Events and what's on in Dorchester
The historical town of Dorchester has built a range of strong communities over the years, and is now home to many fun and interesting events. Shows, fairs, music festivals and historical events regularly occur in Dorchester.
Dorchester welcomes the ever-popular Dorset County Show on an annual basis, an event certainly worth going to.
For most Dorset towns and villages, Dorchester is relatively easy to get to, so take a look at the upcoming events below.
View Dorchester Events by Date:
The next 24 events in Dorchester appear below.
22 August 2019
Tree Spirits: Make A Clay Face
Dorchester, Dorset
Get to know a tree, have fun with sticks and make a mud creation, in the orchard of Hardy’s Cottage! In this free outdoor workshop we will use clay, twigs and leaves to create expressive faces on the trees.
Join us between 11am and 3pm for this free, creative activity making wild art on the orchard trees at Hardy's Cottage.
This event is free, but normal admission charges apply for the venue.
24 August 2019
Anonymous Festival
Dorchester, Dorset
Anonymous Festival is back for 2019, with a fun-filled day of incredible live music from local young bands, amazing food and stalls on Saturday 24th August 2019, from Noon until 6pm.
Venue: Maumbury Rings
25 August 2019
No.4 Fitness Opening Event
Dorchester, Dorset
Save the date! Gather your friends and join Indy for an hour of 'farm yard' fitness in the Dorset countryside before making our way back to the No.4 Bar to enjoy a variety of freshly made smoothies made from some fresh organic produce.
The first No.4 event will take place on Sunday 25th August at Manor Farm, Cattistock DT2 0JJ at 10:00am 🐄
Join the Facebook event here 👉 https://www.facebook.com/events/1171857339667039/
We can't wait to give you a taste of the country life on your ...
26 August 2019
Maumbury Rings Music Day
Dorchester, Dorset
Free entry so pack your bags with blankets and sun cream for an afternoon and evening of free entertainment with some amazing live bands including Sandtimer, Shadrack Street Band, The Drystones, The Simmertones, The Sessions and Zoe Schwarz and Blue Commotion - Food stalls and bar on site.
30 August 2019
Outdoor Theatre: The Secret Garden
Athelhampton House & Gardens,
Dorchester, Dorset
This summer, join young Mary Lennox on a journey of discovery as she is sent to her uncle’s house in the countryside, where mysteries and secrets lurk round every corner... As she makes new friends and encounters magical creatures, Mary has one burning question: where is the location of her uncle’s secret garden, and where has he hidden the key?
This enchanting story, loved by children and adults alike, is presented in some of the UK and Ireland’s most beautiful outdoor venues. Relive ...
01 September 2019
Autumn Plant Fair
Dorchester, Dorset
Athelhampton House will be hosting the second Plant Fair of the year, organised by Plant Heritage Dorset. The Fair will be open from 10am -3pm and will feature a large number of independent growers from across the South and South West. There will be a wide range of plants including grasses, alpines, herbs, perennials, climbers & shrubs plus some summer bedding and basket plants.. The great advantage is that you can buy direct from the growers at very competitive prices and get specialist ...
05 September 2019
Tree Spirits: Make A Clay Face
Dorchester, Dorset
Get to know a tree, have fun with sticks and make a mud creation, in the orchard of Hardy’s Cottage! In this free outdoor workshop we will use clay, twigs and leaves to create expressive faces on the trees.
Join us between 11am and 3pm for this free, creative activity making wild art on the orchard trees at Hardy's Cottage.
This event is free, but normal admission charges apply for the venue.
07 Sep 2019 to 08 Sep 2019
Dorset County Show
Dorchester, Dorset
A celebration of all things Dorset and the countryside.
Dedicated to superb family entertainment, showcasing agriculture, great shopping and so much more!
13 September 2019
Josie Duncan and Pablo Lafuente
Dorchester, Dorset
2017 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award Winners Josie Duncan and Pablo Lafuente are a vocal/guitar duo like no other.
