What’s On
Choose a date range:
Reset date range
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.
Find out moreExhibitions
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.
Find out moreExhibitions
Free
YAK: Culture of Curiosities
Saturday 21 June - Sunday 12 October 2025
YAK: Culture of Curiosities curated by our Young Art Kommunity (YAK) showcases how young people use the Internet to portray themselves and the world around them.
Find out moreExhibitions
Free
Voyager 2000: Worldbeing & Wonder?
Saturday 19 July - Sunday 05 October 2025
What does it mean to grow up autistic in a digital world? Voyager 2000: Worldbeing & Wonder invites you on a sensory, emotional, and digital journey through art, technology, and the world we build online – shaped by the perspectives of autistic and disabled people.
Find out moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
Life Drawing with Justine Moss – all levels
Saturday 19 July 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.
Find out moreCinema
Elio (Captioned)
Saturday 19 July 2025
1:45 pm
More times available
Elio struggles to fit in until he is transported by aliens and becomes the chosen one to be Earth’s galactic ambassador!
Find out moreCinema
28 Years Later (Relaxed)
Saturday 19 July 2025
4:30 pm
It’s been 28 Years Later since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine…
Find out moreCinema
From Hilde With Love
Saturday 19 July 2025
7:30 pm
More times available
Inspired by a true story, against the backdrop of a torn country, From Hilde, With Love is a powerful tale of love and resistance.
Find out moreCinema
28 Years Later
Sunday 20 July 2025
11:00 am
More times available
It’s been 28 Years Later since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine…
Find out moreCommunity and Partners
Free
Art in the Community
Tuesday 22 July 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
Find out moreCinema
Elio
Wednesday 23 July 2025
11:00 am
More times available
Elio struggles to fit in until he is transported by aliens and becomes the chosen one to be Earth’s galactic ambassador!
Find out moreCinema
How To Train Your Dragon (Relaxed)
Wednesday 23 July 2025
2:00 pm
More times available
On the isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart in How to Train Your Dragon.
Find out moreCinema
Elio (Parent & Baby)
Thursday 24 July 2025
11:30 am
More times available
Elio struggles to fit in until he is transported by aliens and becomes the chosen one to be Earth’s galactic ambassador!
Find out moreCinema
How To Train Your Dragon
Thursday 24 July 2025
2:00 pm
More times available
On the isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart in How to Train Your Dragon.
Find out moreCinema
F1 The Movie (Parent & Baby)
Friday 25 July 2025
1:30 pm
In F1 The Movie, Sonny Hayes was Formula 1’s most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career.
Find out moreCinema
The Shrouds
Friday 25 July 2025
5:00 pm
More times available
The Shrouds…Karsh, an innovative businessman and grieving widower, builds a device to connect with the dead inside a burial shroud.
Find out moreCinema
Hot Milk
Friday 25 July 2025
8:00 pm
More times available
The directorial debut from award-winning screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Hot Milk is an intimate exploration of self-discovery, desire…
Find out moreExhibitions
Free
Relaxed Hours: Voyager 2000: Worldbeing & Wonder?
Saturday 26 July 2025
More times available
Explore the show about growing up autistic and disabled under technology at a quieter and relaxed time. in our Relaxed Hours: Voyager 2000.
Find out moreCinema
Elio (Relaxed)
Saturday 26 July 2025
11:00 am
Elio struggles to fit in until he is transported by aliens and becomes the chosen one to be Earth’s galactic ambassador!
Find out moreCinema
F1 The Movie (Captioned)
Saturday 26 July 2025
7:00 pm
In F1 The Movie, Sonny Hayes was Formula 1’s most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career.
Find out moreCinema
F1 The Movie
Sunday 27 July 2025
11:00 am
More times available
In F1 The Movie, Sonny Hayes was Formula 1’s most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career.
Find out moreCinema
Roger Waters This Is Not A Drill Live From Prague – The Movie
Sunday 27 July 2025
3:00 pm
The world’s foremost songwriter presents his vision of a better world in Roger Waters This Is Not A Drill Live From Prague – The Movie
Find out moreChildren & Families
Free
Holiday Fun: Summer 2025 – Make
Tuesday 29 July 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 Summer.
Find out moreHoliday Fun
Free
Holiday Fun: Summer 2025 – Athletics
Tuesday 29 July 2025
10:45 am
More times available
On your marks, get set, go! Sprint, leap and throw this summer with our Holiday Fun: Athletics! Learn new skills in a playful sessions.
Find out moreChildren & Families
Free
Holiday Fun: Summer 2025 – Canteen (Early Afternoon)
Tuesday 29 July 2025
11:45 am
More times available
Enjoy freshly made hot meals for all the family in an early afternoon at Firstsite’s Holiday Fun Canteen in Colchester town centre.
