What's on in Alnwick and the Coquet coast

Thursday 1 October 2026

• The Alnwick Garden 25th anniversary weekend

  The Alnwick Garden, Alnwick · Evening-only tickets £10; under 16s free with a paying adult (up to four)

  The garden marks 25 years with unseen footage of its creation, bubble shows, live music, rides and games, and after dark a Grand Cascade show with lights, lasers, fireworks and fire jugglers. Organiser

Friday 2 October 2026

• The Alnwick Garden 25th anniversary weekend

  The Alnwick Garden, Alnwick · Evening-only tickets £10; up to four under 16s free per paying adult

  The garden marks 25 years with rides, games, bubble shows and live music by day, then fire jugglers and a finale on the Grand Cascade with lights, lasers and fireworks. Organiser

• Twilight Tales at the Haunted Museum

  17:00 Northumberland Haunted Museum, Amble · £15

  An after-hours walk round the museum with its owner Michele, hearing the stories behind the objects. Limited to six guests. Organiser

• Every Brilliant Thing

  19:30 Amble Parish Hall, Amble · £15 standard, £10 concession

  Theatre by the Lake tours the one-performer play about a child who starts a list of every brilliant thing in life, with the audience helping to tell it. Organiser

Saturday 3 October 2026

• CAST: Legally Blonde the musical

  Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £26, concessions £21, students and children £16

  A local production of the musical that follows Elle Woods from sorority house to Harvard Law School. Organiser

• Newcastle Garrison cannon firing

  Alnwick Castle, Alnwick · Included with castle admission

  The Newcastle Garrison live history group fires a replica Napoleonic cannon on the Gun Terrace every hour, weather permitting. Organiser

Sunday 4 October 2026

• Walk and sketch with Gillian Cross

  10:30 Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre, Amble · £16 plus booking fee

  A gentle outdoor sketching session around the reserve with watercolour artist Gillian Cross. Bring your own materials; it moves indoors if the weather is poor. Organiser

Monday 5 October 2026

• Andy and Margaret Watchorn: Northumbrian music

  14:00 Howick Hall Gardens and Arboretum, Howick · Included with garden admission (£12.65 adults, £4 children)

  Local musicians Andy and Margaret Watchorn play traditional Northumbrian tunes at Howick Hall. Organiser

Tuesday 6 October 2026

• Family spell jar workshop

  17:00 Northumberland Haunted Museum, Amble · £15 per adult and child pair

  Learn the folklore of herbs and crystals, then layer your own spell jar to take home. Only three pairs per session. Organiser

• Tit's Up!

  19:30 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £25

  A funny and moving play about three women facing breast cancer together. Organiser

Thursday 8 October 2026

• An evening with Chris McKinnell

  19:00 Northumberland Haunted Museum, Amble · Free

  A free talk, question and answer session and book signing at Amble's haunted museum. Organiser

• Frankie the Concert

  19:30 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £27

  A tribute to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and their hits. Organiser

Friday 9 October 2026

• NT Live: The Misanthrope

  19:00 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick

  Sandra Oh stars in Martin Crimp's version of Moliere's dark comedy, screened from the National Theatre. Also shown on Tuesday 13 October at 3pm with subtitles. Organiser

Saturday 10 October 2026

• Tastes Through Time: Victorian kitchen

  Alnwick Castle, Alnwick · Included with castle admission

  Costumed experts bring a Victorian kitchen to life with traditional tools, period ingredients and historic menus. Organiser

• Nature reserve open day

  10:00 West Chevington nature reserve, Widdrington · Free

  A chance to explore one of the Trust's newest rewilding reserves, with free parking and staff on hand to talk about the conservation work. There are no toilets or refreshments on site. Organiser

• West Chevington open day

  10:00 West Chevington nature reserve, Widdrington · Free

  A chance to explore the trust's West Chevington reserve near Widdrington, with staff on hand to talk about the conservation work and future plans. Organiser

• Guided reserve wander

  10:30 West Chevington nature reserve, Widdrington · £3

  A leisurely three mile guided walk over uneven ground, looking at the habitats and the work to boost biodiversity. No dogs. Organiser

• West Chevington wander

  10:30 West Chevington nature reserve, Widdrington · £3

  A guided walk through the reserve's habitats, looking at the improvements made by the Biodiversity Boost Project. Organiser

• Celtic Nights

  15:00 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £30

  The MacDonald Brothers lead an afternoon or evening of Scottish and Irish songs, from The Proclaimers to traditional Irish music. Organiser

Sunday 11 October 2026

• Chloe Piano Trio: Alnwick Music Society

  15:00 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £20, ages 19 to 30 £8, under 18s free

