What's On in Shaftesbury

Featured Events

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The Wincombe Centre

300

Music & Entertainment

Featured

Fri, Jul 17

09:00

The Shaftesbury Fringe

What is Shaftesbury Fringe? Shaftesbury Fringe is an open access performing arts festival that takes place every summer, on the third weekend of July, in the beautiful hilltop town of Shaftesbury, Dorset. Mission Statement Shaftesbury Fringe is a celebration of the Creative for the benefit of the Community. Our team will always be drawn from the community We will always seek to collaborate with Shaftesbury’s stakeholders, supporting local people and local businesses We will always seek to maintain our ethos of the Fringe as a festival of the arts: performing, craft and visual We will always promote open access to all performers, regardless of experience or genre. We welcome both new and established artists to perform and exhibit in one of over 30 unique venues within our town, which have ranged from traditional venues, like our arts theatre, the town churches and various pubs, to a bathtub in a shop window, the rear garden of a dentist, the outside area of our local garden centre, and a florist’s shop floor. There truly is a venue for everyone. We’re “Britain’s Friendliest Fringe”, according to performer feedback over the years! We choose our dates carefully to ensure we form part of the country’s unofficial ‘Fringe circuit’. This enables performers booked into the Edinburgh Fringe to try out their acts in front of audiences at smaller Fringe festivals, such as ours, before heading north of the border. For audiences this means that you have the opportunity to catch some up-and-coming stars before they become famous! Founded in 2016 by Andy Tebbutt-Russell & Samantha, Shaftesbury Fringe is one of the key Fringe festivals in the country.

All over Shaftesbury

What's On

Discover upcoming events, festivals, markets and community gatherings in and around our beautiful hilltop town in Dorset.

Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None – Interest Evening

Community

Mon, Jun 8

19:00

Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None – Interest Evening

Music & Drama Group interest evening for Agatha Christie's mystery novel celebrating the 50th anniversary of her passing. Auditions follow on 18th-20th June, with performances October 14-17, 2026.

Shaftesbury Arts Centre

Wuthering Heights (18)

A film screening at Shaftesbury Arts Centre based on Emily Brontë’s classic novel.

Shaftesbury Arts Centre

Education & Workshops

Featured

Thu, Jun 11

09:00 – 13:00

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The Wincombe Centre

300

Education & Workshops

Thu, Jun 11

18:30

Weeknight Vegetarian with Joe Woodhouse

Join us for a cookery demonstration with Joe Woodhouse, celebrated chef and food + travel photographer. Joe will showcase delicious recipes from Weeknight Vegetarian, sharing his approach to simple, flavourful vegetarian cooking that celebrates seasonality and makes vegetables exciting. Joe Woodhouse has been vegetarian since age 10 and trained as a chef, working in acclaimed kitchens including Vanilla Black and Towpath Café. He's lauded by colleagues including Anna Jones and Nigella Lawson as one of the best vegetarian chefs in the business. As a photographer, he shoots for clients including Soho Farmhouse, Hakkasan, and Belazu, with work featured in The New Yorker, Bon Appétit, Guardian, Observer and other publications. Weeknight Vegetarian is his third cookbook, featuring 90 recipes that celebrate seasonality and good ingredients with minimal fuss. The book includes practical make-ahead options, easy substitutions, and kitchen hacks—perfect for anyone wanting to cook flavourful vegetarian food without stress.

Primrose Organics

£7

'The Comedy of Errors' Open Air Theatre at Shaftesbury Abbey Gardens

Music & Entertainment

Sat, Jun 13

19:00 – 21:00

'The Comedy of Errors' Open Air Theatre at Shaftesbury Abbey Gardens

Comedy, chaos, quick changes and confusion! The Festival Players return, bringing farce, fast paced storytelling and original music to Shakespeare’s ‘The Comedy of Errors’. It’s the story of twin sons and their twin servants, separated in a shipwreck. The play explores themes of identity, mistaken identity, and family as the twins find themselves in the same town on the same day. Confusion and mishap ensue as no one can tell the twins apart. The Festival Players Company is committed to presenting the very best in touring theatre, providing an accessible and fun filled enjoyable evening. The all-male cast present live original music, traditional costume, boisterous hilarity and more to Shakespeare’s most farcical play, in their 2026 open-air summer theatre tour.

