The poster for the Pigeon Paint Off at City Screen Picturehouse, York, On Saturday
A COMPETIVE Pigeon Paint Off, the biggest of book fairs, top-drawer chamber music and Wright&Grainger’s new material are among Charles Hutchinson’s recommendations for a particularly intriguing week ahead.
Bird show of the week: Dead Toe Society presents Pigeon Paint Off, City Screen Picturehouse, York, Saturday, 12 noon to 5.30pm
THE inaugural Pigeon Paint Off creative fundraising event in support of Columba Sanctuary and Advocacy for Pigeons features a live art competition with 11 artists and resulting picture auction, complemented by a Pigeon Social and Pigeon-themed Pub Quiz from 6pm, with the quiz starting at 7pm. Look out too for bird-themed arts and crafts on sale and a raffle with “some snazzy prizes”.
“Watch talented artists bring original works to life, each one inspired by our feathered friends, in two rounds of one-hour paint-offs with audience votes deciding the champion,” says organiser Sam Crick. “You’ll also be able to learn more about why pigeons are suffering, the issues they are facing, why they need our support and how you can help advocate for their wellbeing.” Tickets:https://www.tickettailor.com/events/deadtoesociety/2373410.
Book event of the week: York National Book Fair, Knavesmire Suite, York Racecourse, Knavesmire, Saturday, 10am to 5pm
AT Britain’s largest antiquarian book fair, 186 ‘bookshops’ are set up under one roof with prices ranging from only a few pounds to tens of thousands for more than 100,000 books. All subjects, all dates, from medieval to ultra-modern, are on sale, along with ephemera, manuscripts, prints, photographs and posters, while trade stands are selling marbled papers and binding materials.
York Racecourse offers unlimited free parking and a free shuttle bus is running from the Memorial Gardens on Railway Street to Knavesmire every 30 minutes. Tickets on the door cost £2. Alternatively, head to https://yorkbookfair.com/one-day-complimentary-ticket-2/ to book a complimentary ticket. Children aged under 16 are admitted for free
Classical festival of the week: York Chamber Music Festival, Saturday and Sunday
THIS year’s festival has invited six of the best string players in Europe – Charlotte Scott and Tim Crawford, violins, Simone van der Giessen and Lilli Maijala, violas, and Adrian Brendel and festival artistic director Tim Lowe, cellos, to participate, along with regular festival artist Katya Apekisheva, the British-based Russian pianist.
On Saturdayy, at 1pm, at St Saviourgate Unitarian Chapel, Brendel plays Imogen Holst’s The Fall Of The Leaf and J. S. Bach’s Cello Suite No 2 in D Minor; at 7.30pm, at the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York, all seven perform Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No 1 in D minor Op 49, Mahler’s Piano Quartet (movement) in A minor – Nicht zu schnell and Brahms’s Piano Quartet in C minor Op 60. All but Apekisheva return for Beethoven’s String Quintet in C Major Op. 29 and Brahms’s String Quintet in F major, Op. 88, on Sunday at 3pm at St Olave’s Church, Marygate. Box office: ycmf.co.uk or 01904 658338.
Artist trail of the week: Staithes Festival of Arts and Heritage, Staithes, near Whitby, Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 5pm
DISCOVER 113 artists exhibiting across 67 venues through Staithes. Explore galleries, cottages, studios and hidden spaces transformed into exhibition venues across the fishing village. Find out who is taking part at https://www.staithesfestival.com/festival/artists.php.
Enjoy live music, buskers, creative workshops, demonstrations, outdoor cinema, family activities and festival extras too. For the full event programme, go to: https://www.staithesfestival.com/festival/events.php.
Americana gig of the week: James Felice & William Lawrence, Pocklington Arts Centre, Saturday, 8pm
JAMES Felice and drummer William Lawrence, two members of New York State’s Felice Brothers, are taking to the road to perform songs from their respective solo works in a dreamy and quiet evening of Americana music and storytelling. James and William last appeared at Pocklington Arts Centre alongside Ian Felice and Jesske Hume in the Felice Brothers gig in June 2021. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
Songs old and new of the week: Michael Ball, Glow UK Tour, York Barbican, Saturday, doors 7pm
MUSICAL star and radio and TV presenter Michael Ball promotes his 23rd solo album, Glow, on his 25-date tour.