  The Alnwick Music Society season opens with the award-winning Chloe Piano Trio playing Beethoven, Dvorak and Kelly-Marie Murphy. Organiser

Tuesday 13 October 2026

• In Focus: try binoculars and telescopes

  10:00 Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre, Hauxley

  In Focus optics experts are on hand at Hauxley with a range of binoculars and telescopes to try out on the reserve's birds. Organiser

• The Sleeping Beauty (ballet screening)

  19:15 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £16

  A screening of Kenneth MacMillan's Sleeping Beauty filmed at the Royal Albert Hall, set to Tchaikovsky's score. Also shown on Thursday 15 October at 12.30pm. Organiser

Wednesday 14 October 2026

• Stones in His Pockets

  19:30 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £12.50

  Two local actors play fourteen characters in the Olivier Award-winning comedy about a Hollywood film crew arriving in a small Irish village. Organiser

Thursday 15 October 2026

• Si King in conversation

  10:30 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £12

  Si King of the Hairy Bikers talks about his cookbook Proper Home Cooking, followed by a book signing, in aid of The Bright Garden Appeal. Organiser

Friday 16 October 2026

• Dom Joly: Trigger Happy TV 25th anniversary tour

  19:30 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · From £31.50

  Dom Joly revisits the hidden camera show with favourite clips and behind-the-scenes stories. Organiser

Saturday 17 October 2026

• Heritage Craft Day

  Alnwick Castle, Alnwick · Included with castle admission

  Woodworkers, stone carvers, willow weavers and medieval craftspeople demonstrate traditional skills, with hands-on activities for all ages. Organiser

• Northumbrian pipes at the castle

  Alnwick Castle, Alnwick · Free with castle admission

  Hear the Northumbrian smallpipes played in the State Rooms and the great kitchen, marking the castle's 300 year link with the instrument. Organiser

• Hauxley Wildlife Talks: bird ringing for beginners

  16:00 Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre, Low Hauxley · Free

  Chris Wright of Ponteland Wildlife Group explains how bird ringing works and what the data tells scientists. Parking charges apply; the cafe offers 20% off before the talk. Organiser

• Hounds of Love: Kate Bush tribute

  19:30 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £30

  A theatrical recreation of Kate Bush's 1979 Tour of Life with a live band. Organiser

Sunday 18 October 2026

• Tom Fool the jester

  Alnwick Castle, Alnwick · Free with castle admission

  The castle's resident jester returns with tricks, tales and medieval mischief, a good one for younger children in the October holidays. Organiser

• Hadestown the musical (screening)

  16:15 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £15, concessions £14

  A screening of the Tony-winning folk and jazz musical that retells the Orpheus myth. Organiser

Monday 19 October 2026

• Tom Fool the jester

  Alnwick Castle, Alnwick · Included with castle admission

  The castle's resident jester performs tricks, tales and medieval mischief in the Inner Bailey in the last days of the season. Organiser

Tuesday 20 October 2026

• Family spell jar workshop

  17:00 Northumberland Haunted Museum, Amble · £15 per adult and child pair

  Learn the folklore of herbs and crystals, then layer your own spell jar to take home. Only three pairs per session. Organiser

Wednesday 21 October 2026

• Animal Farm

  19:00 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £20.50

  Sam Blythe plays every character in this solo version of Orwell's fable, directed by Guy Masterson. Organiser

• Animal Farm (solo stage adaptation)

  19:00 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £20.50

  A one-person stage version of Orwell's Animal Farm in which a single actor plays every character. Organiser

Friday 23 October 2026

• Gaby Gulliver's Travels: shadow puppet show

  11:00 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £10, children £6

  A 45-minute shadow puppet show that sends a young girl through parallel worlds, with time to meet the puppets afterwards. Organiser

• Twilight Tales at the Haunted Museum

  17:00 Northumberland Haunted Museum, Amble · £15

  An after-hours walk round the museum with its owner Michele, hearing the stories behind the objects. Limited to six guests. Organiser

Saturday 24 October 2026

• Arborialis Luminarium by Architects of Air

  The Alnwick Garden, Alnwick

  A giant walk-through inflatable sculpture of light and colour visits The Alnwick Garden for October half term. Organiser

• Gaby Gulliver's Travels: shadow puppet show

  11:00 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £10, children £6

  A 45-minute shadow puppet show that sends a young girl through parallel worlds, with time to meet the puppets afterwards. Also at 1.30pm. Organiser

• Dark skies: the sky is full of ghosts

  18:00 Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre, Amble · £12 plus booking fee

  A Halloween-season stargazing evening with NASTRO's Dr Adrian Jannetta, using the telescope in the Hauxley observatory if skies are clear. Organiser

