Well, almost… add in an apocalyptic world, Area 1939, Dorothy calls home, a mysterious illness, and a prophecy. With a steampunk twist, this version of the tale is dark, desperate and dingy. Do you dare to venture down the yellow brick road?’

Gulbenkian Arts Centre

Join us for an exclusive live recording of the popular Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast, in which host Ben Johnson will be joined by Life of Action author Mike Fury to share the secrets behind the stunts.

Drunken Master

In his latest celebration of the greatest race on earth, Ned delves into the hidden mysteries of a mysterious roll of film from the 1923 Tour de France that fell into his possession during the Covid pandemic, and inspired his bestselling book “1923!” Part detective story, part murder mystery, part costume drama, part French farce, Ned weaves his own typically ridiculous story into the astonishing discoveries he makes about the hidden world of the 1923 Tour de France, its characters and tragedies, and ties it all together with the wild upheavals of Europe in-between the wars. And along the way, in an evening’s odyssey, he draws a connection between the heroes of yesteryear and the champions of today, from Cavendish to Pogačar and beyond! It’s a touching, hilarious, fascinating journey that bounces between the centuries, but always has Le Tour at its very heart.

Ned Boulting’s Marginal Mystery Tour: 1923 And All That

Emerging in the early 80s from their Whitstable folk club and Oyster ceilidh band days, Oysterband infused both the tradition and their own songs with a passion and energy that was electrifying for the time. Polkas, politics and a heaving dance floor seemed just right for Thatcher’s Britain. Signing to new roots label Cooking Vinyl, headlining English Roots against Apartheid, playing Glastonbury and the Fleadh several times each, touring with The Pogues in Europe and Billy Bragg in North America, hosting the Big Session Festival….. all gained them a large and loyal international following.

Oysterband – Homecoming 2025 – A Long Long Goodbye

Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation is a cultural education charity, transforming lives through the unique power of Shakespeare. Our Festival provides a platform for up to 30,000 young people to express themselves and grow in confidence as they take to a professional stage. These performances are the culmination of months of work in which young people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities have been finding their voice in school rehearsal rooms.

Coram Shakespeare Schools Festival

Each year we host a brilliant dance ensemble, hand-picked by Jasmin Vardimon, showcasing an exciting and energetic mix of inventive choreography and exceptional new talent. 

Jv2 2025

“Rachel Podger, the unsurpassed British glory of the baroque violin,” (The Times) is a leading interpreter of Baroque and Classical music. Join Rachel Podger with lute and harpsichord players for the first live performance of Biber’s improvisational 1681 Sonatas to be released on CD this December.

Canterbury Music Club – Rachel Podger

University of Kent

Combining the joy of gentle classical singing and sensory play, it is an invitation to see beauty in the smallest things and to let plants be our guides.

Celebrate the gift of nature and help to conjure a world out of breath, water, sunlight and soil in this magical musical adventure for 0 – 2 year olds. 

You are the Sun

School of Rock – The Musical, based on the hit movie, follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn an extra bit of cash by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There he turns a class of straight–A pupils into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. But can he get them to the Battle of the Bands without their parents and the school’s headmistress finding out?!

School of Rock – The Musical!

After the Liverpudlian four-piece called time on Beatlemania, George Harrison enjoyed a successful solo career, releasing 12 studio albums, including Living In The Material World, Cloud Nine, Brainwashed and the classic triple album All Things Must Pass. He also formed the supergroup The Traveling Wilburys with Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty.

Legendary Irish folk music band Dervish, are one of Ireland's best known traditional bands and are described by the BBC as “an icon of Irish music”.

Dervish

Canterbury Symphony Orchestra welcome local soloist George Needham for a performance of Grieg’s immortal Piano Concerto, accompanied by celebrations of Iceland, Denmark, Finland, and Estonia.

Skandinavian Skies

From the quote attributed to Mark Twain, humour is defined as Tragedy Plus Time. Come and join Ed as he tests that formula by mining the most tragic event in his life for laughs.

Edinburgh Fringe 2023 was a bumper 5-star review year for Ed. They came in thick and fast alongside outstanding critical acclaim for this exceptionally funny, ‘Best Reviewed Stand Up Show at Edinburgh 2023’ (British Comedy Guide).