“There’s probably only one thing I enjoy more than being in the studio – writing, producing and singing songs with people I love – and that’s taking it all out on the road and performing those songs, as well as all the old favourites to the audiences I love,” he says. Liss Jones supports. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Comedy gig of the week: Urzila Carlson, Fatty On A Yacht, York Barbican, Sunday, 8pm
SOUTH African-New Zealander Urzila Carlson returns to the UK with her understated punchlines and signature deadpan delivery in Fatty On A Yacht. Ever felt like you don’t belong? Like everyone else got the memo – and you turned up in the wrong outfit, on the wrong day, on the wrong yacht? Carlson’s new show is for anyone who has ever tried to squeeze into a space, physical or social, and thought “This can’t be right”. “It’s about not fitting in, standing out and laughing about it anyway,” she says. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Country gig of the week: Ward Thomas, Celebrating 10 Years Of Cartwheels Tour, York Barbican, September 14, 7.30pm
HAMPSHIRE twin sisters Catherine and Lizzy Ward Thomas perform their second album in its entirety, revisiting the record – written at home and in Nashville – that made history as the first by a British country act to top the UK Albums Chart in 2016.
“We had to plan a celebration for its ten-year anniversary,” says Lizzy. “We’ll be bringing our full band, doing a type of show we haven’t done in a long time.” The Wandering Hearts support. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
New music, words and stories of the week: Wright& Grainger, Scratch An Itch, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, September 18, 7.30pm
IN a rare little moment of public-facing recklessness, Easingwold duo Wright&Grainger have some brand new stuff they wish try out in front of, and with, some other people. “It’ll defo involve a piano,” say Alex and Phil. “It’ll defo have music and words and story.
“There’s some tasty clues to follow, some sweet ideas to develop, some scary instincts to trust. And now there’s this big and warm open invite to you, to come join. So please do. We’d love that. Fingers crossed it’ll be good.” Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
An artwork by Ian Burke, one of 113 artists participating in Staithes Festival of Art and Heritage at 67 locations in the fishing village
THIS weekend’s festival celebrates art, creativity, music and heritage throughout the historic fishing village of Staithes, near Whitby, North Yorkshire.
Enjoy a packed programme of live music, headline concerts, creative workshops, demonstrations, outdoor cinema, family activities and festival extras.
DISCOVER 113 artists exhibiting across 67 venues throughout Staithes, including 15 students from Northern School of Art (Middlesbrough campus) taking part in a group exhibition. Full-time students Sophieand Harry will exhibit independently at St Peter’s Centre and 1 Webster Steps.
Explore galleries, cottages, studios and hidden spaces transformed into exhibition venues across the village. Explore the artists at https://www.staithesfestival.com/festival/artists.php.
Eliza Carthy: Performing at Staithes Memorial Village Hall tonight at 7.30pm with a new punk-spirited albumto promote. Recorded with The Restitution, Frenemies is set for release on October 26, addressing themes of motherhood, the state of the modern world, forgiveness and personal resilience as Eliza turned 50. Guest contributors to the recording include Jools Holland, Robyn Hitchcock, actors Miranda Richardson and Tim McInnerny, and Queen Of Harps
Live Music
ENJOY ticketed headline concerts by folk fiddler and singer Eliza Carthy, of Robin Hood’s Bay, at Staithes Memorial Village Hall from 7.30pm to 9.30pm tonight and Saltburn-by-the-Sea shanty group Saltburn Smugglers, same venue, same show time, tomorrow.
Taking part will be Dire Staithes and Wall Of Noise tonight; Saltburn Ukulele Band, Men Of Staithes, Becky Foord, Nick Rooke Band and Andy Blackford’s WYSIWYG tomorrow; Irish Coalminers Fylingdales Folk Choir, Michael Nagasaka and Ben Beattie and Men Of Staithes on Sunday. Look out for buskers and pop-up performances around Staithes throughout Saturday and Sunday.
Heritage
DISCOVER the stories, history and landscape of Staithes through heritage talks, guided walks, geology, fossils and events celebrating the village’s artistic and maritime past.Some heritage events are free, while others require payment or advance booking at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/staithesfestivalofartsandheritage.
South Bank Studios seascape acrylic artist Carolyn Coles: Taking part in Staithes Festival of Arts and Heritage at Kindly Light, Wesleyan Chapel, Chapel Yard, Staithes
Further highlights
Outdoor Cinema at Kippers Corner
Friday and Saturday, 9pm
Venue: Kippers Corner, High Street Cost: Free Presented by: Staithes Cinema Club
As the sun sets, join the gathering on the High Street opposite Kippers Corner. Bring your deckchairs and blankets for a screening of films about Staithes’ past and present, telling the story of thisremarkable village.