Calling the Isle of Lewis and Spain home respectively, their music traverses nationalities. Vocals in in Gaelic, Scots and English, their music cover centuries old ballads meet Gaelic puirt a beul, songs from the mines and cotton mills, as well as some original writing.
Josie’s voice, crystal clear. With its slight island twang, equally at home in any of these domains. ...
14 September 2019
Dorchester RFC Charity Ball
Dorchester, Dorset
You are cordially invited to this prestigious event at Dorset County Showground.
The Ball will include a glass of bubbles on arrival, a 3-course dinner, Cocktail bar, tableside entertainment, live music from Rooster, and a special guest speaker Craig Chalmers (ex-Scotland International and British Lions).
There will be an auction of items which include an afternoon tea, for 4, with Lord and Lady Fellowes at Stafford House, a week’s holiday in a harbourside cottage in Porthleven, ...
14 September 2019
Opera: La Boheme
Dorchester, Dorset
Opera Holloway are delighted to be performing Puccini’s La Boheme, a thrilling and passionate love story, as depicted by one of Opera’s true legends.
La Boheme depicts the ever-changing fortunes of the lives of four flatmates, reluctant to leave their student days behind them. Conducted by Lewis Gaston and directed by Fiona Williams, we follow the unfolding love story of Mimi and Rudolfo from its joyous beginnings to the bitter end. Opera Holloway’s production moves the action to a ...
14 September 2019
Weldmar Summer Fete
Dorchester, Dorset
Come and join us for our traditional Summer Fete on Saturday 14th September from 11am until 4pm at Joseph Weld Hospice and help us raise money for Weldmar Hospicecare
Entrance £2 per adult, children go free!
Over 40 stalls including:
Bric a Brac
Books
Hand Crafted Items
Hats and Handbags
Jigsaws and games
CDs & DVDs
Home Produce
Plus much more
Delicious food and drink including:
BBQ
Cream Teas
Delicious cakes
Licensed Bar
With Live Entertainment on the Wessex FM ...
19 Sep 2019 to 21 Sep 2019
Wellbeing by the Lakes
Dorchester, Dorset
Wellbeing by the Lakes is a 3-day festival exploring what it means to be mindful and live well in this fast-paced modern world. A curated blend of experts talks, meditation, movement sessions, art, live performance and healing therapies will open your eyes to fresh experiences for wellbeing.
Set in the picturesque sculpture park nestled in 26 acres of Dorset’s glorious countryside, the event brings together a wide-ranging programme to inspire and revitalise you. Broaden your knowledge, ...
20 Sep 2019 to 22 Sep 2019
Dorset Tango Festival
Dorchester, Dorset
Dorchester is a great place to spend the weekend, it's a historic market town with lots of shopping and restaurants available. Plus you have the added bonus of the beautiful countryside of Dorset with popular seaside resorts of Weymouth and Lulworth Cove just 10 miles away.
The Corn Exchange is a fantastic Victorian building in the middle of Dorchester Town Centre. It has 2 superb dancefloors. Upstairs is the Town Hall and downstairs is the Grand Hall with a capacity of 350. We will be ...
25 September 2019
Jazz: Quentin Collins Sextet
Dorchester, Dorset
As one of the hardest working and in-demand internationally renowned jazz trumpet players, Quentin Collins, has formed an all-star band which is a progression of his quintet with alto sax ace, Tom Harrison. On this tour, Quentin celebrates the release of his new album ‘Road Warrior,’ featuring the star of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, pianist Dan Nimmer. Road Warrior is a musical depiction of life as a touring musician, which all of these artists know too well. Tonight’s group is an all ...
27 September 2019
An Audience with Jonathan Agnew
Dorchester, Dorset
An Audience with Jonathan Agnew is always full of surprises and fun for cricket fans and non-lovers of the game alike. A trip down memory lane, recounting tales from a wonderful and entertaining career on the field and in the commentary box, with film footage, audio clips and photographs on our big screen.