Ed Byrne: Tragedy Plus Time

We’re delighted that Henry Normal has agreed to give the 2024 Linda Smith Lecture. A personal friend of Linda’s, Henry has had a dazzling career in TV comedy, writing for iconic programmes like The Mrs Merton Show, The Royle Family and Paul Calf’s Video Diary. He founded Baby Cow Productions (with Steve Coogan) and worked there for seventeen years on such shows as Gavin and Stacey and The Mighty Boosh. More recently, he has gone back to his roots as a hilarious performance poet, writing and starring in his own long-running Radio 4 show.

Linda Smith Lecture – Henry Normal

Steve Knightley is a Multi-award winning singer-songwriter/musician and founder member of widely acclaimed folk/acoustic roots trail-blazers ‘Show of Hands’. A constant throughout his work is his ability to root his songs in geographical place, notably the West Country where he still lives.

Steve Knightley

With the delightful and musically brilliant addition of Nancy Kerr and James Fagan, Sandra Kerr presents a live show of the music and songs and some of the stories from Bagpuss.

Sandra Kerr: Bagpuss: The Songs & Music – Live

UK Soul Choirs presents ‘Candlelit Soul’! Join East Kent Soul Choirs for a night of festive inspired soul and pop classics by candlelight!

Candlelit Soul

Join us for a nostalgic medley of Smallfilms productions in our cinema, including classic episodes of Bagpuss, The Clangers and Noggin the Nog.

Bagpuss – Smallfilms on the Big Screen

The soon-to-be-wed couple gets advice from their already married friends and the jealous exes of Elle and Parker plot to win them back. Elle’s mother struggles to accept her decision to marry young while Elle’s father attempts to keep the peace between the two women he loves. Will Elle and Parker make it through all of this turmoil to see their wedding day, or will the pressure and disapproval from those around them crack their relationship?

MTS: Tying the Knot

In February 2024, Elodie performed as part of the Donne Foundation’s ‘Let Her Music Play’ campaign, which has made history as the world’s longest live streamed concert  performing works by female and nonbinary composers. Elodie currently performs regularly with duo partner Stella Lorenz.

Lunchtime Concert: The Winter Fairy

Get ready for a spectacular showcase of talent at our Cultural Showcase! This exciting competition features our vibrant student body competing for up to £200 and a chance to perform at a Global Hangout. Join us for a night of cultural exchange, where every performance tells a unique story. Within the event we will also be highlighting fashion from all around the world in our runway show. Don’t miss out on the chance to witness the world on one stage – mark your calendars for Wednesday 4th December from 6.30-9pm for an unforgettable celebration of unity and creativity at the Gulbenkian Theatre.

Kent Students Union Cultural Showcase

Concert Band and String Sinfonia

Legends tell of soft white snow that blankets the ground, and inventor Eira is determined to bring it back. So grab your goggles and join her madcap adventure as she battles a fearsome whale, explores an abandoned mine, and meets herds of goats whilst finding unlikely friends in the strangest of places.

Christmas Show: The Snowsmith

This showcase is a testament to months of hard work, dedication, and the unique energy that each dancer brings to our society. Whether you’re a seasoned dance lover or just looking for a fun night out, this show promises something for everyone. Get ready to be inspired by powerful choreography, and energetic group numbers that reflect the heart and soul of our community. Don’t miss your chance to experience the magic of dance, witness the stories we tell through movement, and cheer on our incredible dancers. Grab your tickets now for an evening of rhythm, artistry, and pure joy!

Fusion: Kent Dance

Inspired by the Alternative Cabaret performers of the 1980s, second-year students on the Popular Performance module present an evening of … Alternative Cabaret for the 2020s.

Stand-up comedy, double acts, ranting/dub poetry, sketches and bizarre speciality acts. If you’re a fan of Rik Mayall, Benjamin Zephaniah or French & Saunders, this show is for you!

Alternative Cabaret

Join us for fun, laughter and plenty of Christmas spirit –the perfect way to start your celebrations!

Directed by Emily Renshaw-Kidd and accompanied by the award winning Simon Langton Brass Band, led by Andy Collins.

Langton Music Centre Schools Concert

The University Big Band, conducted by Ian Swatman, returns with its annual festive cracker of a Christmas gig, featuring seasonal classics and big band swing.

