The arts and culture scene in The Lake District, Cumbria is thriving, with many events taking place throughout the county year-round. Whether you want to enjoy a play, dance to live music, discover an art exhibition or visit a museum, there’s so much to experience in this vibrant part of the country.
If you’re a theatre enthusiast, you’ll find plenty to enjoy in the Lake District, Cumbria, with performances in some truly spectacular venues. How about catching a show next to a lake, or in a coastal town?
We often welcome touring productions including theatre and opera; while our independent cinemas also show live streams of performances taking place in world-class venues like the National Theatre.
If you’re a film buff, there are lots of fantastic cinemas showing the latest releases as well as art house classics. Did you know? The Lake District, Cumbria has featured in a number of films and TV shows like Star Wars and The Witcher!
Put on your dancing shoes and head out for an evening of live music – whether it’s a concert, a festival or an evening at the pub, there’s something to suit all tastes.
For a real celebration of our local culture, why not head for one of our vibrant festivals? The Winter Droving festival in Penrith is a colourful display held every October, complete with torchlit parade and a festive atmosphere. Meanwhile, museums hold regular events and exhibitions highlighting everything from art and film to our local history.
Search and view what's taking place below and let us introduce you to a world of theatre, music and the arts here in Cumbria.
Staged in the atmospheric wood panelled drawing room at Acorn Bank, Land Lines is an immersive…
A gripping tale of friendship and hope. Lennie and George are unlikely best friends, two drifters…
The Knotted Project's Forge Festival is returning for the fourth year, promising a day filled with…
Sue Bibby designs and makes with fabric, stitch and her trusty Bernina sewing machine. Her first…
Don't miss this opportunity to delve into the life and legacy of Alfred Wainwright at The Armitt…
Curated and hosted by poet Kim Moore, our online contemporary poetry reading series continues…
Explore the founding of the school library by ex-pupil, Daniel Rawlinson 350 years ago! For the…
A coming-together of four very different artists/makers based in Cumbria – who all assemble ideas,…
You may leave the Lake District, but once you’ve been, it’ll never leave you.
Number of results: 49
, currently showing 1 to 20.
Ambleside
Don't miss this opportunity to delve into the life and legacy of Alfred Wainwright at The Armitt museum from February to December 2025.
The Armitt museum and Alfred Wainwright Books & Memorabilia are thrilled to announce a collaborative and…
The Armitt Museum, Ambleside
Hawkshead, Ambleside
Explore the founding of the school library by ex-pupil, Daniel Rawlinson 350 years ago!
For the first time, books from this unique collection will be displayed to explore the cultural, social, religious and political climate of 17th Century England…
Hawkshead Grammar School Museum, Hawkshead
Sedbergh
Sue Bibby designs and makes with fabric, stitch and her trusty Bernina sewing machine. Her first love is drawing, and her work begins with first-hand observation and sketches. She never ventures far without a sketch book and find gardens and…
Sedbergh
A coming-together of four very different artists/makers based in Cumbria – who all assemble ideas, subject matter, and materials to create harmonious objects and paintings.
Visitors will see an array of abstract painting using paint and mixed media…
Lake Rd, Keswick
A gripping tale of friendship and hope.
Lennie and George are unlikely best friends, two drifters bound together by a shared faith and the ambition to live the great American dream. Landing a job on a Californian ranch during the Great Depression,…
Rayrigg Rd, Bowness-on-Windermere
The Knotted Project's Forge Festival is returning for the fourth year, promising a day filled with live dance, theatre performances and so much more at Windermere Jetty Museum.
This year's Forge Festival will showcase emerging talent from across…
Windermere Jetty Museum, Windermere
Penrith
Staged in the atmospheric wood panelled drawing room at Acorn Bank, Land Lines is an immersive listening delight for anyone aged 16 – 100. The Border Readers will be telling dynamic short stories that have lots to say about life in our modern day…
Acorn Bank, Penrith
Grasmere
Curated and hosted by poet Kim Moore, our online contemporary poetry reading series continues throughout 2025.
We will be listening to what poets have to say about our turbulent times, and how poetry can cross borders to challenge, delight and…
Wordsworth Grasmere, Grasmere
Moresby, Whitehaven
A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO WIDOWHOOD is a one woman show exploring the experiences of young, widowed women, loss, and why we don't talk about death.
Suria has lost her husband (she hasn't misplaced him or anything - he's dead.) Join her & the kids in…
Kendal
**MAYFEST 2025**
Join us in celebrating 450 years of Kendal's Royal Charter and welcoming the arrival of summer!
BE PART OF THE PROCESSION.
Starting at 11:00 AM, from Kendal Parish Hall, the procession will make its way to the Town Centre, with…
Kendal
Starts 11am & 2pm | Tickets £11, Under 16s £9, Family of 4 £32, Schools £8, Groups (10+) £9 | Theatre | Recommended Age 8+
A Lichfield Garrick production
MICHAEL MORPURGO'S FARM BOY
Adapted & directed by Daniel Buckroyd.
It sometimes felt as…
Rayrigg Rd, Windermere
Join us for an action-packed weekend of STEAM fun, with hands-on activities, mind-blowing science shows, and interactive educational workshops suitable for all ages!
This year's Windermere Science Festival brings together leading scientists and…
Windermere Jetty Museum, Windermere
Moresby, Whitehaven
The Boffs were outsiders, not local like, even though we were born there. I was only really a Boff by association.
Storyteller Liz revisits her childhood memories and home in West Cumbria in an attempt to understand whether she still belongs there,…
Moresby, Whitehaven
Rosehill welcomes The Forge Festival, featuring performances from three new companies across Cumbria, alongside early career artists. Together, they will present original works of art in a range of formats, including dance, physical theatre, spoken…
Brampton
Gallery Northwest is honoured to be hosting a truly unique and captivating exhibition, which will feature ten amazing and extremely successful female artists from Cumbria and South West Scotland. This event presents a fabulous opportunity to witness…
Moresby, Whitehaven
Join us for "Play in a Day," a unique celebration of our vibrant performance communities. Forming a part of our West Coast Current Theatre Week, you will be challenged to collaborate in small groups to devise and perform a play in a day.
How it will…
Carlisle
Take a tour of the Cathedral as you have never seen it before and find out more about our ring of bells at this special Bell Tower Open Day.
You will be met by a member of our Bell Tower Ringing Team before climbing the steps to the bell-tower; on…
Carlisle Cathedral, Carlisle
Whitehaven
The Whitehaven and District Amateur Operatic Society return to Rosehill with Terry Pratchett's WYRD SISTERS.
Terry Pratchett takes Shakespeare's Macbeth and then turns it up 'till the knob comes off. It's all there – a wicked duke and duchess, the…
Lake Rd, Keswick
This hilarious battle of cons will keep you laughing, humming, and guessing to the end!
Lawrence Jameson makes his lavish living by talking rich ladies out of their money. Freddy Benson more humbly swindles women by appealing to their compassion…
Braithwaite, Keswick
A rusty 'tin shed' beside a dramatic waterfall in a remote valley just outside Keswick – this building is a tribute to human engineering and ingenuity, and it has a powerful story to tell about humanity's impact on the planet.
Force Cragg Mine was…
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