Jonathan Agnew – or “Aggers” as he is known to his many fans – is the BBC’s cricket correspondent and the senior member of the award-winning Test Match Special team.
Jonathan’s ...
04 October 2019
Opera: Gilbert & Sullivan's Patience
Dorchester, Dorset
An approachable and inspired production featuring a cast of fine young singers.
Patience, a light opera by Gilbert and Sullivan is the duo’s extremely witty, infrequently performed little masterpiece about the Aesthetic Movement of the 1880s, with willowy poets, sighing maidens, hearty milkmaids and burly officers galore. Every tune is memorable, every word worth hearing, and the humour is as fresh as it was at the first performance.
Venue: The Corn Exchange
15 Oct 2019 to 20 Oct 2019
Dorchester Literary Festival
Dorchester, Dorset
We have started planning events for this year's festival and some we've confirmed are already on the website. There are more exciting events in the pipeline so keep in touch.
We'll also post the latest news on our Facebook page and keep Twitter updated with the latest news.
Events last approximately one hour. There will be enough time in between each event to enable you to attend consecutive events, although in some cases you may have to change venues. After every event Waterstones ...
31 October 2019
Drinks in the Clink: Spells in the Cells
Dorchester, Dorset
This is a brilliant and unique night out for any school of wizardry fan….
The evening begins with a serving of Butterbeer, a truly tasty beverage straight from the books. From there, things get even boozier with just a swish and a flick. We invite you to try your hand at mixing potions, and yes, they are whipped up in a cauldron. Using a set of ingredients sourced from ancient magick textbooks, you’ll chop, grind, and mix up concoctions such as the Transfiguration Tonic, which you will ...
03 November 2019
The Monster and Mary Shelley (Occasion Theatre)
Dorchester, Dorset
1816 – the year without a summer.
On yet another sun-less day at their villa in Switzerland, Lord Byron challenges his guests Percy and Mary Shelley to ‘each write a ghost story’. Two days later Mary, 18 years old and having recently watched her premature baby die, has a ‘waking dream’ and begins to write a story that will haunt and define her for the rest of her life.
Over 200 years since the publication of ‘Frankenstein’, The Occasion is delighted to present a new production drawing ...
01 December 2019
Christmas at Hardy's Cottage
Dorchester, Dorset
This December, Hardy’s Cottage will be decked with natural decorations of evergreen collected from the cottage garden and surrounding woodlands. Come and warm your toes by the warmth of the fire and get into the festive spirit.
There will be delicious treats for you to sample, prepared by our volunteers using traditional recipes.
Time: 11am to 4pm
This event is free, but normal admission charges apply for the venue.
05 December 2019
Dorchester's Christmas Cracker
Dorchester, Dorset
The date has been set, Santa’s been told and we’re busy making sure the magic will happen again this year. We will be updating our website regularly with information and news as it becomes available so keep an eye out and don’t forget to find and Like us on Facebook.
We hope you will all join us for late night Xmas shopping, seasonal entertainment and other delights.
11 December 2019
Carols at Hardy's Cottage
Dorchester, Dorset
Visit nineteenth-century Dorset with traditional West Gallery Christmas carols in Hardy's Cottage. Members of the Ridgeway Singers will be returning to Hardy's Cottage to revive the old carols sung in Hardy's childhood, as immortalized in 'Under the Greenwood Tree.
Time: 1pm to 4pm.
This event is free, but normal admission charges apply for the venue.
18 December 2019
Carols at Hardy's Cottage
Dorchester, Dorset
Visit nineteenth-century Dorset with traditional West Gallery Christmas carols in Hardy's Cottage. Members of the Ridgeway Singers will be returning to Hardy's Cottage to revive the old carols sung in Hardy's childhood, as immortalized in 'Under the Greenwood Tree'.
Time: 1pm to 4pm.
This event is free, but normal admission charges apply for the venue.
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