Christmas Swingalong 2024

“Harp music and accompanying words in a programme chosen to evoke the grandeur of the plains of central Asia from thence the journey of the Magi, and angelic voices in a star-littered sky”

Canterbury Music Club: Les Rois Mages – Journey of the Magi

Join Clara at a delightful Christmas Eve party that becomes a magical adventure once everyone else is tucked up in bed. Marvel at the brilliance of Tchaikovsky’s score, as Clara and her enchanted Nutcracker fight the Mouse King and visit the Sugar Plum Fairy in the glittering Kingdom of Sweets. Peter Wright’s much-loved production for The Royal Ballet, with gorgeous period designs by Julia Trevelyan Oman, keeps true to the spirit of this festive ballet classic, combining the thrill of the fairy tale with spectacular dancing.

ROH: The Nutcracker

The London Bridge Trio is one of Britain’s most exciting and brilliant chamber groups – international pianist Daniel Tong with Ben Hancox, violin and  Cara Berridge, cello. “A stunning concert I attended at Kings Place on April 7th”- Grenville Hancox. The trio perform an exquisite set of piano trios by composers old and new.

Canterbury Music Club – London Bridge Trio

Get ready to be enchanted by The Light Princess, a new musical adaptation of the beloved fairytale that promises to captivate audiences of all ages – featuring beautiful songs, interactive antics, and an inspiring story of self-discovery.

The Light Princess

Into The Woods intertwines the narratives of multiple Brothers Grimm fairy tales, all tied together by the central story of the Baker and his Wife, who have been tasked by a mischievous Witch to go into the woods and retrieve four items to lift the curse that plagues them. Each character goes into the woods to pursue their wish, and fulfil what their heart desires, but the woods are perilous, full of mystery and danger. Will our fairytale heroes triumph, or are they not prepared for the challenges ahead?

MTS: Into The Woods

This show is performed by the Amazing FOD band. Hear hit after hit in this live action-packed show. The FOD Band`s qualities were recognised by Tony Jackson, the original lead singer of The Searchers, who selected them to be The Tony Jackson Group and to back him on his Tony Jackson sings The Searchers Shows. One of the biggest highlights of those days was when the guys backed Tony in front of 80,000 people who filled the street in front of a big stage erected just beside Mathew Street where the Cavern Club in Liverpool stands and where The Searchers and The Hollies appeared early in their musical careers.

The Searchers & Hollies Experience

Troy Bolton , the star athlete at a small-town high school, falls for nerdy beauty Gabriella Montez  at a holiday karaoke party. When they return to campus, Troy and Gabriella audition for the upcoming school musical. Meanwhile, the jealous Sharpay Evans  conspires to squelch their chances. The two must struggle to make it to auditions while also meeting their existing obligations to the basketball team and the academic decathlon.

High School Musical

2025 will see Fairport Convention celebrate 58 years in business, and whilst the band has seen many changes in that time, one thing has remained the same – Fairport’s passion for performance. With more than half a century’s back catalogue to choose from, every show is a tour de force of British folk rock.

Fairport Convention – Winter 2025 UK Tour

One evening at the Jazz Cafe, Camden in 2018, six artists came together in celebration of John Martyn's music. It was an evening of deep connection, not just to John's music, but also with a unique community of John Martyn fans.

The John Martyn Project

Settle in amongst hundreds of real plants, to watch, hear and feel the world come to life all around you. Here we’re all a connected ecosystem, where the magic happens somewhere between us.

Great Big Tiny World

Inside a living, breathing world, featuring hundreds of real plants, an adventure is waiting for you. Set from dusk until dawn, listen with all your senses as the world around you comes to life with music, scents, sounds and shadows.

When the World Turns

While assuming the role of a dutiful guardian in the country, Jack lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy adopts a similar facade. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate. Max Webster (Life of Pi) directs this hilarious story of identity, impersonation and romance, filmed live from the National Theatre in London.

National Theatre Live: The Importance of Being Earnest

Sitwell’s “shocking” nonsense poems spoken to the rhythm of Walton’s specially composed dramatic music, first performed in 1923.

With Matthew Rose, bass and Linda Hirst, mezzo-soprano as Narrators – and the ensemble Grand Mansions’ Collective, Director Anna Tilbrook, featuring professional musicians all of whom were students at Canterbury Christ Church University.

