As the leaves turn golden and the air grows crisp, England comes alive with seasonal celebrations – including outdoor experiences to make the most of these early autumn days.
From music, comedy and literature events to breathtaking stargazing opportunities and bountiful harvest festivals, there are plenty of ways for Brits to embrace the new season.
Harvest & Culinary Experiences
NEW: Orchard Trail in “Big Apple” Country – Herefordshire
Now until November
Herefordshire is famous for its apple orchards and cideries, and is the birthplace of many of England’s award-winning brews. Every autumn, its bounty of produce is harvested on farms all over the county, and a new orchard trail will lead adventurous foodies right to the action. Fresh for 2024, this 7.5km route starts in Ledbury and weaves through farms, orchards and hamlets, and up to Marcle Ridge – with plenty of opportunities for tastings and orchard tours along the way. Also this season, Butford Organics will run its popular one-day cider-making course throughout October. Participants will enjoy a hands-on day of learning, milling and pressing, plus juice to take home and turn into their own cider. Cheers to that!
www.visitherefordshire.co.uk/inspiration/exploring-big-apple-country-day-hike-herefordshire-trail | www.butfordorganics.co.uk
Bristol Cocktail Weekend – Bristol, Somerset
Now until 29 September 2024
More than 30 of Bristol’s best-loved bars and speakeasies will serve up £6 signature cocktails and a host of food deals – from pizzas to fine dining – at this year’s Bristol Cocktail Weekend. Grab your wristband and get stuck in! Also don’t miss London Cocktail Week (3 – 31 October 2024) and Newcastle Cocktail Week (27 September – 6 October 2024), with events and offers all over the cities.
www.visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/bristol-cocktail-weekend-p3286083
Taste Cumbria – Cockermouth, Cumbria
28 – 29 September 2024
Taste some of Cumbria’s finest produce at the county’s flagship food festival. Explore plenty of food stalls, a dining court and live cooking demonstrations along with a street party, barbecues, cocktail masterclasses and a prosecco bar. There’s also ticketed events, including a comedy night, a supper club and a local spirits tasting evening.
www.visitlakedistrict.com/whats-on/taste-cumbria-cockermouth-p2164451
England’s Seafood FEAST 2024, Devon
27 September – 13 October 2024
The English Riviera’s Seafood FEAST 2024 will celebrate the region’s seafood culture and culinary creativity. From adventurous cooking experiences to gourmet collaborations, there’s something for every seafood lover to enjoy. On the Coast to Caves dining experience in Kents Cavern, expert forager Flora will give insights into the history and folklore of foraging; meanwhile, the Kayak, Cast and Cookout experience will feature a four-hour adventure exploring the coast by kayak, trying handline mackerel fishing and a BBQ lunch by the beach.
www.englishriviera.co.uk/whats-on/featured-events/seafood-feast
Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival – Aldeburgh, Suffolk
28 – 29 September 2024
Celebrate Suffolk’s finest food and drink with the return of this annual festival. It’s a not-for-profit event, aiming to reconnect people with local villages and market towns, and the bounty of produce from Suffolk’s fields, forests and marshes, rivers and sea. Expect more than 130 local food and drink producers, two live demo stages, kitchen masterclasses, children’s cookery classes, live music, street food, a chocolate experience and more.
www.aldeburghfoodanddrink.co.uk
Foraging and Herbal Medicine Workshop – Cramlington, Northumberland
29 September 2024
Many edible wild plants also have incredible health benefits. This workshop looks specifically at wild herbs, their benefits, and how we can make use of them. Attendees will learn how to correctly identify wild herbs, which will include a mix of trees and plants, and about the importance of staying safe when supplementing with plant medicines. Foragers will be taken on a two-hour guided adventure through local meadows, woodlands and along dense hedgerows in the Cramlington area.
www.cramlingtonforager.co.uk/event-details/foraging-and-herbal-medicine-at-nelson-village-2
NEW: Taste Worcestershire
7 – 21 October 2024
Worcestershire has a proud tradition of growers and great food producers. After the success of local campaigns which included Taste Worcester and A Taste of Bromsgrove, a county-wide initiative is set to unleash a variety of unmissable offers and set menus. Both locals and visitors will be encouraged to experience new restaurants and discover the best locally sourced produce. The scheme will all be accessible through one golden ticket which will be free to download from the Visit Worcestershire website.
www.visitworcestershire.org/business-directory/category/taste-worcester
NEW: Rising Tide Craft Beer Festival – Canterbury, Kent
8 – 9 November 2024
Following the success of its silent discos, Canterbury Cathedral will host a brand-new two-day Kent Beer and Food Festival, organised by Time and Tide Brewery. The festival, set in the Cathedral Lodge Hotel, will celebrate local beer producers and brewing traditions. It will be an indoor, ticketed event in the auditorium and Kentish Barn within the Cathedral grounds.
