What’s On

Michael Landy: The Essex Way

See a large-scale collage along our building’s magnificent 140m curved wall, created by artist Michael Landy.

Michael Landy: Essex Man (after Collet)

See artist Michael Landy’s artwork ‘Essex Man (after Collet)’ (2021) – a larger-than-life standing figure in our Welcome Area made from a hand drawn reproduction of the original ‘Essex Man’ illustration by Edward Collet in a 1990s Sunday Telegraph.

Sculpture at Firstsite

See artworks by artists Sarah Lucas, Ryan Gander, Julian Opie and Bharti Kher in our new sculpture park.

Simon Carter and Jevan Watkins Jones: Shore Lines

Imagine two drawings by two artists drifting across a five-mile stretch of salt-water, merging and morphing on the surface as they meet. Artists Simon Carter and Jevan Watkins Jones collaborate in this collection of charcoal drawings inspired by their…

Distanced Assemblage: Imagine Lantern House

Contribute your artwork to the Mehdi Jalalaghdamian: Art In Exile exhibition by creating your own Lantern House. Suitable for adults and children of all ages, this fun and thoughtful creative activity is for the whole family.

Mehdi Jalalaghdamian: Art In Exile

Master rug-maker, Mehdi Jalalghdamian, draws attention to the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers worldwide through the traditional craft of Persian rug making

Denis Wirth-Miller: Landscapes and Beasts

Artists Denis Wirth-Miller and Francis Bacon were friends for more than fifty years. However, while Francis Bacon is recognised today as one of Britain’s foremost painters, Denis Wirth-Miller is relatively unheard of. This exhibition, the largest retrospective of Denis’s…

Limitless Street Dance

Breakdance skills for 8 – 14 year olds. Join the Limitless dancers Andi Mill and Isaac James to try out the basics of street dancing in a cool, fun and energetic environment.

Crimes of The Future

As the human species adapts to a synthetic environment, the body undergoes new transformations and mutations.

The Forgiven (Captioned)

Speeding through the Moroccan desert to attend an old friend’s lavish weekend party, wealthy Londoners David and Jo Henninger are involved in a tragic accident.

The Royal Ballet: Mayerling (Live)

Inspired by dark and gripping real-life events, this Royal Ballet classic depicts the sexual and morbid obsessions of Crown Prince Rudolf leading to the murder-suicide scandal with his mistress Mary Vetsera.

Both Sides Of The Blade

Claire Denis’ piercing exploration of married life features a trio of powerful performances by Juliette Binoche, Vincent Lindon, and Grégoire Colin.

YAK | Young Art Kommunity

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.

National Theatre Live: Jack Absolute Flies Again

A rollicking new comedy by Richard Bean (One Man, Two Guvnors) and Oliver Chris (Twelfth Night).

Dance and Movement for Well-being

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.

See How They Run

In the West End of 1950s London, plans for a movie version of a smash-hit play come to an abrupt halt after a pivotal member of the crew is murdered.

NT Live: Prima Facie (captioned)

Tessa is a young, brilliant barrister. She has worked her way up from working class origins to be at the top of her game; defending; cross examining and winning.

Bodies Bodies Bodies

When a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game turns deadly.

E.T. (40th Anniversary) (Relaxed)

A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape Earth and return to his home world.

Billy Joel Live at Yankee Stadium

In celebration of 50 years of Billy Joel, “Live at Yankee Stadium” comes to the big screen for a special two-night fan event.

National Theatre Live: Prima Facie

Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) makes her West End debut in the UK premiere of Suzie Miller’s award-winning play.

Remote

In a post-pandemic near future, five women around the world, all fans of a popular South Korean
dog-groomer-performer, discover mysterious portals in their homes.

Inu-Oh

INU-OH is born with unique physical characteristics, and the horrified adults cover every inch of his body with garments, including a mask on his face.

The Royal Ballet: Mayerling (Encore)

Inspired by dark and gripping real-life events, this Royal Ballet classic depicts the sexual and morbid obsessions of Crown Prince Rudolf leading to the murder-suicide scandal with his mistress Mary Vetsera.