Canterbury Music Club – Facade

Prince Siegfried chances upon a flock of swans while out hunting. When one of the swans turns into a beautiful woman, Odette, he is enraptured. But she is under a spell that holds her captive, allowing her to regain her human form only at night.

ROH Live: Swan Lake

Local soloist Emily Hopper joins Canterbury Symphony Orchestra for a concert that celebrates the two homes of Frédéric François Chopin: Poland and Paris. From the soaring melodies of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Polish’ Symphony to the thrilling complexities of Witold Lutosławski, this concert takes you on a kaleidoscopic journey across Europe.

Poland and Paris

Folk music’s legendary triumvirate of musical magpies Mike McGoldrick, John McCusker and John Doyle are on tour again in 2025, bringing you their own blend of top -class folk songs, tunes and charming bonhomie.

McGoldrick McCusker Doyle Tour 2025

Be mesmerized by Paquito D’rivera’s Aires Tropicales, and calmed by G.F. Handel’s Sonata for Oboe, whilst Valerie Coleman’s Red Clay and Mississippi Delta transports you into the blues of the deep south. Feel the vibrant energy of György Ligeti’s Bagatelles and let Judith Weir’s Mountain Airs carry you to the majestic Scottish Highlands

Toot!

G2 pay tribute to a vintage period in Genesis’ long and colourful history, the four-man “Seconds Out” era, and earlier Gabriel years. With a repertoire extending from the 1970 Trespass album to 1980’s Duke, G2 faithfully recreate some of the finest progressive rock ever written.

G2 Definitive Genesis

“… a terrific, passionate, and inspiring performance…” Formed in 2020 at the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Kyan String  Quartet brings together four exceptional young musicians from the UK, the US, China, and France. Bound by a shared love of chamber music and a deep commitment to performing, this young, ambitious, and exciting group are a must-see quartet.

Canterbury Music – Kyan String Quartet

Come in your favourite PJs for a slumber party in a giant sleepover den and a night-time adventure into a playful world of imagination!

Dance in the Dark

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of her global No 1 bestseller, Kate Mosse is set to thrill audiences anew with her unforgettable one-woman show, Labyrinth Live: Unlocking the Secrets of the Labyrinth.

With theatre at its most dazzling, immersive and dramatic, with music, imagery, and film, she will take us through history and mystery, on an epic journey across the breathtaking landscape of the Languedoc – of Carcassonne, Toulouse, Chartres and the Pyrenees.

Kate Mosse: Labyrinth Live

In 1974 my father invested £750 (£9,800 in today’s money) in a Royal Worcester porcelain figure of The Duke of Wellington on horseback – made to celebrate his victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. He kept the figure we affectionately called The Duke, wrapped in sponge, in a big box, under his bed. After he died in 2001, my mother decided to take the figure out and display it on the table in the bay window. Since 2005 I’ve been working on a film script, which is in the very final stages of development. In the spring of 2024 I sit at my desk waiting for an email that will tell me what I need to do to the script to get it onto the screen. I turn the radio on. I listen to a report about the refugee crisis. My mother calls. She tells me she’s broken The Duke. My mother, my film script and the refugee crisis all need my attention.

Shôn Dale-Jones: The Duke

The beautiful but icy Princess Turandot will only marry a man who can correctly answer three riddles. Those who fail are brutally beheaded. But when an unknown prince arrives, the balance of power in Turandot’s court is forever shaken, as the mysterious stranger does what no other has been able to.

ROH Live: Turandot

Described as “a breath of fresh air on the swing scene” (Twinwood Festival) Down for the Count are regularly found in jazz clubs across the UK and abroad (Ronnie Scott’s London, Le Caveau de la Huchette Paris), at festivals including London Jazz Festival, and on BBC Radio. Now they are bringing the sounds and feels of the best jazz clubs to theatres around the country – with an electrifying show full of incredible energy, musicianship, and their own signature wry wit and humour. In the band’s new show for 2025, you’ll hear instrumental songs from the likes of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Glenn Miller, vocal classics from singers such as Nat ‘King’ Cole, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, and original arrangements of jazz standards penned by musicians in the band.

Swing That Music with Down for the Count All-Stars

Whether it’s finding a lost shoe or discovering who did a poo on the new gravel path, Nell’s ever-sniffing nose is always hard at work. So when the books at the school have disappeared one morning, Detective Dog Nell is ready to sniff out the culprit!