www.timeandtidebrewing.co.uk/events/p/03ncw601cm7d7f70syfh5kt9rq337g
Music, Comedy & Art Celebrations
NEW: Van Gogh: Poets And Lovers – National Gallery, London
Now until 19 January 2025
To mark its 200th anniversary, the National Gallery will stage its first exhibition of the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh this autumn. It will also mark the centenary of the Gallery’s acquisition of the artist’s Sunflowers (1888) and Van Gogh’s Chair (1889) in 1924, bringing together the most treasured Van Gogh paintings from across the globe, some of which are rarely seen in public.
www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/van-gogh-poets-and-lovers
Evolution The Drone Light Show – Various Locations
26 October (Birmingham) & 16 November (Southampton) 2024
Experience the very latest in creative entertainment this autumn as an epic celebration of life on earth told through hundreds of animated drones goes on tour to Durham, Birmingham and Southampton. Watch as the night sky lights up to tell an extraordinary story from the dawn of time, that sparks imagination and stirs the soul. At each event there will be food and drink outlets and a live DJ ahead of the Evolution The Drone Light Show.
Harrogate Comedy Festival – Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Now until 28 October 2024
Harrogate Comedy Festival has been running for 13 years, bringing the biggest comedy acts to the town. Taking place every October, it has become an institution for Harrogate, putting it firmly on the comedy map as “Comedy Capital of the North”.
www.visitharrogate.co.uk/events/harrogate-comedy-festival
NEW: Jane Austen and the Art of Writing at Jane Austen’s House – Chawton, Hampshire
October 2024
Ahead of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth in 2025, Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire, will open a new permanent exhibition this autumn. “Jane Austen and the Art of Writing” will celebrate Austen as a ground-breaking and ambitious writer in the very house where she created her six novels – directly linking her creative process with the domestic space from which it came. It will also showcase unique letters and first editions, using facsimiles of surviving manuscripts to provide a hands-on experience for visitors and to explain Austen’s writing process. Also in Hampshire the recently launched Jane Austen Jaunt offers a digital walking trail around Southampton from the Go Jauntly App.
www.janeaustens.house/visit/jane-austen-250
75th anniversary of the Cheltenham Literature Festival – Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
4 – 13 October 2024
The world’s first and longest-running literature festival is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Cheltenham Literature Festival champions the written and spoken word by showcasing emerging voices in fiction and poetry, alongside literary legends and prominent speakers. The 10-day program offers a diverse range of ticketed events, free family activities and fringe fun within the regency town. 2024’s line-up includes Dame Judi Dench, Rebecca F. Kuang, Miriam Margolyes and more.
www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature
WOMEX 2024 – Manchester
23 – 27 October 2024
For the first time since 2005, WOMEX, the renowned Worldwide Music Expo, will take place in England. Serving as the largest global gathering and conference for the music industry, Manchester is all set to host this celebration of cultural diversity. The event is held annually in various European cities and features insightful discussions, films and concerts – all with the aim to foster international collaboration.
www.manchestermusiccity.com/womex-2024
NEW: Norwich Book Festival – Norwich, Norfolk
24 – 27 October 2024
A new book festival is launching in Norwich, England’s first UNESCO City of Literature. Through talks and interactive events, it will celebrate the power of stories and the ways that they shape and change our lives. Confirmed authors include historical novelist Alison Weir, Booker prize shortlisted author Andrew Miller, citizen campaigner and former CEO of Oxfam Danny Sriskandarajah, former Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and Booker shortlisted Andrew Miller.
www.theforumnorwich.co.uk/whats-on/norwich-book-festival
River of Light – Liverpool
25 October – 5 November 2024
Liverpool’s annual light festival River of Light will return to the city’s waterfront this autumn with 12 brand-new installations inspired by the theme of ‘Play’. Some of the works will help turn Liverpool’s waterfront into a playground, while others offer a deeper exploration of what ‘play’ can mean for individuals, communities and a city. River of Light is an annual free event that provides an outdoor illuminated gallery on Liverpool’s Waterfront, featuring light and sound from local, national and international artists.
www.visitliverpool.com/riveroflight
Film, TV & Theatre
NEW: Dr. Strangelove – Noël Coward Theatre, London
Opening 8 October 2024
Starring Steve Coogan, Stanley Kubrick’s iconic masterpiece, Dr. Strangelove, will premiere on the West End this autumn – the creation of Armando Iannucci, a BAFTA and Emmy Award-winner, and Olivier Award-winner Sean Foley. This jet-black comedy is an ‘explosively funny satire of mutually assured destruction’, featuring a rogue U.S. General who triggers a nuclear crisis. Just as Peter Sellers did in the 1964 film, Coogan will play multiple roles in this production, which will debut at the Noël Coward Theatre. Until 25 January 2025.
