaking projection, an extraordinary soundscape and a blizzard of paper and confetti.
PUT YOUR SHOES ON
Polly Dunbar
Friday 23 May, 10.30am
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets: £5 per child, one accompanying adult free
Join children’s author Polly Dunbar for a delightful morning of storytelling as she brings her book Put Your Shoes On to life. Filled with fun, laughter, and creative crafts, this interactive event invites everyone to join the adventure and ‘put on their shoes’ too!
Age: Families with children up to seven years old.
PICTURE THIS: WRITING WITH PHOTOGRAPHS
with Emmanuel Iduma
Friday 23 May, 10.30am-12.30pm
National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall
Tickets: £40 | Concessions: £30
How do we articulate what we see, feel, and imagine when we look at images from the past? In this creative non-fiction workshop, Emmanuel Iduma will teach you how to bridge the gap between observation and storytelling, transforming visual memories into compelling writing.
Ages: 18+
THE SPECTACULAR SUIT
Hayley Wells
Friday 23 May, 1pm
National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall
Tickets: £5 per child, one accompanying adult free
Frankie dreams of a spectacular suit to wear on her birthday – but can she find the outfit of her dreams? Join Hayley Wells for a vibrant, interactive storytelling session that celebrates identity, individuality, and self expression. You’ll also get the chance to colour your own spectacular suit!
Age: Families with children up to seven years old.
UNLOCK THE ART OF STORYTELLING IN PODCASTING
Hattie Crisell
Friday 23 May, 2pm-4pm
National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall
Tickets: £30 | Concessions: £20
Journalist and In Writing podcast host Hattie Crisell delivers a dynamic and creative workshop designed to elevate your interviewing skills. Discover proven techniques to draw out the best stories from your podcast guests, uncovering their unique perspectives and insights.
Ages: 16+
WHAT’S SO HARD ABOUT WRITING?
Hattie Crissell & Emma Jane Unsworth
Friday 23 May, 6pm
National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall
Tickets: £10
Hattie Crisell, author of In Writing, is on a mission to get our most-read authors to spill their secrets. She sits down with Emma Jane Unsworth for an uncensored chat about the creative process behind Emma’s new novel, Slags, sharing the wisdom and confessions of other literary icons along the way.
HUNT FOR THE GOLDEN SCARAB
M.G. Leonard
Saturday 24 May, 10am
National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall
Tickets: £7 per child, one accompanying adult free
Embark on an Egyptian adventure with M.G. Leonard as she reveals how a journey down the Nile inspired her book, Hunt for the Golden Scarab. Unravel the art of mummification and discover heart scarabs, the Book of the Dead, and clues to Nefertiti’s lost tomb. Perfect for adventure lovers and budding historians!
Age: 8-13
THE COST OF EXCESS: A FASHION REVOLUTION
Patrick Grant
Saturday 24 May, 10am
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets £12 | U18/Young NNF £10
Our wardrobes are filled with clothes we never wear — so why do we keep buying more? Patrick Grant, fashion designer, businessman, and star of The Great British Sewing Bee, explores the crisis of overconsumption in fashion. Learn how quality over quantity and valuing what we truly need can lead to greater happiness.
NICOLA STREETEN
Drawing for Change: Graphic Novels
Saturday 24 May, 10.30am-12.30pm
National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall
Tickets: £30 | Concessions: £20
Multi-award-winning graphic novelist and comics scholar Dr Nicola Streeten delivers an illustrated introduction to comics, packed with fun and easy drawing exercises. Create your own mini comic around the topic of ‘change’. No drawing or comics experience is required.
Ages: 16+
VAL McDERMID
The Harriet Martineau Lecture
Saturday 24 May, 12pm
St Peter Mancroft
Tickets £14 | U18/Young NNF £10
This year’s Harriet Martineau Lecture will be delivered by acclaimed novelist Val McDermid. Val will examine the misrepresentation and erasure of women in history and literature, the lasting impact of overlooked female writers, and the transformative power of literature to inspire fresh perspectives.
The Book Hive Presents
PAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
Saturday 24 May, 2pm
St Peter Hungate
Free, booking essential
Our shared reading event returns! Pick a book, bring a cool drink and turn off your phone for a well-deserved detox read in the beautiful surroundings of St Peter Hungate. Simultaneous events will be taking place in UNESCO Cities of Literature across the world.
NICOLA DINAN
A Change of Character
Saturday 24 May, 2pm-4pm
National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall
Tickets: £40 | Concessions: £30
Join Nicola Dinan, celebrated author of Disappoint Me, for a dynamic workshop on creating compelling characters by understanding their evolution throughout a story. Through engaging discussions and hands-on exercises, you’ll master the art of observing and portraying meaningful change in your characters.
Ages: 18+
FLATLANDS
Danielle Giles & Noreen Masud
Saturday 24 May, 3pm
National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall
Tickets: £10
From the haunting East Anglian Fens to the enigmatic Orford Ness, the flatlands teem with hidden truths and lingering memories, etched into their stark beauty. Join Danielle Giles and Noreen Masud on a journey through these evocative terrains, exploring how landscapes shape us and how the past informs the present.