See How They Run (Parent & Baby)

In the West End of 1950s London, plans for a movie version of a smash-hit play come to an abrupt halt after a pivotal member of the crew is murdered. When world-weary Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and eager rookie…

CLiP

CLIP is a weekly meet up for anyone 12 years old and up interested in music and sound. Play with synths, microphones and musical technology.

Mamma Mia!

The story of a bride-to-be trying to find her real father told using hit songs by the popular 1970s group ABBA.

The Royal Opera House: Aida (Live)

Princess Aida has been kidnapped: a valuable prize in a war between Egypt and Ethiopia.

Parent and Toddler

These artist-led sessions provide a safe and fun environment for children under 5 and parents/carers to use their imagination and curiosity to explore, test and experiment with a range of art activities and materials.

The Territory

THE TERRITORY provides an immersive on-the-ground look at the tireless fight of the Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people against the encroaching deforestation.

Moonage Daydream

MOONAGE DAYDREAM is an immersive cinematic experience; an audio-visual space odyssey that not only illuminates the enigmatic legacy of David Bowie.

Funny Pages

Funny Pages follows a teenage boy and wannabe artist who drops out of high school to pursue his dream of making it as a comic-book creator.

Reena Saini Kallat: Leaking Lines

Reena Saini Kallat explores the violence and fragility of national borders by juxtaposing the outlines of boundary lines from across the world with images of the landscapes which they divide.

INU-OH (Relaxed)

INU-OH is born with unique physical characteristics, and the horrified adults cover every inch of his body with garments, including a mask on his face.

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoise (50th Anniversary 4K Restoration)

A surreal, virtually plotless series of dreams centered around six middle-class people and their consistently interrupted attempts to have a meal together.

The Royal Opera House: Aida (Encore)

In this new production, director Robert Carsen situates Verdi’s large-scale political drama within a contemporary world, framing its power struggles and toxic jealousies in the apparatus of a modern, totalitarian state.

Where The Crawdads Sing (Parent and Baby)

Where the Crawdads Sing tells the story of Kya, an abandoned girl who raised herself to adulthood in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina.

Art in the Community

Art in the Community sessions are for people who use creativity to improve their well-being, and for recovery from mental and physical issues

Exhibition On Screen – Hopper – An American Love Story

This new film takes a deep look into Hopper’s art, his life, and his relationships.

The Royal Opera House: La Bohème (Live)

Penniless writer Rodolfo believes that art is all he needs – until he meets Mimì, the lonely seamstress who lives upstairs.

Don’t Worry Darling

Alice and Jack are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project.

MET Opera Live: Medea

Having triumphed at the Met in some of the repertory’s fiercest soprano roles, Sondra Radvanovsky stars as the mythic sorceress who will stop at nothing in her quest for vengeance.

The Royal Opera House: La Bohème (Encore)

Penniless writer Rodolfo believes that art is all he needs – until he meets Mimì, the lonely seamstress who lives upstairs.

So begins a timeless love story that blooms, fades, and rekindles with the passing seasons.

But while the couple’s friends Marcello and Musetta passionately row and make up, a force greater than love threatens Rodolfo and Mimì.

Carlos Acosta’s Don Quixote

Carlos Acosta’s critically acclaimed version of Don Quixote brought an explosion of Spanish sunshine, spectacular dance, and vivacious comedy to the stage.

Dame Zandra Rhodes and Jon Lys Turner in conversation (in building event)

In this conversation, Rhodes and Turner will be discussing and celebrating the never-to-be-repeated lives of Dicky Chopping and Denis Wirth-Miller, their literary and artistic output and their complex relationship with Francis Bacon.

Dame Zandra Rhodes and Jon Lys Turner in conversation (Livestream)

Please note, this is a livestreamed online event. An access link will be emailed to you upon booking. To attend the event in-person in our building please click here to book.    In the early 1960s Zandra Rhodes was…

Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris

A new adaptation of Paul Gallico’s much-loved novel about a cleaning lady in 1950s London who falls in love with an haute couture dress by Christian Dior.

Love Is The Devil

To coincide with Francis Bacon’s birthday week, this biopic of noted painter Francis Bacon focuses on the artist’s unlikely and tumultuous relationship with thief George Dyer, who became Bacon’s lover.

