Festival

London

Camden

The Fincancial Times Weekend Festival hosted at Kenwood is a well-established cultural event hosted by the Financial Times. Enjoy a day of debates, Q&As, food and wine tastings, and more. 

Speakers include Yuval Noah Harari, Lyse Doucet, Peter Frankopan, Jeremy King, Sharon White, David Baddiel, Nicky Haslam, Jay Rayner, Thomasina Miers, Nick Clegg and more, plus all your favourite FT writers and editors.

This event is hosted by the Financial Times and so standard English Heritage admission to Kenwood does not apply.

BOOK TICKETS TO THE FINANCIAL TIMES WEEKEND FESTIVAL

The Financial Times Weekend Festival At Kenwood

Join historian Dr Susan Skedd on a guided walk around the streets of South Kensington and discover where some of its most notable former inhabitants lived and worked. Find out about the lives of celebrated figures from the worlds of music, ballet, theatre and cinema who formerly lived here, including Adelaide Hall and Iris Murdoch who were commemorated last year.

This walk is graded as moderate access, as it entails walking for up to 2 miles with few places to stop and sit down.

Members' Event:

Walmer Castle will be hosting the International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition 2025 for the first time!

Join us from 3 September - 3 November to immerse yourself in nature as you enjoy an exhibition featuring select higher-placed winners from both the International Garden Photographer of the Year and the dedicated Special Award "The Wonders of Walmer".

This stunning exhibition will be on display in the grounds of Walmer Castle. While you're there, explore more than eight acres of award-winning gardens in the grounds of a Tudor fortress turned country house. Built on the orders of Henry VIII to defend England's southern shores, Walmer Castle later became a home for the Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports — among them the Duke of Wellington and the Queen Mother, for whom a beautiful garden was created to mark her 95th birthday.

Please note 3 Nov is for group bookings only as the castle will be closed to visitors.

International Garden Photographer Of The Year

Chatty Café

First Friday of every month from Friday 4th April - 10am-11.30am.

Join us on the first Friday every month from 10.00-11.30am for a chat and a cuppa. There will always be a volunteer on hand so a chat is guaranteed and there is a free cup of tea as well.

Gainsborough Old Hall has been at the heart of the town’s community for hundreds of years and is the perfect meeting place for locals and visitors alike.

Sometimes the best connections are made over a cup of tea and our Chatty Café days are the perfect way to bring people together.

Memory Café

The first Friday of April and May will be extra special Chatty Café days. We’d love to hear your stories about Gainsborough Old Hall and by sharing them you’ll help us keep history alive for future generations.

Our oral history volunteers will be in the café to hear your memories and share your experience of our wonderful building. Whether it’s how you relatives worked or even lived in the hall or how you attended classes there in the 1980s, were looking to find out more and document memories for future generations.

We’ll have some pictures from the hall’s history in display to help us recollect. Your memories matter and we want to hear them!

Chatty Café At Gainsborough Old Hall

Experience the power and glamour of John Singer Sargent’s portraits in Kenwood's new exhibition; Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits.

Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits will reveal the real stories behind the fascinating American women who crossed the Atlantic to marry British aristocrats in an exchange of money for titles. These women include a war-time nurse and the first sitting female MP.

Sargent was one of the most sought-after artists of the Gilded Age and was ‘the artist’ to depict these intriguing women. On the centenary of his death, the exhibition will be a salute to John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), the most admired and sought-after portraitist of the Gilded Age on both sides of the Atlantic. These portraits represent some of his most glamorous and powerful works. In addition to full-length oil paintings, masterful charcoal portraits will also feature, depicting their subjects in a candid and perceptive light.

Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits is curated by English Heritage with the charity drawing upon the expertise of Richard Ormond CBE. The renowned Sargent scholar and the artist’s great-nephew is the exhibition’s consultant.

Book online and save 15%.

Heiress:

Enjoy a landscape walk, led by our knowledgeable volunteer! Learn more about Marble Hill's historic landscape and changes made through time. Please meet outside front of house at 1pm.

  Free Tour, just come along!

Landscape Walk

Come join us at Pendennis Castle for a night of electrifying beats and orchestral magic! The Dance Anthems Orchestra will have you grooving to your favourite dance tunes like never before. Get ready to dance the night away under the stars with friends and fellow music lovers. Don't miss out on this unforgettable experience!

This event (including booking) is managed by UKAC Productions. 

BOOK NOW

Dance Anthems Orchestra At Pendennis Castle

Start the weekend energised with a spot of Community Yoga amongst the backdrop of Marble Hill and it's surroundings! Community based event, meet on the Oval Lawn (Behind House towards River) at 8am.

Community Yoga

Join us at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings to celebrate the results of our eight community workshops in response to the Sarah Evans Community Mosaic Mural. This free drop-in celebration day is on Saturday 6 September from 10am to 2pm.

See the original artwork of the mural on display

See and hear the art created in the workshops.

Create your own piece of art, music and storytelling.

