What's on in Hexham and Hadrian's Wall

Wednesday 30 September 2026

• Tenderly: The Life and Times of Nat King Cole

  19:30 The Hearth, Horsley · £15 standard, £10 concession

  Duane Forrest tells the story of Nat King Cole through his songs, in a Highlights rural touring show. Organiser

Thursday 1 October 2026

• Lunchtime Live

  13:00 Hexham Abbey, Hexham · Free

  Forty minutes of live music at lunchtime, with a focus on recitals on the Abbey's Phelps organ. Organiser

• Every Brilliant Thing

  19:00 Newbrough Town Hall, Newbrough · £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

• 5 Mistakes That Changed History

  19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £25

  Historian and comedian Paul Coulter tells the stories of historical blunders that reshaped the world, with plenty of laughs along the way. Organiser

Friday 2 October 2026

• Autumn Raceday

  11:40 Hexham Racecourse, Hexham

  National Hunt racing at Hexham, with the first race at 1.38pm. Under 18s go free but need a ticket, and free shuttle buses run from the rail and bus stations. Organiser

• Thank ABBA For The Music

  19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £27.50

  A tribute show packed with ABBA hits, choreography and video projections. A good night out for anyone who knows the words to Dancing Queen. Organiser

Saturday 3 October 2026

• Introduction to navigation

  09:30 The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre, Once Brewed · £40, or £70 for two

  A beginners' map and compass course on a five mile moorland walk, with maps and compasses provided. Bring a packed lunch; no dogs. Organiser

• Hexham Creative and Holistic Market

  10:00 Hexham Racecourse, Hexham

  A monthly market of makers, crafts and holistic stalls held at the racecourse. Organiser

• Potted History: Barbotine ware masterclass

  10:00 Roman Army Museum, Greenhead · £110 (materials and UK shipping included)

  Potter and experimental archaeologist Graham Taylor teaches the Roman slip-trailing technique used to decorate hunt cups, and you decorate your own. Maximum eight places. Organiser

• Walk to Wellbeing: the Stream of History

  11:00 Haltwhistle Market Square, Haltwhistle

  A 4.75 mile guided walk up the Haltwhistle Burn, looking at its industrial past, geology and views of Hadrian's Wall, with a lunch stop. Book by ringing The Sill on 01434 341200. Organiser

Sunday 4 October 2026

• Potted History: Samian ware masterclass

  10:00 Roman Army Museum, Greenhead · £150 (materials and UK shipping included)

  Make your own Samian ware stamps and moulds using the same methods as Gaulish potters, and a bowl is made from them. Bring lunch or use the cafe. Organiser

• Inner ward open day

  11:00 Prudhoe Castle, Prudhoe · Free

  The inner ward and manor house at Prudhoe Castle open on the first Sunday of the month; the outer ward is free to explore every day. Upper floors and the chapel are reached by steep steps. Organiser

• Top Secret: The Magic of Science

  14:00 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £13

  A fast-paced Sunday afternoon show mixing magic tricks with science experiments, promising mystery, suspense and a lot of mess. Organiser

• Every Brilliant Thing

  19:30 Gilsland Village Hall, Gilsland · £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

Monday 5 October 2026

• Hexham and Tynedale Restaurant Week

  Restaurants across Hexham and Tynedale, Hexham

  A week when restaurants across Hexham and Tynedale offer fixed-price menus, discounts or special dishes. A good excuse to book a table somewhere new. Organiser

Wednesday 7 October 2026

• Bach Reimagined

  19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £13

  James Wilton Dance performs athletic contemporary dance to Bach, played live on cello with a heavy metal edge by Raphael Weinroth-Browne. Organiser

Thursday 8 October 2026

• Guided Walk: Wannie Line

  10:30 Scots Gap (Wallington estate), Scots Gap · £5

  A six-mile volunteer-led walk along a former railway line, beside a stream and across farmland, starting from Scots Gap. Dogs on leads welcome. Organiser

Friday 9 October 2026

• The Floyd Effect: Pulse of the Darkside Tour

  19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £30

  A Pink Floyd tribute that pairs The Dark Side of the Moon with material from the Pulse live album, with a full light and laser show. Organiser