SEÁN HEWITT & MONIQUE ROFFEY
Do You Remember The First Time?
Saturday 24 May, 6pm
National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall
Tickets: £10
First love has the power to change us forever. Join Seán Hewitt as he explores themes of possibility and sacrifice in his debut novel, Open, Heaven, the poignant story of two teenage boys falling in love in the English countryside. Seán will be in conversation with Costa Book Award winning author Monique Roffey.
Ages: 14+
CITY OF LITERATURE PUBLISHING FAIR
Sunday 25 May, 10am-4pm
National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall
Free, no booking required
Explore our region’s vibrant publishing culture at our popular fair! From hardbacks to zines, meet publishers, browse and purchase their work, and enjoy lightning talks throughout the day. The perfect Sunday event for writers, readers, and creators of all kinds.
SARAH MOSS
Ripeness
Sunday 25 May, 10.30am
Adnams Spiegeltent
Tickets: £10
Start your Sunday in the company of Sarah Moss, the extraordinary author of Summerwater, Ghost Wall, and The Fell. Her sweeping new novel, Ripeness, will transport you from Italy to Ireland, weaving a rich tapestry of familial love, the communities we create, migration, new beginnings, and what it truly means to belong.
MAKE, PLAY & TAKE HOME
Na Qiruoxuan
Saturday 24 May, 10.30am-12.30pm
National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall
Tickets: £5 per child, one accompanying adult free
Create a unique gift for someone special or take home a handmade treasure! This hands-on craft session is a wonderful chance to play, experience, and let your imagination shine. Choose to make an origami flower basket or a story from felt.
Ages: 4+
ERICA HESKETH
The Poetry of Motherhood
Sunday 25 May, 2pm-4pm
National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall
Tickets: £40 | Concessions: £30
Motherhood brings profound change – offering immense joy and fulfilment, as well as many challenges. In this welcoming poetry workshop for mothers of all kinds, Erica Hesketh will share inspiring poems and offer prompts to spark new writing, helping you express your unique experiences of motherhood.
PLANT POWER
Saturday 8 March – Friday 13 June
GroundWork Gallery, King’s Lynn
Free, no booking required
Explore how plant lives and ours interconnect. Artists, concerned about plants in a time of climate change, are finding ways to give us new intense images. Through the power of art, this is an exhibition which aims to consider the plant’s point of view. Plants are not merely a backdrop but take centre stage.
A WORLD OF WATER
Saturday 15 March – Sunday 3 August
Sainsbury Centre
This exhibition encourages us to understand the complexity of the sea, mitigate the impacts of climate change and support action to restore marine ecosystems. It brings together works by British and international artists from the last 250 years, including Maggi Hambling, Eva Rothschild, John Crome and Olafur Eliasson.
DARWIN IN PARADISE CAMP: YUKI KIHARA
Saturday 15 March – Sunday 3 August
Sainsbury Centre
For ticket information see sainsburycentre.ac.uk
Explore the UK premiere of Paradise Camp, the celebrated work by Yuki Kihara, an interdisciplinary artist of Sāmoan and Japanese descent, alongside the new commission Darwin Drag. Paradise Camp upcycles the works of French painter Paul Gauguin, recasting past narratives by using Fa’afafine models – a third gender community in Sāmoa – in colourful, hyperreal photographs. The show also features original works by Gauguin for the very first time.
ONE SELF: THE CREATIVE LIFE OF COLIN SELF
Saturday 29 March–Sunday 21 September
Norwich Castle
Tickets included with museum admission
Born in Norfolk in 1941, Colin Self first came to international prominence as a Pop artist in the 1960s. He has since created an extensive body of work spanning painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, sculpture and ceramics. This major exhibition contains over 130 works of art from the 1960s to the present day.
EAST GALLERY FELLOWSHIP: ARIEH FROSH AND ED COMPSON
The New Scroby Sands Offshore Wind Farm Information Centre
Friday 14 March – Saturday 7 June
East Gallery
Free, no booking required
An exhibition that looks at the relationship between offshore wind energy and Doggerland, the submerged landmass that used to connect the UK to mainland Europe. The exhibition uses the meeting of wind turbine and seabed as a narrative starting point and presents a mix of collected and adapted material from marine archaeological research and wind energy construction.
DUAL NARRATIVES: AN EXHIBITION BY TAKEOVER
Thursday 1 May – Sunday 1 June
OUTPOST Gallery
Free, no booking required
Takeover is an artist-led project space in Beirut. This exhibition documents Takeover’s journey since its inception in 2022, highlighting the duality of creativity and socio-political reality and emphasising the resilience and importance of art spaces such as this.
On Thursday 15 May, 6.30pm there will be a film screening of selected artists’ films curated by Takeover.