Find out moreHoliday Fun
Free
Holiday Fun: Summer 2025 – Canteen (Late Afternoon)
Tuesday 29 July 2025
1:00 pm
More times available
Enjoy freshly made hot meals for all the family at Firstsite’s Holiday Fun Canteen in Colchester town centre.
Find out moreChildren & Families
Free
Holiday Fun: Summer 2025 – Circus
Wednesday 30 July 2025
10:45 am
More times available
Step right up, step right up, for this Summer Holiday Fun session to learn some circus skills with Beef Wright!
Find out moreChildren & Families
Free
Holiday Fun: Summer 2025 – Football
Wednesday 30 July 2025
12:00 pm
More times available
Run, jump and kick this Summer with Holiday Fun Football! Meet your heroes from Colchester Villa in a fun footfall coaching session.
Find out moreChildren & Families
Free
Holiday Fun: Summer 2025 – LEGO
Thursday 31 July 2025
10:45 am
Bring your child along for a fun Holiday Fun: Summer 2025 – LEGO session, where they’ll follow an Otter’s journey through Colchester!
Find out moreHoliday Fun
Free
Holiday Fun: Summer 2025 – Rugby
Thursday 31 July 2025
12:00 pm
More times available
Children can get active and release some steam this Summer with Rugby at Firstsite Holiday Fun in Colchester!
Find out moreChildren & Families
Free
Holiday Fun: Summer 2025 – Gardening
Friday 01 August 2025
10:45 am
More times available
Join us for these hands-on sessions where you will learn how to care for plants through nature inspired arts, crafts and planting.
Find out moreCinema
CBeebies Musical: The Great Ice Cream Hunt
Friday 01 August 2025
2:00 pm
More times available
When all the ice creams go missing, Lolly the cow and Pinecone the hedgehog team up in CBeebies Musical: The Great Ice Cream Hunt!
Find out moreCinema
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (4K Re-release)
Friday 01 August 2025
8:00 pm
More times available
A high-school girl named Makoto becomes The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and decides to use it for her own personal benefits.
Find out moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
Drawing with Charcoal
Saturday 02 August 2025
10:00 am
Join Jordan Cook in making quick and playful drawings with charcoal into ambitious and imaginative works of art.
Find out moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
Decorate a Trinket Dish with Posca Pens
Saturday 02 August 2025
10:00 am
More times available
Come along with the kids to decorate a trinket dish with Posca Pens in our Firstsite Art Fair family workshop!
Find out moreTalks & Events
Free
The Firstsite Art Fair
Saturday 02 August 2025
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
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.
Find out moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
Portfolio Surgery – Morning Sessions
Saturday 02 August 2025
11:00 am
More times available
Book a one-on-one session at our free Artist Portfolio Surgery, where an industry expert will provide professional guidance.
Find out moreHoliday Fun
Free
Holiday Fun: Summer 2025 – Afromoves
Saturday 02 August 2025
12:00 pm
More times available
Dance your way into this summer holiday with fun and energetic Afro-Moves at Firstsite Holiday Fun in Colchester!
Find out moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
Portfolio Surgery – Afternoon Sessions
Saturday 02 August 2025
12:30 pm
More times available
Book a one-on-one session at our free Artist Portfolio Surgery, where an industry expert will provide professional guidance.
Find out moreCinema
The Goonies (40th Anniversary)
Saturday 02 August 2025
5:30 pm
More times available
To save their home from foreclosure, a group of misfits set out to find a pirate’s ancient treasure in The Goonies (40th Anniversary).
Find out moreCinema
How To Train Your Dragon (Captioned)
Sunday 03 August 2025
11:00 am
On the isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart in How to Train Your Dragon.
Find out moreChildren & Families
Free
Holiday Fun: Summer 2025 – Drumming
Wednesday 06 August 2025
10:45 am
More times available
Children can participate in this fun and relaxed session this Summer with Drumming at Firstsite Holiday Fun in Colchester!
Find out moreCinema
Modigliani – Three Days On The Wing Of Madness
Friday 08 August 2025
4:30 pm
More times available
Modigliani – Three Days On The Wing Of Madness is a personal and universal tale of art, love and rejection told during in a whirlwind.
Find out moreCinema
Amadeus (4K Restoration)
Friday 08 August 2025
7:00 pm
More times available
Amadeus (4K Restoration) is the incredible story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told by his peer and secret rival Antonio Salieri.
Find out moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
Boozy Brushes – Paint Your Pal
Friday 08 August 2025
7:30 pm
Join Sirena Hart at Firstsite for Boozy Brushes a multi-art, Drag entertainment painting class extravaganza where you can your pal!
