Sue Webster: Birth of an Icon

31 January - 10 May 2026

Defaced leather jackets, memorabilia, self-portraits, video, and installation – journey through a raw, and personal exploration of art, identity, and growing up different.

Holiday Fun April 2026: Canteen

28 March - 11 April 2026

Multiple times available

Enjoy freshly made hot meals for all the family at Firstsite’s Holiday Fun Canteen in Colchester town centre.

Sue Webster: Tour of an Icon

18 April 2026

Multiple times available

Join Sue Webster for an exclusive guided tour of Birth of an Icon. Experience the exhibition through the artist’s own perspective as she shares the stories behind key works and reflects on the ideas and influences that have shaped…

Colchester Art Society at 80

17 January - 12 April 2026

In celebration of Colchester Art Society’s 80th anniversary, be inspired by a rich and varied display of British and local landscapes, everyday objects, and nature seen through the eyes of current members.

Mother’s Pride

03 - 09 April 2026

Multiple times available

A comedy drama about a failing pub, a divided community and a grieving family whose lives are changed by brewing real ale and entering the Great British Beer Awards.

JFTFP26: Hakkenden: Fiction and Reality

29 March 2026

11:00 am

When novelist Bakin’s work reaches its climax, he is struck by tragedy, jeopardising his ability to continue in Hakkenden: Fiction and Reality

Rebecca Riess: Lossless

14 March - 07 June 2026

How do we cope with the noise of the modern world? Rebecca Riess invites you to explore this question through a bold and immersive series of otherworldly large-scale sculptures and installations.

Funny Girl – The Musical

07 - 09 May 2026

Multiple times available

Funny Girl is the bittersweet musical comedy telling the story of the indomitable Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who dreamed of a life on the stage and her tempestuous relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nick Arnstein.

Monochrome Painting: Van Gogh’s Sunflowers

05 April 2026

10:00 am

Monochrome Painting: Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, invites you to reimagine this famous artwork using a limited colour palette.

Walk, Talk & Draw

29 March 2026

10:00 am

Led by local artist Tina Bullen join us for Walk, Talk & Draw, a relaxed and social workshop blending walking and creative exploration.

Hamnet

06 February - 27 March 2026

Multiple times available

From Award winning Chloé Zhao, Hamnet tells the powerful love story that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece.

EA Sustain 2026

28 March 2026

Multiple times available

EA Sustain returns for its third edition on Saturday, 28 March 2026, at Firstsite, Colchester, reaffirming its position as one of the UK’s most dynamic events exploring the intersection of environment, culture and entrepreneurship.

Bluey at the Cinema: Playdates with Friends Collection

05 - 23 April 2026

Multiple times available

Bluey at the Cinema: Playdates with Friends Collection is an hour of fun that features eight episodes from across the TV show’s three series!

Watercolour Workshop

14 March - 13 September 2026

Multiple times available

Explore the materials, techniques and colour theory used to develop your watercolour paintings in this relaxed social session.

Exploring Watercolour with Simon Carter

13 February - 20 June 2026

Multiple times available

Explore the art of watercolour with internationally exhibited contemporary artist Simon Carter in Exploring Watercolour with Simon Carter!

EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert (Parent & Baby)

02 April 2026

11:30 am

Elvis sings and tells his story like never before in EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, a new cinematic experience.

Life Drawing with Justine Moss – all levels

16 September 2023 - 21 June 2026

Multiple times available

Whether you’re a beginner or experienced, gain confidence in drawing the figure, with these tutored life drawing sessions.

GOAT

01 April 2026

2:30 pm

In GOAT, an original action-comedy, Will is determined to revolutionize the sport and prove once and for all that ‘smalls can ball!’

Trust The Process: Observational Drawing

12 February - 17 September 2026

Multiple times available

Our four-part Trust the Process: Observational Drawing workshop invites you to explore the foundations of observational art.

Free Art Jam with Art Harbour

13 February - 18 September 2026

Multiple times available

Based on different themes, Art Jam with Art Harbour is a free opportunity to explore, experiment and develop your own art ideas.

National Theatre Live: All My Sons

16 - 25 April 2026

Multiple times available

Cranston and Jean-Baptiste feature in a triumphantly acclaimed new production of Arthur Miller’s classic National Theatre Live: All My Sons

Krafty Kids

19 April - 17 May 2026

Multiple times available

Krafty Kids is a monthly creative workshop designed for young people aged 9-14 who are curious about art and enjoy making their own work.