STEPHEN COX
Sunday 4 May – Sunday 28 September
Houghton Hall
For ticket information see houghtonhall.com
A major exhibition by the acclaimed British sculptor Stephen Cox is being shown at Houghton Hall. Around 20 monumental sculptures in marble and stone will be placed in the landscape, while smaller works are displayed on the State Floor. This will represent the largest, most comprehensive group of work the artist has ever shown.
RIVER OF HOPE
Friday 9 – Sunday 25 May
The Forum
Usual Forum opening hours
River of Hope brings together the work of over a dozen Norfolk schools in this fabulous installation. Under the guidance of artist Ali Atkins and supported by river visits with the Norfolk Rivers Trust and Norfolk Wildlife Trust, pupils have created artworks, inspired by local rivers, in the form of boating sails. Some of the older pupils have also worked alongside poet, Lewis Buxton to create written pieces for the project.
The project has enabled around 500 young people to express their concerns about the climate crisis through the design of their artworks and has seen them partnered with counterparts in Rouen, France who have also created their own artworks.
SHORTWAVE COLLECTIVE
Great Waves
Friday 9 – Sunday 25 May
PrimeYarc, Great Yarmouth
Open Wednesdays and Friday–Sunday, 12-4pm
Free, no booking required
Shortwave Collective are an international, feminist radio art group. They present new work produced in Great Yarmouth through DIY radio workshops, listening to the electromagnetic landscape and discussions with local people. Shortwave Collective ask ‘how might Great Yarmouth be interpreted as a radio circuit?’
ANNA DUMITRIU, WITH CHRIS RIDOUT AND COLLEAGUES
Art and Science of the Faba Bean
Tuesday 13 May, 6pm
GroundWork Gallery, King’s Lynn
Tickets: £15 to include a gathering afterwards with a drink
Anna Dumitriu’s Uninhibited Faba is a series of artworks exploring the history and future of the humble faba bean and how it can help us mitigate climate change and improve food security. View the work and join in conversation about the history, research and potential future of this sustainable food source with Anna and a panel of scientific experts.
ACTION HERO
Rebel Resistors Radio Club
Wednesday 21 – Saturday 24 May, 12–4pm
PrimeYarc, Great Yarmouth
Free, no booking required
Twelve girls from Great Yarmouth have been working with Action Hero, to create their own manifestos for their futures and in this installation, they broadcast them, asking profound questions in a playful and accessible way.
HARRIET TARLO & STEVIE WISHART
Resilient Plants, Through Poetry and Music
Friday 23 May, 6pm
GroundWork Gallery, King’s Lynn
Tickets: £15, Followed by a pot-luck afterparty in which Stevie opens her historic building, Greenland Fishery. Bring some refreshments.
Poet Harriet Tarlo and artist Judith Tucker, whose work is at the centre of Plant Power, were working on a project about the pioneer plants on the salt marshes of the North Lincolnshire coast, before Judith’s sudden death. Here Harriet collaborates with composer Stevie Wishart to explore new ways to interpret ecology, using voice and musical instruments.
SEA LIKE A MIRROR
Sea Like a Mirror is an ambitious national partnership programme commissioned to mark the 200th anniversary of the RNLI. At the heart of the project is White Horses, a new artwork by Ivan Morison. Accompanying this will be two works, The Edge of the Land and SOS: Superheroes of the Sea, commissioned and produced by Norfolk & Norwich Festival and created by local artists and communities.
IVAN MORISON
White Horses
Thursday 15 – Sunday 18 May
North Lodge Park, Cromer
See website for times
Free, no booking required
A newly commissioned artwork by Ivan Morison, White Horses, combines sculpture, 16mm film and music to explore our complex relationship with the sea through its innate duality as a place of both wonder and peril, and the myriad roles it holds for coastal communities.
This travelling work will be created through shadowing RNLI crew and local people with a deep connection to the water and will present a multifaceted portrait of the sea and Britain’s coastal towns.
KATE MUNRO
The Edge of the Land
Wednesday 14 – Monday 26 May, 11am-4pm
Cromer Artspace
Free, no booking required
Artist and crew member on Sheringham Lifeboat, Kate Munro has been working with children to explore themes of the sea and local maritime culture through research and interviews with local people. The children created a series of artworks inspired by the place they live and the notion of rescue.
NEIL PARIS
SOS: Superheroes of the Sea
Saturday 17 May
North Lodge Park, Cromer
See website for times
Free, no booking required
In a collaborative process, dance and theatre artist Neil Paris has been working with children from Sidestrand Hall School to create a short piece of dance theatre inspired by the RNLI’s 200 year anniversary. The resultant piece will incorporate drama, movement and music devised and composed by the young people themselves.
IMMERSED IN CHANGING LANDSCAPES
Dates TBC
Norwich University of the Arts Immersive Lab, visit nnfestival.org.uk for more information
A series of live performances and immersive video installations featuring works from An-Ting, Chris Allen, Meitao-Qu, Kate Flurrie, Louis Nixon, Kirk Woolford, Collusion and the Broads Authority exploring lost and changing landscapes, inaccessible and sensitive sites and urban memories.