Find out moreCinema
Four Letters Of Love
Saturday 09 August 2025
5:15 pm
More times available
Based on Niall Williams’ best-selling novel, Four Letters of Love, Nicholas and Isabel were made for each other but how will they know it?
Find out moreCinema
Superman
Saturday 09 August 2025
7:45 pm
More times available
Superman, follows the titular superhero as he reconciles his heritage of truth with his human upbringing that views this as old-fashioned.
Find out moreChildren & Families
Free
Holiday Fun: Summer 2025 – Breakdancing
Tuesday 12 August 2025
10:45 am
More times available
Children can show off their best moves with Breakdance at Firstsite Holiday Fun this summer in Colchester!
Find out moreCinema
Smurfs
Friday 15 August 2025
2:00 pm
More times available
When Papa Smurf is mysteriously taken by evil wizards, Smurfette leads the Smurfs on a mission into the real world in Smurfs.
Find out moreCinema
Dying
Friday 15 August 2025
7:00 pm
More times available
Stemming from their parents being ill, a family going through crises may come together through their love of music…or not in Dying.
Find out moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
Boozy Brushes
Friday 15 August 2025
7:30 pm
More times available
Join Sirena Hart for Boozy Brushes at Firstsite – our New Multi-Art, Drag entertainment painting class extravaganza!
Find out moreCinema
Hidden Master: The Legacy Of George Platt Lynes
Thursday 21 August 2025
4:30 pm
More times available
Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes is the legacy of a pioneering, openly gay artist, who took radically explicit photographs.
Find out moreCinema
The Bad Guys 2
Friday 22 August 2025
1:30 pm
More times available
In The Bad Guys 2, the gang are struggling to find trust and acceptance in their newly minted lives as Good Guys.
Find out moreCinema
2000 Meters To Andriivka
Friday 22 August 2025
8:00 pm
More times available
2000 Meters to Andriivka is the horrifying, risky, and harrowing documentary of the conflicts and deadly war between Ukraine and Russia.
Find out moreCinema
Savages
Friday 29 August 2025
11:00 am
More times available
In Borneo, at the edge of the tropical forest, Kéria is given a baby orangutan while the forest is going under a great in Savages.
Find out moreCinema
Late Shift
Friday 29 August 2025
5:30 pm
More times available
Floria, a dedicated nurse, serves in an understaffed hospital ward. However, today her Late Shift becomes a race against the clock.
Find out moreCinema
Bring Her Back
Friday 29 August 2025
8:00 pm
More times available
A brother and sister uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother in Bring Her Back.
Find out moreCommunity and Partners
Colchester Record Fair
Saturday 30 August 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.
Find out moreCinema
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!
Find out moreCinema
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.
Find out moreCommunity and Partners
Folk & Bespoke Artisan Craft Market
Saturday 06 September 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.
Find out moreCommunity and Partners
Colchester Library Rhymetimes at Firstsite
Wednesday 10 September 2025
More times available
While Colchester Library is closed for refurbishment, weekly Baby & Toddler Rhymetimes are continuing at Firstsite.
Find out moreTalks & Events
Firstsite Fabulous Fridays
Friday 12 September 2025
10:00 am
More times available
Immerse yourself in a world of unlimited creativity at our monthly Fabulous Fridays with unique workshops, art, tasty treats and great films!
Find out moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
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.
Find out moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
Origami Workshop
Friday 12 September 2025
7:00 pm
In our Origami Workshop, Lu Yu will guide you step by step through the creation of specific origami shapes in this ancient art form!
Find out moreCinema
Next to Normal
Sunday 14 September 2025
2:00 pm
More times available
Tony® and Pulitzer prize winning show from Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey. Next to Normal explores themes of family and illness, loss and grief.
Find out moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
Watercolour Saturdays with Justine Moss
Saturday 20 September 2025
10:00 am
Explore the materials, techniques and colour theory used to develop your watercolour paintings in this relaxed social session.
Find out moreCinema
Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe
Saturday 27 September 2025
8:00 pm
Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe…one of the world’s greatest singers, Andrea Bocelli has a voice that transcends genres and generations.
Find out moreCinema
The Royal Opera: Tosca
Sunday 05 October 2025
2:00 pm
Tosca and Cavaradossi live for each other and their art. When Cavaradossi helps a prisoner, a deadly enemy is made in The Royal Opera: Tosca
Find out moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
EcoArt Collage and Craft
Friday 10 October 2025
7:00 pm
More times available
Join us for our EcoArt Collage and Craft workshop where creativity meets sustainability in this unique group experience!
Find out moreCinema
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.
Find out moreCinema
National Theatre Live: Mrs. Warren’s Profession
Thursday 23 October 2025
7:00 pm
More times available
Imelda Staunton joins forces with Bessie Carter, in the incendiary moral classic National Theatre Live: Mrs. Warren’s Profession.