Saturday 10 October 2026

• Hexham Farmers' Market

  09:00 Hexham town centre, Hexham · Free

  Local food producers at Hexham's farmers' market in the heart of the town, usually held on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. Organiser

• Hexham Community Arts Open Day

  10:00 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · Free

  More than 20 local creative groups show what they do, with performances and free taster sessions in singing, dance, poetry and ceilidh. A good way to find a new hobby. Organiser

• Newcastle Rugby Foundation Raceday

  11:45 Hexham Racecourse, Hexham

  One of Hexham's busiest Saturday fixtures, with the first race at 1.43pm and children's activities in the afternoon. Under 18s go free with a ticket. Organiser

• The Brothers Gillespie

  19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £15.50

  The Northumbrian folk duo launch their new album with an evening of fingerstyle guitar, close harmonies and a few extra instruments. Organiser

• The Mystery of the Pirate Lagoon

  19:30 Allendale Village Hall, Allendale · £18 supporter, £15 standard, £12 subsidised, £10 concession

  A comic pirate adventure play for all the family, touring village halls with the Highlights rural touring scheme. Organiser

• Qween UK

  19:45 Hexham Abbey, Hexham · From £18

  Queen tribute band Qween UK, fronted by Paul Carr, return to the Abbey for an evening of Queen hits. Organiser

Sunday 11 October 2026

• Traditional hooky mat workshop

  10:30 The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre, Once Brewed · £40

  Learn the history and technique of Northumbrian rag rugs and start your own small mat inspired by the local landscape. Drinks, free parking and a cafe voucher are included. Organiser

Wednesday 14 October 2026

• Andy Fairweather Low and The Low Riders

  19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £31

  The guitarist and singer who has played with Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Bob Dylan brings his band, complete with saxophones, to Hexham. Organiser

Thursday 15 October 2026

• Lunchtime Live

  13:00 Hexham Abbey, Hexham · Free

  Forty minutes of live music at lunchtime, with a focus on recitals on the Abbey's Phelps organ. Organiser

• Rhys James: Chop Logic

  19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £21.50

  Quick-fire stand-up from Rhys James, full of wordplay and cheerful overthinking about big ideas. Organiser

Friday 16 October 2026

• Krocodile Klub

  18:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £5, free carer tickets

  An inclusive club night in the Studio where DJs with learning disabilities, supported by professionals, run the decks. Free tickets for carers. Organiser

• The Sixteen: Choral Pilgrimage

  19:30 Hexham Abbey, Hexham

  Harry Christophers and The Sixteen sing Spanish Renaissance music alongside works by James MacMillan and Kerensa Briggs. Tickets are sold through The Sixteen. Organiser

Saturday 17 October 2026

• Hadrian's Wall Archaeology Forum

  09:45 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £17

  The sixteenth annual forum brings updates from digs at Vindolanda, Milecastle 46 near Carvoran, Carlisle and High Rochester. Mid-morning refreshments are included. Organiser

• The Nest: the shorebirds of Long Nanny

  10:00 Cherryburn, Mickley · £7.50 adults, children free

  Coast ranger James Porteus talks about the birdlife of the Northumberland coast at Thomas Bewick's birthplace, followed by time in the garden. Limited to 20 people; bring binoculars and waterproofs. Organiser

• The Art of Making: panel discussion

  10:30 Roman Army Museum, Greenhead · £25 (£10 Friends of Vindolanda)

  Curator Barbara Birley, artist Susie MacMurray and experimental archaeologist Sally Pointer discuss craft in the Vindolanda collection. The ticket includes same-day entry to both Vindolanda Trust sites. Organiser

Sunday 18 October 2026

• Introduction to sprang with Sally Pointer

  10:00 Roman Army Museum, Greenhead · £105 (materials, refreshments and lunch included)

  A day learning sprang, an ancient textile technique seen in a hairnet from the Vindolanda collection. You go home with your own frame and the start of a bag or hairnet. Organiser

• Go West: We Close Our Eyes, And Other Stories

  19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · £32 standard, VIP options available

  Peter Cox sings the Go West hits and looks back on four decades in music in an intimate evening of songs and stories. Organiser

Tuesday 20 October 2026

• Sky Sports Racing Raceday

  12:00 Hexham Racecourse, Hexham

  A new midweek fixture for 2026, with the first race at 2.01pm and a bouncy castle and garden games for children. Under 18s go free with an adult. Organiser