Coldplay Live

Experience the stunning spectacle of Coldplay’s record-breaking Music Of The Spheres world tour at your local cinema with this spectacular worldwide live broadcast.

Francis Bacon

This South Bank Show interview of the artist famous for depicting a screaming Pope and bloody bodies gives an overview of Bacon’s childhood and early career.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (30th Anniversary 4K Restoration)

The centuries old vampire Count Dracula comes to England to seduce his barrister Jonathan Harker’s fiancée Mina Murray and inflict havoc in the foreign land.

Mrs Harris Goes To Paris (Parent & Baby)

A new adaptation of Paul Gallico’s much-loved novel about a cleaning lady in 1950s London who falls in love with an haute couture dress by Christian Dior.

The Lost Boys (35th Anniversary 4K Restoration)

Sam and his older brother Michael are all-American teens with all-American interests.

National Theatre Live: The Seagull

Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) makes her West End debut in this 21st-century retelling of Anton Chekhov’s tale of love and loneliness.

MET Opera Live: La Traviata

New Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin launches his tenure by conducting Verdi’s timeless tragedy.

Exhibition On Screen: Rembrandt

For many, Rembrandt is the greatest artist that ever lived and this deeply moving film seeks to explore the truth about the man behind the legend.

Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker!

The sweetest of all Matthew Bourne’s treats comes to cinemas for the first time.

The Royal Ballet: A Diamond Celebration (Live)

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Friends of Covent Garden, this programme recognizes the amazing support of all ROH Friends past and present.

The Royal Ballet: A Diamond Celebration (Encore)

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Friends of Covent Garden, this programme recognizes the amazing support of all ROH Friends past and present.

A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story

It’s a cold Christmas Eve and mean-spirited miser Ebenezer Scrooge has an unexpected visit from the spirit of his former business partner Jacob Marley.

Nightwatching

Francis Bacon’s portraits were influenced by Rembrandt’s ‘self portrait’ (1659). Essex filmmaker Peter Greenaway, explores the life and work of the artist Rembrandt as he paints the work ‘Nightwatch’.

Exhibition On Screen: Cézanne – Portraits of a Life

Experience one of the most talked-about exhibitions of the year – dedicated to the portrait work of Paul Cézanne.

The Royal Ballet: The Nutcracker (Live)

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 classical dancing

The Royal Ballet: The Nutcracker (Encore)

Join Clara at a delightful Christmas Eve party that becomes a magical adventure once everyone else is tucked up in bed.

Exhibition On Screen: Vincent Van Gogh – A new way of seeing

This exhibition film showcases interviews by the curatorial team at Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

Denis Wirth-Miller and Francis Bacon works were informed by Van Gogh landscapes.

Exposing Muybridge

Exposing Muybridge tells the story of trailblazing 19th-century photographer Eadweard Muybridge, who changed the world with his camera.

The Royal Ballet: Like Water for Chocolate (Live)

Christopher Wheeldon’s new full-length ballet brings the magic realism of this famous modern Mexican novel to The Royal Ballet.

MET Opera Live: Fedora

Giordano’s exhilarating drama Fedora returns to the Met for the first time in 25 years, starring soprano Sonya Yoncheva in the title role of the 19th-century princess.

The Royal Ballet: Like Water for Chocolate (Encore)

Christopher Wheeldon’s new full-length ballet brings the magic realism of this famous modern Mexican novel to The Royal Ballet.

The Goob

In the closing of the Denis Wirth-Miller exhibition, submerge yourself in the cinematography of East Anglian landscapes in The Goob. As a coming of age drama, Goob Taylor, faces challenges and the escapism of adolescence with a strained relationship…

National Theatre Live: The Crucible

A witch hunt is beginning in Arthur Miller’s captivating parable of power with Erin Doherty (The Crown) and Brendan Cowell (Yerma). Raised to be seen but not heard, a group of young women in Salem suddenly find their words…

Hellish Nell: Spiritualism and Psychical Research in Interwar Britain (in building event)

Join Malcolm Gaskill – Emeritus Professor of Early Modern History at the University of East Anglia and one of Britain’s leading experts and authors on the history of witchcraft for live audience talks at Firstsite. 

