What’s On
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Exhibitions
Free
Tim Noble & Sue Webster: Love and Hate at Firstsite
Thursday 09 November 2023 - Tuesday 30 September 2025
In this presentation, seven light sculptures by Noble & Webster illuminate areas of the Firstsite building with pops of glimmering colour.
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Free
University Centre Colchester (UCC): Legacy
Saturday 08 March - Sunday 15 June 2025
In partnership with Colchester Institute, we’re proud to present the UCC: Legacy exhibition, featuring an exciting selection of multimedia works by second and third-year students from University Centre Colchester (UCC).
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Free
Elsa James: It Should Not Be Forgotten
Saturday 29 March - Sunday 06 July 2025
Join Essex artist Elsa James in examining the heart of Britain’s colonial past and its lasting impact on Black life today.
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Free
Acorn Village: 50 Years
Saturday 26 April - Sunday 07 September 2025
Discover the inspiring 50-year journey of Acorn Village, told through a rich collection of artworks created by artists with learning disabilities.
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The Foreign Invention of British Art – Leslie Primo
Tuesday 20 May 2025
2:30 pm
Join us for a thought-provoking and insightful session by Leslie Primo in The Arts Society at Firstsite (TASAF) Lecture series!
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Free
Colchester Library Rhymetimes at Firstsite
Wednesday 21 May 2025
More times available
While Colchester Library is closed for refurbishment, weekly Baby & Toddler Rhymetimes are continuing at Firstsite.
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Free
MiniCLIP Colchester
Wednesday 21 May 2025
More times available
MiniCLIP – a free weekly music club for young people age 11 to 14 at Firstsite Colchester, on term time Wednesdays from 4 – 5pm.
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War Paint: Women At War
Wednesday 21 May 2025
11:00 am
More times available
Shining a light on the trailblazing role of women, War Paint – Women At War champions the female perspective on conflict through art.
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Exhibition on Screen: Michelangelo: Love and Death
Wednesday 21 May 2025
2:00 pm
More times available
Michelangelo’s spectacular works seem so familiar, but do we really know this renaissance genius? This is Michelangelo: Love and Death.
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Free
YAK | Young Art Kommunity
Thursday 22 May 2025
More times available
Young Art Kommunity (YAK) is Firstsite’s young-people peer led group which organises events and activities within the gallery and in the wider community.
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Four Mothers (Parent & Baby)
Thursday 22 May 2025
11:30 am
Four Mothers. That’s who a struggling novelist who is forced to take care of over the course of one chaotic weekend in Dublin.
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One To One: John & Yoko
Thursday 22 May 2025
2:15 pm
This is One to One: John & Yoko, John Lennon’s only full-length show after leaving The Beatles, at Madison Square Garden and much more.
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The Return
Thursday 22 May 2025
7:30 pm
The Return after 20 years sees Odysseus finding his wife held prisoner by suitors vying to be king and his son facing death at their hands.
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Dance and Movement for Well-being
Friday 23 May 2025
10:30 am
A gentle session for over 60s to ease joint mobility, improve agility, balance and self-awareness in movement. Every Friday 10:30am during term times.
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The Penguin Lessons
Friday 23 May 2025
11:00 am
More times available
Starring Oscar nominee Steve Coogan, The Penguin Lessons follows an Englishman’s personal and political awakening after he adopts a penguin.
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Escape From Extinction: Rewilding
Friday 23 May 2025
2:00 pm
More times available
Can the world be saved? Narrated by Meryl Streep, follow experts as they seek to Escape from Extinction: Rewilding.
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A Minecraft Movie
Friday 23 May 2025
5:30 pm
More times available
Four misfits — Garrett “The Garbage Man”, Henry, Natalie and Dawn —find themselves struggling with ordinary problems in A Minecraft Movie.
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Boozy Brushes – Paint Your Pet
Friday 23 May 2025
7:30 pm
Join Sirena Hart at Firstsite for Boozy Brushes a multi-art, Drag entertainment painting class extravaganza where you can paint your pet!