NEW: ‘The World of Tim Burton’ exhibition – The Design Museum, London
25 October 2024 – 21 April 2025
Step inside the eerie, otherworldly film fairytales of Tim Burton: iconic cult classics such as Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Burton’s personal archive of sketches, paintings, sculptures and costume designs is laid bare in this insightful exhibition – detailing the inspirations and creative processes behind his most iconic works. This will be the final stop in the show’s decade-long world tour, and its only UK showing.
www.designmuseum.org/exhibitions/the-world-of-tim-burton
NEW: Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus at Newcastle Castle Keep – Newcastle Upon Tyne
1 – 15 November 2024
This autumn, witness a spine-chilling adaptation of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ at the iconic Newcastle Castle Keep. Under the artistic direction of award-winning director Jake Murray, known for his acclaimed productions such as ‘Dickens by Candlelight’ and ‘Macbeth’, this brand-new rendition, masterfully adapted by writer and producer Craig Wilde, promises to be a theatrical event unlike any other. Set within the ancient walls of Newcastle Castle, the production will transport audiences back to the early 19th Century, immersing them in the gothic atmosphere of Shelley’s novel. The historic Hall of the Castle Keep provides a haunting backdrop for this tale of creation, ambition and horror.
www.niltoni.com/event-details/frankenstein-or-the-modern-prometheus
NEW: Paddington in Peru – Cinemas Nationwide
Opening 8 November 2024
Paddington Bear will return for the third film in the much-loved franchise this autumn. The movie follows him and the Brown family as a mystery sends them on an adventure through the Amazonian rainforest and the mountains of Peru – but expect some London scenes, too. Fans of all things Paddington can visit the Paddington Bear Experience at London’s Southbank (opened on 31 May 2024), with multiple games, music, dancing and experiences to transport you to Paddington’s world.
www.imdb.com/title/tt5822536 | www.paddingtonbearexperience.com
Autumn Adventures in the Great Outdoors
NEW: ‘Begin Off Road’ Electric Dirt Biking at Weston Park, Shropshire / Staffordshire
Launched summer 2024
Begin Off Road, an exciting new electric dirt bike experience, has made its home at the 1,000-acre Weston Park estate on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border. A former motocross rider and expert teacher hosts exhilarating dirt bike sessions through the park’s jungle-like woodlands, deep quarry and scenic hilltop looking out over Capability Brown’s parkland. Routes vary according to the terrain, weather and events taking place in the park. The session includes complimentary access to the Weston Park and Gardens.
www.weston-park.com/begin-off-road
Festival Bowland 60th Anniversary Celebrations – Forest of Bowland, Lancashire
Various Dates through to 2nd December
Festival Bowland has a year-round calendar of events celebrating the nature, landscape, culture and heritage of the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, with 2024 being extra special as it marks the 60th anniversary of the area being recognised for its natural beauty. Festival events include moorland safari birdwatching sessions, bat walks, guided walks, forest bathing, pottery making and access for all trails. Throughout the year, the Forest of Bowland offers scenic countryside for walking, wildlife-watching, stargazing and cycling. Visitors can explore quiet lanes, ancient woodlands, distinctive villages, flower-filled meadows, acclaimed food producers and historic houses.
www.forestofbowland.com/festival-bowland
Mid Devon Walking Festival 2024, Devon
Now until 29 September 2024
The Mid Devon Walking Festival offers an opportunity for walkers of all abilities, as well as wheelchair users and people recovering from physical or mental health issues, to explore the region’s rolling hills, serene lakes and rivers, thriving forests and charming villages. The festival will highlight how to care for the landscape and environment while walking in the countryside, and following the countryside code. For example, on the Killerton Friendly Farming walk you’ll meet the tenant farmer, learn about their nature-friendly practices, and have a chance to purchase some fresh produce.