As dusk settles over Staithes, visitors can look forward to the festival’s lighting show, adding colour, atmosphere and a little extra magic to the village after dark.
Explore the Jurassic world on a guided rock-platform walk between Staithes Harbour and Old Nab.
The people behind the Yorkshire Fossil Festival bring together a family programme of fossils, science and creativity, with walks, talks, craft workshops and hands-on activities exploring the deep-time heritage of Staithes and the surrounding area.
Suitable for beginners and enthusiasts.
More information: Earth Science Outreach UK
Yorkshire Marine Nature Partnership
Saturday, 10am to 4pm
Venue: Cowbar Staith Cost: Free
Explore examples of Concrete Coast enhancements designed to blur the boundary between land and sea, helping coastal defences work for both people and nature.
Be inspired by coastal textures and your own relationship with the sea, then contribute to a collaborative community print tapestry.
Booking: No booking required—drop in throughout the day
GO hands-on with creative activities led by creative scientists.
Part of the Staithes Rocks programme, this drop-in workshop brings together fossils, science and creativity while exploring the deep-time heritage of Staithes and the surrounding area.
Discover what happens when engineering and science become kinetic art.
Watch colour, movement and physics come together as swinging pendulums create constantly changing patterns in this family-friendly display.
Booking: No booking required
Heritage & Local History
Rod Jewell’s Staithes Experience: Heritage Exhibition
Saturday and Sunday, 10am to5pm
Venue: Granary Yard Garage Studio Cost: Free
Roll up, roll up for a continuous and rare silent film showing the arrival of the motorised Staithes lifeboat in 1924, along with reels from Rod’s treasured Victorian magic-lantern collection of unpublished slides featuring bygone Staithes in the 1890s, the Staithes Group of Artists and fisherfolk.
Immerse yourself in collector Rod’s Staithes Experience. Photographs, antiques, ephemera and bric-a-brac will be on display and available to buy.
Rod is the author of the photographic village history Staithes: Between Two Nabs.
Booking: No booking required
An artwork by York digital photomontage and mixed media artist Adele Karmazyn. Find her work rooted in a fascination with antiquities, weathered textures and forgotten spaces at High House, Cinder Path, Staithes
Bill Hinchley’s Guided History Walk
Saturday and Sunday, 11am to1pm
Meeting point: Bank Top viewpoint, Staithes Lane Cost: Donations in aid of the Great North Air Ambulance Booking: Advance booking required
Join lifelong Staithes resident and historian Bill Hinchley for a captivating heritage walk through the village.
Equipped with coastal humour, personal memories and rich storytelling, Bill brings the historic fishing village vividly to life.
Venue: Poplar House, High Street Cost: £5 per lot consigned, payable on the day
Find out more about your family heirlooms, prized possessions or boot-sale bargains with Bargain Hunt’s Caroline Hawley and her auctioneer husband, John.
Hawleys Auctioneers will be on hand to value and share information about jewellery, watches, coins, silver, paintings and objets d’art.
Venue: Singing Waters Yard, High Street Cost: £5, payable on the day
Spin your own masterpiece with Ed and Al in Singing Waters Yard – fun for the young and not so young. Create a piece of art to take home as a memento of your visit to Staithes Festival.
Booking: No booking required—pay on the day
Painting Demonstrations with Lynton Parmar-Hemsley
Saturday and Sunday, 10.30am to 4pm
Venue: Staithes Gallery, High Street Cost: Free
Visit Staithes Gallery during the festival weekend to see painting demonstrations by artist Lynton Parmar-Hemsley throughout Saturday and Sunday.
Venue: Sunday School beneath the Wesleyan Chapel, Chapel Yard With: Artist Ian Burke Cost: £15 Booking: Advance booking advised
Explore the dramatic effect of light falling across one side of the face using simple relief-linocut techniques. No drawing experience is required.
Ian will provide expressive black-and-white portrait images inspired by woodcuts, which participants will transfer onto lino and carve as the first printing block. A second lino block will then be created to print the light and bring out the features through contrast and tone.
During the session, you will create your own striking chiaroscuro portrait print and explore how light can define form and expression.
Preening, Staithes, by Yorkshire wildlife artist Tracey Waddington, whose work will be at Harbour Cottage, High Street, Staithes
Recycled Copper Ring-Making
Saturday and Sunday, 1pm to 5pm
Venue: Chapel Garth, High Street With: Bean Creative Cost: £7 per person, payable on the day Session length: Approximately 20 minutes
Try something a little different by making your own unique copper-pipe ring using old plumbing parts. Become creative with files and hammers to produce a beautiful ring: the perfect piece of recycled festival jewellery.