Hellish Nell: Spiritualism and Psychical Research in Interwar Britain (Livestream)

Join Malcolm Gaskill – Emeritus Professor of Early Modern History at the University of East Anglia and one of Britain’s leading experts and authors on the history of witchcraft – for a live talk online.

The Royal Opera House: The Barber of Seville (Live)

When Rosina falls in love with a mysterious young suitor who calls himself Lindoro, she must use all her cunning – and a little help from her local barber – to outwit her calculating guardian Dr Bartolo.

The Royal Opera House: The Barber of Seville (Encore)

When Rosina falls in love with a mysterious young suitor who calls himself Lindoro, she must use all her cunning – and a little help from her local barber – to outwit her calculating guardian Dr Bartolo.

National Theatre Live: Othello

Wed in secret, Desdemona and Othello crave a new life together. But as unseen forces conspire against them, they find their future is not theirs to decide.

Exhibition On Screen: Mary Cassatt: Painting The Modern Woman

Mary Cassatt made a career painting the lives of the women around her. Her radical images showed them as intellectual, feminine, and real.

MET Opera Live: Lohengrin

Wagner’s Lohengrin returns to the Met stage after an absence of 17 years with this atmospheric new staging by François Girard.

The Royal Opera House: Turandot (Live)

Puccini’s final opera is a glorious pageant of rich colour, dance and drama in Andrei Serban’s classic staging.

The Royal Opera House: Turandot (Encore)

Puccini’s final opera is a glorious pageant of rich colour, dance and drama in Andrei Serban’s classic staging.

MET Opera Live: Falstaff

Baritone Michael Volle stars as the caddish knight Falstaff, gleefully tormented by a trio of clever women who deliver his comeuppance, in Verdi’s glorious Shakespearean comedy.

The Royal Ballet: Cinderella (Live)

A new production of the much-loved Royal Ballet fairytale classic.

MET Opera Live: Der Rosenkavalier

Maestro Simone Young takes the podium to oversee Robert Carsen’s fin-de-siècle staging.

The Royal Ballet: Cinderella (Encore)

A new production of the much-loved Royal Ballet fairytale classic.

Exhibition On Screen: Vermeer

In the spring of 2023, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam will open its doors to the largest Vermeer exhibition in history.

The Royal Opera House: The Marriage of Figaro (Live)

Royal Opera Music Director Antonio Pappano conducts a truly international cast in David McVicar’s timeless production.

MET Opera Live: Champion

Bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green is the young boxer Emile Griffith, who rises from obscurity to become a world champion, and bass-baritone Eric Owens portrays Griffith’s older self, haunted by the ghosts of his past.

The Royal Opera House: The Marriage of Figaro (Encore)

With more twists than a page boy’s stockings, the story of Mozart’s comic opera will surprise and delight you at every turn.

MET Opera Live: Don Giovanni

Tony Award–winning director Ivo van Hove makes his Met debut with a new staging of Mozart’s tragicomedy Don Giovanni.

Exhibition On Screen: TOKYO STORIES

Based on a major exhibition at the Ashmolean in Oxford, Tokyo Stories spans 400 years of incredibly dynamic art.

The Royal Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty (Live)

Be swept away by Tchaikovsky’s ravishing music and Oliver Messel’s sumptuous fairytale designs with this true gem from the classical ballet repertory.

The Royal Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty (Encore)

Be swept away by Tchaikovsky’s ravishing music and Oliver Messel’s sumptuous fairytale designs with this true gem from the classical ballet repertory.

MET Opera Live: Die Zauberflöte

Nathalie Stutzmann conducts her second Mozart work this season with a new production of Die Zauberflöte.

The Royal Opera House: Il Trovatore (Live)

Starring Ludovic Tézier and Jamie Barton, Adele Thomas’s energetic staging sets Verdi’s tale in a Hieronymus Bosch-inspired universe of medieval superstition.

The Royal Opera House: Il Trovatore (Encore)

Starring Ludovic Tézier and Jamie Barton, Adele Thomas’s energetic staging sets Verdi’s tale in a Hieronymus Bosch-inspired universe of medieval superstition.