Shaftesbury Abbey Museum & Gardens, Park Walk, Shaftesbury SP7 8JR

£17 Adults, £15 FOSA, £10 Students

Music & Entertainment

Wed, Jun 17

09:00

FIFA World Cup 2026 – England v Croatia

We’re showing England’s World Cup opener live on our screens. Join us for all the action, big match atmosphere and perfectly poured pints as England kick off their tournament campaign.

The Mitre Dorset

Music & Entertainment

Tue, Jun 23

09:00

FIFA World Cup 2026 – England v Ghana

Another huge group-stage clash live on our screens. Join us as England continue their World Cup journey with a buzzing match-day atmosphere from first whistle to last.

The Mitre Dorset

Eat Like A Sardinian - Francesco Mattana

Education & Workshops

Wed, Jun 24

18:30

Eat Like A Sardinian - Francesco Mattana

Join us for a cooking demonstration with Francesco Mattana, chef and online sensation, celebrating his debut book Eat Like a Sardinian. Francesco will share the secrets of Sardinian cuisine—a true blue zone where people live to 100—demonstrating recipes from his book and teaching you how to cook and eat the Sardinian way. Francesco Mattana grew up surrounded by exceptional home cooks in Sardinia, where he developed a deep appreciation for local, seasonal ingredients. After working in Sardinian kitchens and opening his own acclaimed Italian restaurant in Brisbane, he moved to the UK to teach. He was head teacher chef at Jamie Oliver's Cookery School and now hosts cooking classes and demonstrations in the UK and Sardinia. With millions of followers across social media, Francesco brings authentic Sardinian and Italian food to life through teaching and storytelling. Eat Like a Sardinian features 90 accessible recipes celebrating the simple, fresh approach to food that defines the island's legendary longevity and way of life.

The Kitchen Table Dorset

£7

Music & Entertainment

Featured

Fri, Jul 17

09:00

The Shaftesbury Fringe

Alice in Wonderland - Family Theatre

Follow Alice on a madcap adventure down the Rabbit Hole to a land of peculiar creatures and chaotic fun in this family-friendly panto! Lost in Wonderland, Alice meets a very late White Rabbit, goes to the maddest Tea Party with a Hare and a Hatter, and dares to challenge the Queen of Hearts to a game of croquet. But Alice will ever be able to find her way home? And what is the making the strange sounds deep in the Tulgey Woods….. Treehouse Theatre’s summer show is colourful and interactive, filled with excitement, laughter and live music, where you can even play a part on stage if you want to. Cheer the heroes, boo the bad guys, and help Alice save the day in this panto style version of Lewis Carroll's crazy classic. Doors open 30 minutes early - come early if you'd like a part in the show. Age Guide 4+ Family focused (age guide 4+), SEND-friendly and sign-supported

St Peters Church, Shaftesbury

eat:Shaftesbury

eat:Shaftesbury will take place on Sunday 2nd August 10am-4pm – on Park Walk by kind permission of Shaftesbury Town Council. Join us for a delicious, one day celebration of local and regional food and drink, free to attend, inclusive, accessible for all (even the dog!) organised by multi-award winning eat:Festivals. You can expect to find over 70 local food and drink producers, most from within a 30 mile radius, plus street food, music, strolling entertainers and storytelling. Always with a wide range including gluten free, vegan, vegetarian and alcohol free food and drinks. It’s a free day out and a chance to meet friends whilst discovering something new. If you want to have a bit more elbow room, to get the pick of the produce, arrive early! eat:Festivals is a not-for-profit social enterprise that aims to connect communities with the productive landscape that surrounds them, which is good for local business, food producers and for families.

Park Walk

Free