Join artist Sue Nichol for a free drop-in painting demonstration. She will show how she creates her bold and colourful paintings inspired by the Yorkshire coast and its famous sailing cobles.
View the artwork created by the talented winners of the children’s seaside art competition and have a go at winning raffle prizes.All funds raised will help support the festival.
Booking: No booking required More information: Co-op
Poetry & Performance
The Stand-Up Tragedy Show
Sunday, 10.15am to 11.45am
Venue: The Lifeboat Shed Cost: Free With: Andy Blackford, Carmen Marcus and Bob Beagrie
The Stand-Up Tragedy Show features Andy Blackford—voted 1970’s Man Least Likely To Make 30—and his more talented friends, the poets Carmen Marcus and Bob Beagrie.
Please note, there is no festival visitor parking in the old village. Instead, festival parking will be available at Cowbar, with a free shuttle service for visitors who need assistance.
Check the latest parking, travel and accessibility information before setting off. For more information, go to: https://www.staithesfestival.com/plan-your-visit-to-staithes/parking.php.
York artist Mark Hearld’s poster illustration for the 2026 York National Book Fair
YORK National Book Fair, the largest antiquarian book fair in Great Britain, will be held in the Knavesmire Suite at York Racecourse, Knavesmire, York, on September 11 , from 12 noon to 7pm, and September 12, 10am to 5pm.
As many as 185 ‘bookshops’ will be set up under one roof with prices ranging from only a few pounds to tens of thousands. All subjects, all dates, from medieval to ultra-modern, will be on sale, along with ephemera, manuscripts, prints and photographs.
Two new exhibitors specialising in collectable posters will join this year’s line-up at a fair organised by Tony Fothergill, of Ken Spelman Books, Lucius Books, based in Micklegate, and Janette Ray, who runs a rare and and out-of-print bookshop, focusing on architecture, design, art, photography and landscape subjects, in Bootham, on behalf of the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association.
A range of trade stands will sell marbled papers and binding materials, complemented by providers of services to the book trade, including software and packaging material suppliers,
From modest beginnings with only 20 exhibitors at the White Swan Inn in York in 1974, the York Book Fair has grown into the largest, and many say friendliest, rare, antiquarian and out-of–print book fair in the UK and Europe.
Anyone interested in books and reading is encouraged to attend a fair that is not only for dealers or traders but also is open to everyone young and old and is an ideal place to start collecting, with more than 100,000 books – some more than 500 years old – for sale.
York Raceourse offers unlimited free parking and a free shuttle bus will run from the Memorial Gardens on Railway Street, to Knavesmire, every 30 minutes.
The live art competition – restricted to vegan art materials – and resulting picture auction will take place between 12 noon and 5.30pm, complemented by a Pigeon Social and Pigeon-themed Pub Quiz from 6pm, the quiz starting at 7pm. Look out too for bird-themed arts and crafts on sale and a raffle. Doors open from 11.30am.
Eleven artistswill go head-to-head in two one-hour rounds to create a unique pigeon-inspired piece of art, and you can watch them in action from start to finish.
“After all the artists have completed their masterpieces, you will vote for your winnerand decide which artist will be the very first Pigeon Paint Off champion,” says Dead Toe Society organiser Sam Crick.
“In addition to voting for your favourite artist, you’ll have the opportunity to bid on your favourite pigeon masterpiece. The highest bidder wins. You can own your very own unique piece of pigeon art while donating to help the pigeons.
“We’ll also be selling and raffling some snazzy bird-themed arts and crafts in the City Screen foyer. You can browse the goodies, have a drink or something to eat and view the exhibition.”
Event host the Dead Toe Society was founded by the Calder Valley-based @advocacy_for_pigeons, whose modus operandi combines art and activism in promoting pigeon rights.
Pigeon Paint Off organiser Sam Crick, left, and City Screen Picturehouse general manager Cath Sharp
“We absolutely adore pigeons, but they’ve become a bird that is despised,” says Sam, who previously ran York Stringfoot Pigeon Rescue. “It’s love or hate with pigeons. There’s no-one that isn’t bothered either way. There are very strong feelings about them – we even get shouted out when we feed them or de-string them.”
In York, 608 pigeons were shot by London North East Railways between January 2025 and April 2026 at York Railway Station, making it the highest among state-managed rail operators, as a safety measure against slippery droppings on platforms.
Only the day before this interview, Sam had taken a wood pigeon to a vet after it had suffered a compound fracture when being kicked. The bird had to be put to sleep.