• Emma Johnson and Gregory Drott: A Celebration of the Clarinet

  19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · £23 adults, £8 students, school children free

  Clarinettist Emma Johnson and pianist Gregory Drott play everything from Mozart and Weber to Poulenc and Gershwin for Hexham and District Music Society. Organiser

Wednesday 21 October 2026

• Metal embossed heart decoration workshop

  10:00 The Hearth, Horsley · £35

  A three-hour craft session making an embossed metal heart decoration, run through the Highlights touring scheme. Organiser

Thursday 22 October 2026

• Curator's after-hours museum tour

  16:30 Vindolanda, Bardon Mill · £150 per person

  An after-hours tour of the Vindolanda museum with curator Barbara Birley, looking closely at the organic finds preserved under the fort. Maximum eight people; light refreshments and same-day site entry included. Organiser

• Emmeline Pankhurst: Angel or Anarchist?

  19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £17.50

  Liz Grand's one-woman play looks at the life of the suffragette leader and the direct action tactics that divided opinion. Organiser

Friday 23 October 2026

• Bog Standard

  19:15 Bardon Mill and Henshaw Village Hall, Bardon Mill · £18 supporter, £15 standard, £12 subsidised, £10 concession

  Journalist Rachel Pugh tells the story of the discovery of Lindow Man, the bog body, with music from harpist Becki Luff. Organiser

Saturday 24 October 2026

• Fleece to Fabric: The Textiles of Vindolanda

  Roman Vindolanda, Bardon Mill · Included with admission

  A half-term drop-in where you can card wool, spin yarn and weave on small looms, and see real Roman textiles from the collection. Included with admission. Organiser

• Hexham Farmers' Market

  09:00 Hexham town centre, Hexham · Free

  Local food producers at Hexham's farmers' market in the heart of the town, usually held on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. The Queen's Hall hosts a free Meet the Makers craft market in its foyer the same morning. Organiser

• Destination: Elton

  19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £21

  A 12-piece band plays the Elton John songbook, from the ballads to the big anthems, with no impersonations or costumes. Organiser

Sunday 25 October 2026

• Sound Down Sunday

  Hexham Old Gaol, Hexham

  A quieter session at Hexham Old Gaol with fewer visitors and the sound turned down in the exhibitions and displays, for anyone who prefers a calmer visit. Organiser

• Sunday Jazz: Sara Oschlag and the Arnie Somogyi Trio

  15:00 Hexham Library, Queen's Hall, Hexham · £10 in advance, £12 on the door

  Danish jazz singer Sara Oschlag joins bassist Arnie Somogyi's trio for a relaxed Sunday afternoon set in Hexham Library. Organiser

Monday 26 October 2026

• Monday Mini Makes: Bat Pom Poms

  10:00 The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre, Once Brewed

  Make a hanging bat decoration ready for Halloween. Sessions at 10am and 2pm; adults stay with their children. Organiser

Tuesday 27 October 2026

• Lantern Making Workshop

  10:00 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · Free

  Make a lantern for the Hexham Lantern Parade in a free 45-minute session in the Queen's Hall foyer. Book a place for each child; sessions at 10am, 11am and 12pm. Organiser

• Building Worlds, Telling Stories

  13:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £6

  A 90-minute half-term creative writing session where children invent a world, draw its map and characters, and write the opening of a story set there. Organiser

Wednesday 28 October 2026

• Wild Wednesday: make a bat box

  10:30 The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre, Once Brewed

  Build a bat box to take home with a National Park ranger and find out how bats are being helped across the park. Grown-ups stay with their children throughout. Organiser

• The Highwayman

  19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £20

  A romantic adventure set in 1769 Yorkshire, following a highwayman through a county obsessed with money and status. Evening show on 28 October and a matinee at 2pm on 29 October. Organiser

Thursday 29 October 2026

• Curator's after-hours museum tour

  16:30 Vindolanda, Bardon Mill · £150 per person

  An after-hours tour of the Vindolanda museum with curator Barbara Birley, looking closely at the organic finds preserved under the fort. Maximum eight people; light refreshments and same-day site entry included. Organiser

