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Looking for something to do? From unique exhibitions and creative workshops to lively theatre and wonderful music, let our world class cultural venues entertain you with a brilliant range of events & creative activities:
Imagine creating your own masterpiece in the very place where famous names like William Wordsworth and John Ruskin lived and worked. Venues offer opportunities for sketching, writing, pottery, painting, dance, weaving or embroidery – so get ready to learn a new skill and take away a handmade souvenir of your time in the Lake District, Cumbria.
As well as their permanent collections, art galleries, museums and cultural venues also host a regular calendar of talks and exhibitions. Enjoy viewing beautiful works from renowned artists or learn more about famous figures linked to the area. From traditional Lakeland life to submarine building, there’s lots of fascinating local heritage to discover.
A perfect evening out is guaranteed at a brilliant range of cultural venues, theatres and cinemas, hosting a packed programme of festivals and events. From film festivals and outdoor theatre to poetry readings and world music, enjoy everything from internationally acclaimed productions to emerging home-grown talent.
Visiting with kids? Many attractions offer brilliant and engaging activities for children so come along and enjoy! There’s arts & crafts workshops, storytelling sessions, dressing up clothes, fossil rubbing, treasure hunts, quizzes and much more. Keep an eye out for seasonal activities and events during school holidays too.
Our arts, culture and heritage scene is buzzing with activity, so come and join us to discover everything our attractions have to offer. Check our events listings and make sure you book ahead to avoid missing out. We look forward to welcoming you soon!

This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and supported by Westmorland and Furness Council.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
You may leave the Lake District, but once you’ve been, it’ll never leave you.

Number of results: 42
, currently showing 1 to 20.
Kirkland, Kendal
This autumn, Abbot Hall presents Boat Works, a solo exhibition by Turner Prize-winner Simon Starling. Bringing together his major boat-themed projects, the show explores the vessel as a symbol of migration, transformation, and change.
Highlights…
Rayrigg Road, Windermere
Discover life on Windermere through the lens of award-winning artist Juliet Klottrup. This exhibition of paintings and photography celebrates the people, stories and heritage of Windermere — from boatbuilders and our conservation team to community…
Penrith
As Rheged celebrates 25 years of culture, discover the work of 25 exceptional Cumbrian artists across a range of disciplines. From striking paintings and dynamic sculpture to powerful photography and mixed media, showcasing the talent, creativity,…
Blackwell - the Arts & Crafts house, Bowness-on-Windermere
Celebrate 25 years of ceramic art by Edinburgh-based Frances Priest in Motif | Line | Colour.
The exhibition follows her evolution from monochrome pieces to vibrant, intricate designs, featuring her latest collection Unfixing, rarely seen archive…
Barrow-in-Furness
A multimedia exhibition at the Dock Museum from 5th December to 23rd February exploring local stories of fragility & survival - of nature, of people - in South Cumbria. Through sound, film, images and words, an unseen, unheard world emerges. A world…
Grasmere
This interactive exhibition celebrates the treasures of the Wordsworth Grasmere trove. Discover grand landscapes by Constable and Turner, a hasty sketch by Dorothy Wordsworth, dramatic watercolours and rarely displayed objects that spark wonder,…
Barrow-in-Furness
An Eastern European visitor becomes a resident of a New York airport terminal when a war breaks out and erases his country from the map, voiding his passport. He makes friends with the airport staff and falls in love with a flight attendant.
Penrith
A brief history of the Gardens at Lowther Castle from King Edward I to Charles III & beyond.
Presented from the perspective of the current head gardener, Andrea Brunsendorf. The talk will focus on horticulture and the reimagination of the gardens…
Barrow-in-Furness
We are proud to be working with our friends from Barrow Full to bring you our next temporary exhibition, "Made in Barrow" which will take you on a fascinating journey though Barrow made by local artists
Penrith
A lovely and relaxing watercolour workshop for beginners, inspired by dried flowers and their imperfect beauty. This workshop focuses on letting go of perfection and embracing a loose, layered painting style that's both creatively freeing and…
Barrow-in-Furness
Mark Simpson Geysir, Gary Carpenter Pantomime for 13 winds, Mozart Gran Partita, Wind soloists of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Penrith
From war zones to volcanoes, continental crossings to Siberian ice, Oli France has spent much of his life chasing the edges of the map. In this immersive talk, he shares raw, rarely-told stories from expeditions through places that most people only…
Barrow-in-Furness
No.1 official Debbie Harry & Blondie tribute band
Penrith
Rag Rugging is a traditional craft, in this case creating beautiful rugs out of pure wool blanket yarn. The yarn used in our workshop is a waste product from the mills and has been sourced by the tutors from various mills around the UK, and means…
122A Highgate, Kendal
Comedy Club is our ever-popular and ever-hilarious night featuring some of the best UK comedians on the UK stand-up circuit for your laughing pleasure. Sit back, relax, and get ready to laugh your socks off!
Kicking away the winter blues, we…
Barrow-in-Furness
Follow the Money is a musical comedy based on the memories of women who were the frontline workforce of Barrow's banks.
The ladies who stamped the cheques, counted the cash and kept the wheels of industry turning from the 1960s to the 1990s…
Bowness-on-Windermere
Victoria Wood remains one of Britain's most cherished entertainers – a comic genius whose work reshaped the landscape of British humour. But behind the joyous persona – the singer, the satirist, the sharp-witted writer – lay a young woman navigating…
Penrith
Snowdrop Weekends are back for 2026. Weekends from the 7 February are a chance to visit whilst the snowdrop displays in the woodland are at their most brilliant.
Bowness-on-Windermere
Musical – Tommy (1975)
Ken Russell's flamboyant rock opera follows a "deaf, dumb and blind" boy who becomes a pinball prodigy and spiritual icon. Featuring music by The Who and star turns from Roger Daltrey, Elton John, and Ann-Margret.
Director:…
Nr Kendal
Head to the Great Barn at Sizergh to see an exhibition from a creative collective of artists, inspired by soil.
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