• Beatles Acoustic Trio

  19:30 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £25

  Three voices, two guitars and a bass play Beatles songs from 1963 onwards, all live. Organiser

Tuesday 27 October 2026

• Family spell jar workshop

  17:00 Northumberland Haunted Museum, Amble · £15 per adult and child pair

  Learn the folklore of herbs and crystals, then layer your own spell jar to take home. Only three pairs per session. Organiser

• Castles: A Fortified History with Dan Jones

  19:00 Alnwick Castle, Alnwick

  An evening book talk at the castle with historian Dan Jones on his history of castles around the world. Organiser

• Dan Jones book talk: Castles

  19:00 Alnwick Castle, Alnwick · £14, or £38 with the book

  Historian Dan Jones talks about his book Castles: A Fortified History of the World, chaired by The History Gossip's Katie Kennedy, with items from the castle archive. Doors 7pm, talk from 7.30pm. Organiser

Wednesday 28 October 2026

• Matilda JR (CAST)

  Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £26, concessions £21, students and children £16

  CAST's young performers take on Matilda JR, the musical about a clever girl who stands up to the grown-ups, in the October half term. Organiser

• Autumn wildlife talk and supper club

  18:00 Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre, Low Hauxley · £22 plus booking fee

  Lee Rankin talks about autumn wildlife over an autumn grazing platter and drinks in the centre's cafe. Organiser

Thursday 29 October 2026

• Amble ghost walk

  19:00 Memorial Clock Tower, Lawson Street, Amble

  A two-hour historical ghost walk through Amble's streets with John Sadler's Time Bandits, ending at The Dock Hotel. Dogs welcome; some uphill sections. Organiser

• Spooky candle making

  19:00 Northumberland Haunted Museum, Amble · £45

  A Halloween workshop making candles and wax melts among the museum's collection. Organiser

Saturday 31 October 2026

• Halloween weekend steam trains

  Aln Valley Railway, Lionheart Station, Alnwick · Return £12.50 adults, £6 children, £33 family

  Steam trains run on the heritage line out of Alnwick, with a bat trail and spooky goings on at the station. Organiser

• Halloween night paranormal investigation

  19:00 Northumberland Haunted Museum, Amble

  A late night paranormal investigation of the museum on Halloween. Organiser

Sunday 1 November 2026

• Holmes and Watson: The Curious Case of the Masked Magician

  14:30 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £20, children £10

  Holmes and Watson investigate a magician who vanishes mid-performance in 1906, with real magic along the way. Organiser

Tuesday 3 November 2026

• Fallen Angels

  13:15 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £17, concessions £15, children £10

  Noel Coward's comedy about two wives whose shared old flame may be about to visit from France. Also on Friday 20 November at 7.15pm. Organiser

• Emma Johnson and Gregory Drott: Alnwick Music Society

  19:30 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £20, ages 19 to 30 £8, under 18s free

  Clarinettist Emma Johnson, a former BBC Young Musician of the Year, plays with pianist Gregory Drott. Organiser

Thursday 5 November 2026

• Hejira: celebrating Joni Mitchell

  19:30 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £28

  A seven-piece band plays Joni Mitchell's late 1970s songs, much of it from her live album era. Organiser

Saturday 7 November 2026

• Alnwick Community Fireworks

  18:00 Alnwick Town Juniors FC, Greensfield, Alnwick · £6 adults, £4 children 4 to 16, under 4s free

  Alnwick Round Table's annual fireworks display at Greensfield, with food and a bar on site. Pay on the gate by cash or card, or buy fast-track tickets online. Organiser

• Alnwick Round Table Fireworks

  18:30 Alnwick Town Juniors Football Club, Greensfield, Alnwick

  Alnwick and District Round Table's community fireworks at Greensfield, with food vendors on site. Tickets can be booked online in advance. Organiser

Sunday 8 November 2026

• Standing in Line

  19:30 Amble Parish Hall, Amble · £15 standard, £10 concession

  Folk songs, poetry and projected images tell the true First World War story of Albert Scrimshaw. Suitable for all ages. Organiser

Tuesday 10 November 2026

• Mark Simmons: Jest to Impress

  19:30 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £20

  One-liner comedian Mark Simmons with a new hour of jokes and quick-fire improvisation. Organiser

Wednesday 11 November 2026

• Eliot Smith's Pitman

  13:30 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £23, concessions £20

  A contemporary dance show inspired by the Pitmen Painters of Northumberland. Organiser

• Eliot Smith's Pitman (dance)

  19:30 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £23, concessions £20

  A contemporary dance piece about the Ashington Group of Pitmen Painters, set to folk, jazz, swing and brass band music. Also a 1.30pm matinee. Organiser