Beyond the Mosaic is delivered by English Heritage in partnership with Vibrant Shropshire as part of This is Shropshire Festival. The commission is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Beyond The Mosaic:

We are delighted to announce that the UK Proms Weekend will be returning to Pendennis Castle in 2025 as part of a UK wide tour of eight iconic historic locations. The 2025 tour will feature new set lists of the most loved classics from film and stage, a rousing finale of Last Night Of The Proms favourites, special guest host Rob Rinder and much else besides.

This event (including booking) is managed by UKAC Productions. 

BOOK NOW

Uk Proms Weekend At Pendennis Castle

Free outdoor sessions to help you feel better, move more, connect with nature, and meet new people—no gym needed!

Come and join us for relaxed, friendly group movement sessions at Dover's Western Heights.

Hike, stretch, breathe, run, and enjoy nature together. It’s all about feeling good in your body and mind, with no pressure and no cost.

Sessions are led by Primal Runners – friendly coaches trained to support all abilities and backgrounds.

  WHO?

Everyone is welcome—especially if you:

Feel stressed, lonely, or stuck indoors

Want to get moving but don’t like gyms

Are new to Dover or new to speaking English

Just want to try something different

Please note: These are active sessions. The walk to the Western Heights is steep and requires good mobility. If you have any questions about accessibility, please get in touch. We're happy to help you work out if the sessions will be suitable for you.

  WHAT?

Each session includes:

A welcome chat

A walk or run through nature

Simple body movement (no equipment needed)

Breathing and calming exercises

Time to talk, share, and connect

No experience or fancy gear is needed. Just wear some trainers and comfortable clothes to move in.

  WHERE?

Meet us at The Rings in Dover's Market Square. We’ll head up to the Western Heights together.

There is pay-and-display parking available in Dover town centre. The nearest railway station is Dover Priory, a 5-minute walk from the Market Square, and Stagecoach buses stop nearby in Pencester Road and Priory Street.

Postcode | CT16 1NU

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  WHEN?

All sessions run from 10am - 2pm on the following dates:

Autumn 2025

Spring 2026

Sun 7 Sep 2025 Sun 15 Mar 2026

Sun 28 Sep 2025 Sun 29 Mar 2026

Sun 12 Oct 2025 Sun 19 Apr 2026

  THIS EVENT IS PART OF ENGLISH HERITAGE'S REACHING GREATER HEIGHTS PROJECT.

Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Reaching Greater Heights is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to restore historic chalk grasslands at Dover Castle and Western Heights, protect rare wildlife and heritage, and empower local communities through volunteering, learning, and activities.

Heights Not Weights:

Spend a lazy Sunday at Brodsworth Hall listening to live music. Each week will bring a different genre for you to enjoy.

  Bring along deck chairs and a picnic and enjoy a wonderful afternoon of music.

  Book early and save 15%.

Sunday Music At Brodsworth Hall

Spend a lazy Sunday at Belsay Hall listening to live music.

Bring your chairs or blankets, grab a refreshing treat from our café, and enjoy a wonderful afternoon of music.

Book early and save 15%.

Sunday Music At Belsay Hall

Spend a lazy Sunday at Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden listening to live music.

Bring your chairs or blankets, grab a refreshing treat from our café, and enjoy a wonderful day of music.

Book early and save 15%.

Sunday Music At Kenilworth Castle And Elizabethan Garden

Spend a lazy Sunday at Belsay Hall listening to live music.

Bring your chairs or blankets, grab a refreshing treat from our café, and enjoy a wonderful afternoon of music.

Sunday 31st August: Caribbean Harmony

Join us for an afternoon of steel drum entertainment with music from the Caribbean.

Sunday 7th September: Bollywood Fusion

Enjoy an afternoon of live music from the east with Bollywood strings.

Sunday 14th September: Miss Marina Mae

An afternoon of music from across the decades awaits with this amazing vocalist. 

Sunday 21st September: Sounds of Time

Enjoy an afternoon of live music from the delightful duo.

Performances will start at 12.30pm & 2.30pm.

Book early and save 15%.

Spend a lazy Sunday at Bolsover Castle listening to live music. Each week will bring a different genre for you to enjoy.

  Bring along deck chairs and a picnic and enjoy a wonderful afternoon of music.

  Book early and save 15%.

Sunday Music At Bolsover Castle

Spend a lazy Sunday at Brodsworth Hall listening to live music. Each week will bring a different genre for you to enjoy.

  Bring along deck chairs and a picnic and enjoy a wonderful afternoon of music.

  Sunday 31 August: Sounds of Time

Sit back and relax as Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer perform folk music from ages past to the modern day. 

Sunday 7 September: Generation Groove

Join us for an afternoon of swing, jazz, pop, and more with this great community band.

Sunday 14 September: Catherine Rannus Trio

Enjoy an afternoon of stunning music with this great Trio.

Sunday 21 September: Take 2 Big Band

Enjoy an afternoon of Big Band with its complex harmonies and syncopated rhythms.

Performances will start at 12.30pm and 2.30pm.

Book early and save 15%.

English Heritage

English Heritage cares for over 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites - from world-famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, from Roman forts on the edges of the empire to a Cold War bunker. 

Through these, we bring the story of England to life for over 10 million people each year. 

The Financial Times Weekend Festival At Kenwood

English Heritage

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