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Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story
Friday 23 May 2025
8:00 pm
More times available
Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story recounts her controversial life, novels, love affairs, and stardom through personal journals.
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A Minecraft Movie (Relaxed)
Saturday 24 May 2025
11:00 am
Four misfits — Garrett “The Garbage Man”, Henry, Natalie and Dawn —find themselves struggling with ordinary problems in A Minecraft Movie.
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Getting Started with Drawing
Sunday 25 May 2025
10:00 am
More times available
Join us in Getting Started with Drawing, a relaxed drawing workshop, to explore different drawing techniques and materials.
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The Royal Ballet: Ballet to Broadway: Wheeldon Works
Sunday 25 May 2025
2:00 pm
The Royal Ballet: Ballet to Broadway: Wheeldon Works showcases the remarkable choreographic range of Christopher Wheeldon.
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Free
Holiday Fun: May 2025 – Make
Tuesday 27 May 2025
10:00 am - 2:30 pm
More times available
Get making during our Holiday Fun: Make session with a variety of free creative activities at Firstsite this April.
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Free
Holiday Fun: May 2025 – Athletics
Tuesday 27 May 2025
10:45 am
More times available
On your marks, get set, go! Sprint, leap and throw this spring with our Holiday Fun: Athletics! Learn new skills in our playful sessions.
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Free
Holiday Fun: May 2025 – Canteen
Tuesday 27 May 2025
11:45 am
More times available
Enjoy freshly made hot meals for all the family at Firstsite’s Holiday Fun Canteen in Colchester town centre.
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A Minecraft Movie (Captioned)
Tuesday 27 May 2025
2:00 pm
Four misfits — Garrett “The Garbage Man”, Henry, Natalie and Dawn —find themselves struggling with ordinary problems in A Minecraft Movie.
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Free
Holiday Fun: May 2025 – Football
Wednesday 28 May 2025
12:00 pm
Run, jump and kick this May with Holiday Fun: Football! Meet your local heroes from Colchester Villa and teams in Colchester!
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Free
Holiday Fun: May 2025 – miniCLIP
Thursday 29 May 2025
10:45 am
Join us for a digital based Holiday Fun miniClip Soundscapes session making mini soundscapes using an app called Borderlands Granular Synth.
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The Penguin Lessons (Parent & Baby)
Thursday 29 May 2025
11:30 am
Starring Oscar nominee Steve Coogan, The Penguin Lessons follows an Englishman’s personal and political awakening after he adopts a penguin.
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Free
Holiday Fun: May 2025 – Rugby
Thursday 29 May 2025
12:00 pm
Children can get active and release some steam during the May holidays with Rugby at Firstsite Holiday Fun in Colchester!
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Free
Holiday Fun: May 2025 – Breakdancing
Friday 30 May 2025
10:45 am
Children can show off their best moves and make friends this April with Breakdance at Firstsite Holiday Fun in Colchester!
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Bluey At The Cinema: Let’s Play Chef Collection
Friday 30 May 2025
11:00 am
More times available
Bluey at the Cinema: Let’s Play Chef Collection is a treat for fans of Bluey to enjoy, made up of eight episodes from the TV show.
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Free
Holiday Fun: May 2025 – Gardening
Friday 30 May 2025
12:00 pm
Join us for these hands-on sessions where you will learn how to care for plants through nature inspired arts, crafts and planting.
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Sylvanian Families
Friday 30 May 2025
1:15 pm
The annual Star Festival arrives in Sylvanian Families again this year. While everyone is looking forward to it, Freya is worried.
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April
Friday 30 May 2025
4:00 pm
More times available
Nina is an OB-GYN in the only small hospital of a town. Abstaining from personal relationships, she is unconditionally devoted in April.
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National Theatre Live: Dr. Strangelove (Captioned)
Friday 30 May 2025
7:00 pm
Seven-time BAFTA Award-winner Steve Coogan plays four roles in the world premiere stage adaptation of Dr. Strangelove.