Modernist Painting: Cubism and Still Life

20 June 2026

10:00 am

Explore Modernist painting approaches to still life through Cubism and early abstraction, inspired by artists such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Georges Braque, and create your own Cubist-inspired oil painting.

Mini Movers & Makers Toddler Group

11 September 2025 - 18 June 2026

Multiple times available

Artist-led toddler group provides a fun environment for children to explore sensory storytelling and experiment with a range of art activities.

The Firstsite Art Fair

18 April 2026

Multiple times available

The Firstsite Art Fair brings together a diverse range of artists, collectors, art lovers and all who are simply curios about art.

The Royal Opera: Siegfried

05 April 2026

2:00 pm

Raised by a scheming dwarf and unaware of his true family origins, a young man embarks on an epic journey in The Royal Opera: Siegfried.

Boozy Brushes – Paint Your Pet

25 April - 25 July 2026

Multiple times available

Join Sirena Hart at Firstsite for Boozy Brushes a multi-art, Drag entertainment painting class extravaganza where you can paint your pet!

The Testament Of Ann Lee

27 March - 01 April 2026

Multiple times available

An epic fable about Ann Lee, founder of the Shaker Movement, hailed by her followers as the female Christ in The Testament of Ann Lee.

La Scala: Lohengrin – Wagner

26 March - 12 April 2026

Multiple times available

The Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, stages Lohengrin, Richard Wagner’s epic story set in mediaeval Brabant that explores the conflict between Christian faith and Germanic paganism.

Colchester Abstract Collage Art

12 April 2026

10:00 am

Inspired by our Into Abstraction exhibition, explore the art of abstraction in our Colchester Abstract Collage Art workshop.

National Theatre Live: Les Liaisons Dangereuses

25 - 28 June 2026

Multiple times available

Manville joins Turner in a striking new staging of Hampton’s celebrated adaptation in National Theatre Live: Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

25 - 26 March 2026

Multiple times available

A sharply funny, deeply resonant, and electrifying story of Linda as her life crashes down around her in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.

Amelie (25th Anniversary Re-Release)

24 - 30 April 2026

Multiple times available

The lonely 23-year-old Amélie decides to become an active member of her community by doing good deeds for those around her.

EcoArt Collage and Craft

13 February - 12 June 2026

Multiple times available

Join us for our EcoArt Collage and Craft workshop with Clare Sams where creativity meets sustainability in this unique group experience!

EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert (Captioned)

31 March 2026

2:30 pm

Elvis sings and tells his story like never before in EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, a new cinematic experience.

Hoppers (Parent & Baby)

09 April 2026

11:30 am

An animal lover seizes an opportunity to use technology that places her consciousness into a robotic beaver, uncovering mysteries within the animal world that are beyond anything she could’ve imagined.

Orwell: 2+2=5

24 - 25 April 2026

Multiple times available

Acclaimed director, Raoul Peck, interweaves clips, readings from Orwell’s diary, cinematic references, and modern-day footage to craft not only a portrait of the writer, but a fresh take on how prophetic his work has become.

Project Hail Mary

11 - 15 April 2026

Multiple times available

Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there.

Paint Like…

20 February - 10 April 2026

Multiple times available

Learn how to recreate iconic artworks in a supportive and guided environment with our Paint Like… workshop.

Rewilding Imagination Labs

30 April - 12 November 2026

Multiple times available

A monthly gathering for artists, creatives, and the curious to explore the uncharted territories of imagination.

The Bride! (Captioned)

04 April 2026

5:00 pm

In 1930s Chicago, Frankenstein asks Dr. Euphronius to help create a companion. They give life to a murdered woman as the Bride, sparking romance, police interest.

Boozy Brushes

13 February - 15 May 2026

Multiple times available

Join Sirena Hart for Boozy Brushes at Firstsite – our New Multi-Art, Drag entertainment painting class extravaganza!

The Magic Faraway Tree (Parent & Baby)

30 April 2026

11:30 am

The Magic Faraway Tree follows Polly (Claire Foy), Tim (Andrew Garfield) and their three children – a modern family forced to relocate to the remote English countryside.