Find out moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
Exploring Watercolour with Simon Carter
Friday 24 October 2025
10:00 am
More times available
Explore the art of watercolour with internationally exhibited contemporary artist Simon Carter in Exploring Watercolour with Simon Carter!
Find out moreCinema
Radiohead X Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror
Friday 31 October 2025
8:00 pm
Pairing classic silent movies with epic rock music to bring a unique big screen experience with Radiohead X Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror!
Find out moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
Drag Life Drawing with Sirena Hart
Saturday 01 November 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.
Find out moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
Customise your Clothes with Posca Pens
Friday 07 November 2025
7:00 pm
Learn how to transform your old clothes into wearable vibrant art with Posca pens in our Customise your Clothes with Posca Pens workshop!
Find out moreCinema
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.
Find out moreCinema
The Royal Ballet: La Fille mal gardée
Sunday 09 November 2025
2:00 pm
Lise, the only daughter of Simone, loves the young Colas, but her mother has better plans in The Royal Ballet: La Fille mal gardée.
Find out moreCinema
Exhibition on Screen: Caravaggio
Saturday 15 November 2025
5:00 pm
More times available
Mystery, intrigue, beauty, passion, murder – shine a new light on Caravaggio in this dramatic biography…Exhibition on Screen: Caravaggio
Find out moreCinema
John Cleese Packs It In
Sunday 16 November 2025
2:00 pm
1 85-year-old Man, 5 Countries, 16 Cities, 23 shows, 6 weeks. Will he make it home … or is this the end of the road? John Cleese Packs It In
Find out moreCinema
MET Opera Live: Arabella
Saturday 22 November 2025
5:45 pm
Strauss’s elegant romance brings the glamour and enchantment of 19th-century Vienna in the sumptuous production, MET Opera Live: Arabella.
Find out moreCinema
National Theatre Live: The Fifth Step
Thursday 27 November 2025
7:00 pm
More times available
After years in a 12-step programme of Alcoholics Anonymous, James becomes a sponsor to newcomer Luka in National Theatre Live: The Fifth Step.
Find out moreCinema
The Royal Ballet: Cinderella
Sunday 30 November 2025
2:00 pm
Cinderella’s dreary and dull life changes when she helps a mysterious woman out in The Royal Ballet: Cinderella!
Find out moreCinema
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.
Find out moreCinema
The Royal Ballet: The Nutcracker
Sunday 14 December 2025
2:00 pm
In The Royal Ballet: The Nutcracker, the magician Drosselmeyer needs to save his nephew. Hans-Peter has been transformed into a Nutcracker.
Find out moreCinema
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.
Find out moreCinema
The Royal Opera: La Traviata
Sunday 18 January 2026
2:00 pm
At one of her lavish parties, celebrated Parisan courtesan Violetta is introduced to Alfredo Germont in The Royal Opera: La Traviata.
Find out moreCinema
National Theatre Live: Hamlet
Thursday 22 January 2026
7:00 pm
More times available
Duty and doubt, surrounded by power and privilege, National Theatre Live: Hamlet dares to ask the ultimate question – you know the one.
Find out moreCinema
R.E.M. X Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr.
Sunday 08 February 2026
2:00 pm
Pairing classic silent movies with epic rock music to bring a unique big screen experience with R.E.M. X Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr.!
Find out moreCinema
The Royal Ballet: Woolf Works
Sunday 15 February 2026
2:00 pm
Virginia Woolf defied literary conventions to depict rich inner worlds – her startling and poignant reality in The Royal Ballet: Woolf Works.
Find out moreCinema
The Royal Ballet: Giselle
Sunday 08 March 2026
2:00 pm
The Royal Ballet: Giselle, has fallen in love with Albrecht. When she discovers that he is an unavailable nobleman, she falls in despair.
Find out moreCinema
Exhibition on Screen: Turner and Constable
Saturday 14 March 2026
5:00 pm
More times available
Celebrating the 250th anniversary of their births, Exhibition on Screen: Turner and Constable explores their intertwined lives and legacies
Find out moreCinema
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.
Find out moreCinema
The Royal Opera: Siegfried
Sunday 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.
Find out moreCinema
The Royal Opera: The Magic Flute
Sunday 26 April 2026
2:00 pm
Princess Pamina has been captured. Her mother, tasks the young Prince Tamino with her daughter’s rescue in The Royal Opera: The Magic Flute.
Find out moreCinema
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.
Find out moreCinema
Exhibition on Screen: Frida Kahlo; the Making of an Icon
Sunday 24 May 2026
2:00 pm
More times available
Frida Kahlo is a phenomenon. She is arguably the world’s favourite female artist in Exhibition on Screen: Frida Kahlo; the Making of an Icon.
Find out moreCinema
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.
Find out more