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Colchester Record Fair
Saturday 31 May 2025
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
More times available
Browse the stalls and grab yourself a bargain – or perhaps something a little rarer at the Colchester Record Fair at Firstsite.
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Free
Holiday Fun: May 2025 – Circus
Saturday 31 May 2025
10:45 am
Step right up, step right up, for this May Holiday Fun session to learn some circus skills with Beef Wright!
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Bluey At The Cinema: Let’s Play Chef Collection (Relaxed)
Saturday 31 May 2025
11:00 am
Bluey at the Cinema: Let’s Play Chef Collection is a treat for fans of Bluey to enjoy, made up of eight episodes from the TV show.
Find out moreChildren & Families
Free
Holiday Fun: May 2025 – Afro-moves
Saturday 31 May 2025
12:00 pm
Dance your way into the May holiday with fun and energetic Afro-Moves at Firstsite Holiday Fun in Colchester!
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Holy Cow
Saturday 31 May 2025
2:00 pm
More times available
Holy Cow! Totone’s carefree teenage life of drinking and dancing takes a turn when he must provide for his 7-year-old sister.
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Free
Mary Beard in conversation with Pam Cox MP
Saturday 31 May 2025
5:00 pm
Learn more about Roman Britain, Colchester from Prof Mary Beard in this Q&A hosted by Colchester’s MP, Pam Cox.
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MET Opera Live: Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Saturday 31 May 2025
5:45 pm
MET Opera Live 2024–25 season comes to a close with MET Opera Live: Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Rossini’s effervescent comedy.
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National Theatre Live: Dr. Strangelove
Sunday 01 June 2025
2:00 pm
Seven-time BAFTA Award-winner Steve Coogan plays four roles in the world premiere stage adaptation of Dr. Strangelove.
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Mini Movers & Makers Toddler Group
Thursday 05 June 2025
10:00 am
More times available
This brand new artist-led toddler group provides a safe and fun environment for children under 5 and parents/carers to be curious and explore interactive, sensory storytelling and experiment with a range of art activities and materials.
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Sylvanian Families (Parent & Baby)
Thursday 05 June 2025
11:30 am
The annual Star Festival arrives in Sylvanian Families again this year. While everyone is looking forward to it, Freya is worried.
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Julie Keeps Quiet (Parent & Baby)
Friday 06 June 2025
11:30 am
A talented young tennis player comes under pressure to talk when her coach is investigated for abusing his position in Julie Keeps Quiet.
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Darling (60th Anniversary 4K restoration)
Friday 06 June 2025
2:00 pm
More times available
Diana Scott sleeps her way to the top of the London fashion scene in this Darling (60th Anniversary 4K Restoration).
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Warfare
Friday 06 June 2025
5:00 pm
More times available
Written and directed by Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland, Warfare reveals Mendoza’s real-life experiences.
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National Theatre Live: A Streetcar Named Desire
Friday 06 June 2025
7:00 pm
More times available
Gillian Anderson, Vanessa Kirby, and Ben Foster lead the cast in Tennessee Williams’ timeless masterpiece, A Streetcar Named Desire
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Folk & Bespoke Artisan Craft Market
Saturday 07 June 2025
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
More times available
Have a handmade shopping day. The people in your life deserves something special and for a totally unique gift, you cannot beat handmade.
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Darling (60th Anniversary 4K Restoration) (Relaxed)
Saturday 07 June 2025
2:00 pm
Diana Scott sleeps her way to the top of the London fashion scene in this Darling (60th Anniversary 4K Restoration).
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Julie Keeps Quiet
Saturday 07 June 2025
5:00 pm
More times available
A talented young tennis player comes under pressure to talk when her coach is investigated for abusing his position in Julie Keeps Quiet.
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Julie Keeps Quiet (Captioned)
Sunday 08 June 2025
11:00 am
A talented young tennis player comes under pressure to talk when her coach is investigated for abusing his position in Julie Keeps Quiet.