www.middevon.gov.uk/mid-devon-walking-festival-2024-debuting-soon
Somerset & Exmoor Coast Festival, Somerset and Exmoor
Now until 29 September 2024
Taking place between Brean and Porlock Weir, this active festival will celebrate Somerset and Exmoor’s unique stretch of coastline with guided walks, trail running, live music and food and drink. Up for a big challenge? Look out for the Ultra 100k from Minehead to Brean, and the Marathon from Bridgwater to Brean on 21 September – alongside shorter events and a spectacular fire and light show. On 22 September, the 80 Miles in Eight Days Challenge will begin at Brean Down – ending with a walk from County Gate to Porlock on 29 September. www.visit-exmoor.co.uk/somerset-west-and-taunton-events/events/somerset-exmoor-coast-festival-2024
Autumn Wonders – Burghley House, Lincolnshire
26 September 2026
As autumn arrives, the gardens of England will blaze with seasonal golds and reds – including the grounds of Lincolnshire’s Burghley House. On 26 September, head gardener Joe Whitehead will lead a behind-the-scenes tour of the seasonal displays, as well as an insight into the history of the gardens. Tickets include soup and sandwiches.
www.burghley.co.uk/events/autumn-wonders-in-the-garden
Saltmarsh Coast Walking Festival 2024 – Maldon, Essex
27 September – 6 October 2025
Lace up your hiking boots for this festival of free guided and self-guided walking tours, suitable for all ages and levels of ability. It’s a fantastic opportunity to explore the autumn colours of the Maldon District’s beautiful woodland and coastal landscapes on foot, ranging from Crouch Valley’s vineyards to the historic salt town of Maldon – as well as evening events and entertainment.
www.visitmaldondistrict.co.uk/walkingfestival
Scilly Dark Skies Week – Isles of Scilly
5 – 11 October 2024
Marvel at the Milky Way under some of the UK’s darkest skies on tiny St Martin’s, in the Isles of Scilly. Visitors can immerse themselves in astronomy as they enjoy nightly stargazing, talks and guided observation, hosted by the islands’ community observatory. Join the small team of islanders to learn more about our vast universe and experience the wonder of true darkness of Scilly’s unpolluted night sky.
cosmosscilly.co.uk/dark-skies-week
Dark Skies Fringe Festival – North York Moors National Park, Yorkshire
25 October – 3 November 2024
The North York Moors National Park will celebrate its fifth Dark Skies Fringe festival this autumn, ahead of the Dark Skies Festival’s 10th anniversary in 2025. Hotels will be offering “stay and gaze” packages to spend a night under the stars, guided night walks, stargazing events, daytime adventures and craft activities, bat-box making, mindful experiences and more.
www.darkskiesnationalparks.org.uk/north-york-moors-events
Hot Beds – New Accommodation
Treedwellers, Cornbury Park Estate, Oxfordshire
Nestled within ancient woodland on the Cornbury Park Estate you’ll find seven new eco-minded treehouses, each designed to offer guests an escape from the everyday and a reconnection with nature. The accommodation is intended to blend into the spectacular Cotswolds landscape, and the stylish interiors feature soothing colours, soft fabrics and tactile textures to encourage relaxation.
THE PIG-in the Cotswolds – Barnsley, Gloucestershire
THE PIG-in the Cotswolds is the latest addition to THE PIG’s portfolio of laid-back boutique hotels with a culinary focus. Its new outpost, tucked away in the Cotswolds village of Barnsley, just four miles from Cirencester, is a honey-hued 17th Century Grade II gem with original listed gardens designed by Rosemary Verey. There are hidden gems around every corner of the property – from The Village Pub across the road to the small, but perfectly formed, spa tucked away in the gardens with treatment rooms, a sauna and a sunny outdoor terrace.
Looking ahead to autumn 2025, Warwickshire will welcome THE PIG-on the Farm in Stratford-Upon-Avon, featuring a 16th Century listed stone farmhouse surrounded by barns, stables and outbuildings.
www.thepighotel.com/in-the-cotswolds | www.thepighotel.com/on-the-farm
Seaspace Aparthotel – near Newquay, Cornwall
18 October 2024
Seaspace will be a lifestyle aparthotel near Newquay, offering stylish studios and apartments with full kitchens. Enjoy fresh pastries and barista brews in the café, or handcrafted cocktails and wood-fired pizzas at the restaurant and bar. Dive into a 19-metre Art Deco pool, relax in the hot tub, or join studio fitness and padel tennis classes. Seaspace will also feature an outdoor cinema, water sports equipment hire and self-service larder – all in a vibrant beachside setting.
New Tree Cabins at Tiptoe Retreats – Cornhill-On-Tweed, Northumberland
December 2024
Two new stylish and sustainable Tree Cabins are opening up in the heart of Northumberland’s picturesque landscape. Tiptoe Retreat welcomes guests to relax on a 600 acre family farm, offering cosy stays with views of the Cheviot hills. The soothing River Till meanders through the property, creating a serene backdrop to unwind in nature.