Friday 30 October 2026

• Women in Rock

  19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £28

  A tribute show to female rock singers from Janis Joplin and Tina Turner to Stevie Nicks, P!nk and Alanis Morissette, with plenty of costume changes. Organiser

Saturday 31 October 2026

• Spook Night poster workshop

  11:00 Moot Hall, Hexham · Free

  Artist Jonny Hannah helps you design a wanted poster for the Hexham Heads, the carved stone heads found in a Hexham garden in 1971 that were linked to strange happenings and went missing in 1978. Organiser

• Hexham Spook Night

  14:00 Beaumont Street, Hexham

  Hexham's annual Halloween afternoon and evening on Beaumont Street, with rides and competitions for all the family, run by the town council. Organiser

• Tales from the Gaol: artist's open studio

  14:00 Moot Hall, Hexham · Free

  Drop in to artist Jonny Hannah's studio at the Moot Hall to preview artworks being made for Hexham Old Gaol's reopening in April 2027. Visitors can also help with a short film about the Hexham Riot of 1761. Organiser

• Stargazing at Lord Crewe Arms

  19:00 Lord Crewe Arms, Blanchland

  A guided stargazing evening under the dark skies of the North Pennines at Blanchland. Organiser

Tuesday 3 November 2026

• Si King: Welcome Home

  18:15 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £10.50

  The Hairy Bikers star talks about his first solo cookbook of honest, everyday dishes, followed by a book signing. Organiser

• Alexei Sayle: How I've Tried to Change the World

  20:00 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £10.50

  Alexei Sayle looks back, with plenty of jokes, on decades of campaigning for a fairer world. Organiser

Wednesday 4 November 2026

• Feast of the Wild Game Tasting Dinner

  19:00 The Kirkstyle Inn, Slaggyford

  A tasting dinner of locally sourced wild game at the Kirkstyle Inn in the South Tyne valley. Book with the inn. Organiser

• Women's Adventure Film Tour

  19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £9

  Five short documentaries about women taking on remote places and extreme challenges. Organiser

Friday 6 November 2026

• Carpet Gallop Raceday

  11:00 Hexham Racecourse, Hexham

  A Friday of jump racing with the first race at 12.25pm. Free shuttle buses run from Hexham rail and bus stations. Organiser

Saturday 7 November 2026

• Hexham Creative and Holistic Market

  10:00 Hexham Racecourse, Hexham

  A monthly market of makers, crafts and holistic stalls held at the racecourse. Organiser

• Lantern Making Workshop

  10:00 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · Free

  A second chance to make a lantern for the Hexham Lantern Parade, with free 45-minute sessions at 10am, 11am and 12pm. Book a place for each child. Organiser

• Hexham Fireworks

  19:00 Sele Park, Hexham · Free

  Hexham Town Council's free community fireworks over the Sele, supported by the Rotary Club and Tynedale Lions. Volunteers collect donations for future displays and local charities. Organiser

• Standing in Line

  19:30 Humshaugh Village Hall, Humshaugh · £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

Sunday 8 November 2026

• Hexham Remembrance Sunday

  10:15 Hexham War Memorial, Beaumont Street, Hexham · Free

  The Remembrance parade leaves the Moot Hall at 10.15am for the 10.30am service at the war memorial on Beaumont Street. Organiser

• Luca Silvestrini's The Magic Flute

  14:00 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £13

  A 70-minute dance theatre version of Mozart's opera, following Papageno and Prince Tamino on their quest to find Princess Pamina. Organiser

• Sunday Jazz: Greg Abate and the Dean Stockdale Trio

  15:00 Hexham Library, Queen's Hall, Hexham · £10 in advance, £12 on the door

  American saxophonist and flautist Greg Abate plays with pianist Dean Stockdale's trio in Hexham Library. Organiser

Tuesday 10 November 2026

• Ruthie Henshall: The Showgirl and the Prince

  19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £10.50

  The West End star shares backstage stories from her career, including her 1980s romance with Prince Edward during her time in Cats. Organiser

Wednesday 11 November 2026

• Willow birdfeeders workshop

  10:00 The Hearth, Horsley · £35

  A three-hour willow workshop in which you weave two birdfeeders to take home. Places are limited. Organiser