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Free
Art in the Community
Tuesday 10 June 2025
More times available
Art in the Community sessions are for people who use creativity to improve their well-being, and for recovery from mental and physical issues
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Warfare (Captioned)
Tuesday 10 June 2025
2:00 pm
Written and directed by Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland, Warfare reveals Mendoza’s real-life experiences.
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Boozy Brushes
Friday 13 June 2025
7:30 pm
More times available
Join Sirena Hart for Boozy Brushes at Firstsite – our New Multi-Art, Drag entertainment painting class extravaganza!
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Two To One
Friday 13 June 2025
7:45 pm
More times available
After discovering East German banknotes stashed in underground tunnels three friends plan to bring the money into circulation in Two to One.
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Life Drawing with Justine Moss – all levels
Saturday 14 June 2025
1:30 pm
More times available
Whether you’re a beginner or experienced, gain confidence in drawing the figure, with these tutored life drawing sessions.
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Jesus Christ Superstar Live
Sunday 15 June 2025
2:00 pm
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock classic Jesus Christ Superstar Live returns to its roots with this sensational performance in the UK.
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TASAF Lecture Series: Visual Magic in the Musicals
Tuesday 17 June 2025
2:30 pm
Join us for a thought-provoking and insightful session by Christopher Budd in The Arts Society at Firstsite (TASAF) Lecture series!
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A New Kind of Wilderness (Parent & Baby)
Friday 20 June 2025
11:30 am
On a small farm in a Norwegian forest, the Paynes live a purposefully isolated life, aiming to be wild and free in A New Kind of Wilderness.
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A New Kind of Wilderness
Friday 20 June 2025
2:00 pm
More times available
On a small farm in a Norwegian forest, the Paynes live a purposefully isolated life, aiming to be wild and free in A New Kind of Wilderness.
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The Wedding Banquet
Friday 20 June 2025
5:00 pm
More times available
From Director Ahn comes a comedy of errors about a family navigating the disasters and delights of expectations at The Wedding Banquet.
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Watercolour and Wine
Friday 20 June 2025
7:00 pm
More times available
Celebrate watercolour with an evening of creativity, relaxation and wine at our Watercolour and Wine Workshop!
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The Surfer
Friday 20 June 2025
7:30 pm
More times available
When a man returns to his beach side hometown in Australia, he clashes with a local group of surfers, in The Surfer.
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Billy Elliot The Musical Live (20th Anniversary)
Saturday 21 June 2025
7:00 pm
Billy Elliot The Musical shows Billy’s journey from the boxing ring and into a ballet class where he discovers a passion for dance.
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The Surfer (Captioned)
Tuesday 24 June 2025
2:00 pm
When a man returns to his beach side hometown in Australia, he clashes with a local group of surfers, in The Surfer.
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The Ballad Of Wallis Island
Friday 27 June 2025
2:00 pm
More times available
Eccentric lottery winner Charles dreams of getting his favorite musicians, McGwyer Mortimer, back together in The Ballad of Wallis Island.
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EcoArt Collage and Craft
Friday 27 June 2025
7:00 pm
Join us for our EcoArt Collage and Craft workshop where creativity meets sustainability In this unique group experience!
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Firstsite Fabulous Fridays
Friday 27 June 2025
7:00 pm
Immerse yourself in a world of unlimited creativity at our monthly Fabulous Fridays with unique workshops, art, tasty treats and great films!
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The Salt Path
Saturday 28 June 2025
1:30 pm
More times available
The Salt Path is the profound true story of husband and wife, Raynor and Moth Winn’s trek along the Cornish, Devon and Dorset coastline.
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National Theatre Live: A Streetcar Named Desire (Captioned)
Saturday 28 June 2025
7:00 pm
Gillian Anderson, Vanessa Kirby, and Ben Foster lead the cast in Tennessee Williams’ timeless masterpiece, A Streetcar Named Desire.
Find out moreCinema
The Salt Path (Relaxed)
Sunday 29 June 2025
2:00 pm
The Salt Path is the profound true story of husband and wife, Raynor and Moth Winn’s trek along the Cornish, Devon and Dorset coastline.