The Detective Dog

After receiving over 4 000 5* reviews for their events and selling out hundreds of shows all over the UK, the award-winning Teach Rex team are delighted to be bringing this unique, interactive show back to Canterbury in 2025. Teach Rex uses life-like dinosaurs to perform their 1 hour show, teaching children about the anatomy and life of one the most mesmerising creatures that have ever roamed our planet. The show is teamed with effects, music and gives children and their families the chance to get up close and personal with multiple, realistic beasts as they roam freely around the audience.

Teach Rex Live

Acclaimed British tenor and lieder / oratorio favourite, James Gilchrist has developed a reputation “unsurpassed among lyric tenors”(‘The Independent’). He joins his long-established duo-partner Anna Tilbrook to perform repertoire which includes composers such as Quilter, Fauré, Mahler, Boulanger, and Muriel Herbert.

Canterbury Music Club – James Gilchrist and Anna Tilbrook

Oysterband – The Final Farewell

Who is the God of dog poo bags? How did the microwave get its ping? What ancient crime was Yorkshire the punishment for… And why was it inflicted upon us?

Senior history professors (and rather silly men) Lee Hithersay and Robert Rhys Bond, forge three new myths from the unhinged minds of their audience – and a boatload of cardboard props!

The Story Forge: Make Your Own Myth by Rubbish Shakespeare Company

When Beethoven’s Mass was played for its’ patron, Prince Nicolaus Esterhazy, the Prince let Beethoven know his displeasure – having expected something more akin to his teacher, Haydn. Likewise, when Poulenc’s work was first played in 1961, the words from the Mass are set to music of such freshness and vivacity that some critics suggested that it bordered on the sacrilegious. The critic, Claude Rostand, described Poulenc as “moine ou voyou” (“half yob, half monk”) describing the polarity between Poulenc’s devout Catholic faith and other aspects of his character. Today audiences will recognise and enjoy both these works as masterpieces of glorious choral and orchestral writing.

Holy Hooligans – Ashford Choral Society

The latest Kid Carpet & The Noisy Animals show for family audiences, featuring their signature relaxed performance style of catchy songs, lofi puppetry, video magic and audience participation!

Kid Carpet & The Noisy Garden Centre

Join our swashbuckling party of pirates on their quest to find the fabled Pants of Gold for the Captain’s Treasure chest!

Dodge hungry crocs beneath Long-John Bridge, bob upon the waves of Big Knickers Bay, spot sharks in fancy underpants and trek across Three Pants Ridge.

Pirates Love Underpants

Based on the best-selling book by Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie, Full House Theatre’s new show is about to explode onto the Gulbenkian stage, bringing the bestselling picture book to life. The whole family will enjoy laugh-out-loud comedy, cool puppets, sing-along pop anthems and a dazzling larger-than-life dragon.

Full House Theatre – The Worst Princess

Shostakovich is at his most intimate in his Ninth Symphony. Using smaller forces, the piece is the composer at his most cryptically complex. Local composer Elizabeth Winters and local soloist Jessica Meakin are also celebrated in this programme, the latter with Samuel Barber’s iconic Violin Concerto.

The Rest is Music

Mario Kombou and his all – star band are steeped in all the eras of Elvis Presley ’s incredible journey to iconic stardom. With stunning lights, nostalgic videos capturing the essence of each era, and no fewer than 12 costume changes in over 2 hours of epic performance, The Elvis Years features over 50 classic hits including ‘That’s Alright Mama’, ‘Suspicious Minds’, ‘It ’s Now or Never’, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, ‘Hound Dog’, ‘Love Me Tender’, ‘If I Can Dream’ and many more.

The Elvis Years

Imagine it’s 1996 and you are about to watch Oasis unplugged. But there’s something different this time… Liam has turned up! For one night only, this incredible tribute band will play a classic acoustic set… the way it was meant to be nearly 30 years ago.

Oasiz Unplugged 1996 Recaptured

In 1985, Dire Straits were at the apex of their career as one of the biggest music brands and concert touring bands in the world. Still today, Mark Knopfler remains one of our most beloved guitarists in modern Rock. Their biggest album, Brothers in Arms, still sits in the top 10 of the best selling albums in chart history.

Gulbenkian Arts Centre

20 - 22 Nov, 2024