Find out moreCinema
The Salt Path (Captioned)
Wednesday 02 July 2025
2:00 pm
The Salt Path is the profound true story of husband and wife, Raynor and Moth Winn’s trek along the Cornish, Devon and Dorset coastline.
Find out moreCinema
The Ballad of Wallis Island (Realxed)
Thursday 03 July 2025
2:00 pm
Eccentric lottery winner Charles dreams of getting his favourite musicians, McGwyer Mortimer, back together in The Ballad of Wallis Island.
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The Ballad of Wallis Island (Captioned)
Thursday 03 July 2025
5:30 pm
Eccentric lottery winner Charles dreams of getting his favourite musicians, McGwyer Mortimer, back together in The Ballad of Wallis Island.
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In Conversation: Elsa James and EMPIRE LINES Podcast
Friday 04 July 2025
7:00 pm
Join artist Elsa James and EMPIRE LINES for a live-recorded conversation on Britain’s colonial past and impact on Black lives today.
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Drag Life Drawing with Sirena Hart
Saturday 05 July 2025
6:00 pm
More times available
A one-of-a-kind life drawing class, where your tutor and model will offer multiple poses in fantastical settings.
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Portfolio Surgery – Morning Sessions
Saturday 02 August 2025
10:00 am
More times available
Book a one-on-one session at our free Artist Portfolio Surgery, where an industry expert will provide professional guidance.
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The Firstsite Art Fair
Saturday 02 August 2025
10:00 am
More times available
The Firstsite Art Fair brings together a diverse range of artists, collectors, art lovers and all who are simply curios about art.
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Portfolio Surgery – Afternoon Sessions
Saturday 02 August 2025
2:00 pm
More times available
Book a one-on-one session at our free Artist Portfolio Surgery, where an industry expert will provide professional guidance.
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André Rieu’s 2025 Maastricht Concert: Waltz the Night Away!
Saturday 30 August 2025
4:15 pm
More times available
Step into a night of music, romance, and celebration this summer from the stunning Vrijthof Square with André Rieu’s Waltz the Night Away!
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National Theatre Live: Inter Alia
Thursday 04 September 2025
7:00 pm
More times available
Oscar-nominated Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, Saltburn) is Jessica in the much-anticipated, Inter Alia, from the team behind Prima Facie.
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Introduction to Collage
Friday 12 September 2025
10:00 am
Sociable, creative and fun Introduction to Collage Workshop where you’ll learn new techniques, unwind and have a delicious lunch together.
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MET Opera Live: La Sonnambula
Saturday 18 October 2025
5:45 pm
Nadine Sierra summits another peak of the soprano repertoire, sleepwalking her way into audiences’ hearts in MET Opera Live: La Sonnambula.
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MET Opera Live: La Bohème
Saturday 08 November 2025
5:45 pm
With its enchanting setting and spellbinding score, the world’s most popular opera is timeless and heartbreaking in MET Opera Live: La Bohème.
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MET Opera Live: Andrea Chénier
Saturday 13 December 2025
5:45 pm
Giordano’s passionate tragedy, MET Opera Live: Andrea Chénier stars tenor Beczała as the poet who falls victim to the French Revolution.
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MET Opera Live: I Puritani
Saturday 10 January 2026
5:45 pm
Experience the first new Met production of Bellini’s final masterpiece in nearly 50 years, MET Opera Live: I Puritani.
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MET Opera Live: Tristan und Isolde
Saturday 21 March 2026
3:45 pm
The electrifying Davidsen tackles one of the ultimate roles: the Irish princess Isolde in MET Opera Live: Tristan und Isolde.
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MET Opera Live: Eugene Onegin
Saturday 02 May 2026
5:45 pm
After debuting in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Grigorian returns as Tatiana, the lovestruck young heroine in MET Opera Live: Eugene Onegin.
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MET Opera Live: El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego
Saturday 30 May 2026
5:45 pm
MET Opera Live: El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego, a magical-realist portrait of Mexico’s painterly power couple Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.
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