“In another incident, a pigeon was thrown out of a window of a moving car by children, which is an animal crime, and was reported to us by a lady from The Portal Bookshop in York,” says Sam.
“One of reasons some people hate pigeons in cities is they don’t want to see feral animals in urban spaces. There’s this disconnect, not wanting to allow wildlife to co-exist with us in these spaces.”
Sam continues: “Pigeons are some of the most misunderstood animals in the world and we think it’s time that changed. That’s why it’s important to draw attention to their maltreatment.
“So we’ve created Pigeon Paint Off, our pigeon-themed live art competition and accompanying exhibition that celebrates the wonderful pigeon and gives these amazing birds the appreciation they deserve.
“Get ready for the very first Pigeon Paint Off live art competition as talented artists bring original works to life, each one inspired by our feathered friends, in two rounds of one-hour paint-offs with talks taking place either side of that.
“You’ll also have the opportunity to purchase the artwork created during the competition, with proceeds supporting Columba Sanctuary and Advocacy for Pigeons, as well as the artists themselves.”
Alongside the main event, visitors can explore a curated exhibition featuring additional artworks by the participating artists. “Running from 12 noon till late, the day will be filled with talks, stalls and plenty of creative energy in this fantastic riverside venue” says Sam.
“The Pigeon Paint Off competition is a ticketed event, but the exhibition is free to visit, so even if you can’t make the live competition, you can still come along, see the artwork and support the artists and the cause.
A pigeon painting by York’s premier pigeon artist Sharon McDonagh, alias spAm, who has sent a message of support for Saturday’s event
“You’ll also be able to learn more about why pigeons are suffering, the issues they are facing, why they need us to advocate for them due to the challenges they face in their everyday lives.”
The Columba Sanctuary aviary is run by City Screen Picturehouse general manager Cath Sharp at Barmby Moor, near York.
“It’s a one-person, not-for-profit pigeon sanctuary created to save the lives of feral, homeless or non-releasable pigeons who would otherwise face euthanasia or a slow death from lack of care,” says Cath, who names her sanctuary after the Latin name for the larger breed of pigeon. “Alongside rescue, we provide compassionate education about the need for pigeon rescue.”
The sanctuary is run entirely by Cath, who helps pigeons and other birds simply for the love of doing it. She does so alongside her busy full-time job through the generous help of donations and volunteers. Please note, the sanctuary is unable to take baby birds that need feeding every few hours.
In addition to pigeons, Cath’s aviary houses nine crows, a rook, two jays, named Jay-Z and Jam Master, and a blackbird called Spike.
Looking forward to playing host to the Pigeon Paint Off at City Screen, she says: “It will bring people from all over the country to take part in the paint-off, which will be followed by the exhibition running for three weeks.”
York’s premier pigeon artist, Sharon McDonagh, alias spAm, will not be able to take part in the Pigeon Paint Off on account of her own commitment that day, when artworks from the RARE Collective’s PaintJam at AcombFest in July will be auctioned off at an event hosted at the Carlton Tavern, in Acomb Road, in aid of SASH, York (Safe and Sound Homes).
“But I will be doing another Columba Sanctuary pigeon art raffle at some point this year,” says Sharon. “Pigeons remind me of my Dad. I’ve loved pigeons since being a kid, so he built me a huge pigeon loft down garden so I could rescue pigeons. My first one, Joey, had a broken wing and lived with my rabbits.
“They’re the underdogs and were once held in high esteem but now they’re deemed as ‘vermin’ and treated really badly, which I find so upsetting and a tragedy after they did so much for us back in the day.
An earlier poster for the Pigeon Paint Off at City Screen Picturehouse
“They’re very affectionate and love human contact. They’re such a cool bird…and always make me smile.”
Saturday’s Pigeon Paint Off will be supported by York School of Art, Blueberry Academy, Beck Hall, Malham, Junk Soul Smothered and Little Green Pigeon.
What is the Dead Toe Society?
“DEAD Toe Society is an arts and activism initiative I founded that uses creative projects and community engagement to challenge harmful attitudes towards non-human animals,” says Sam Crick. “My main focus is on changing public perceptions on pigeons and promoting coexistence in our shared urban spaces.”
Why is it called the Dead Toe Society? “The reason I got into pigeons was that I saw an injured pigeon in my my lunch break one day, and I could see that the bird had something around its feet,” says Sam.
“It took a month to ‘catch’ the bird, after I studied a video on YouTube on how to catch them, and then a toe dropped off in my hand, hence the Dead Toe Society. There’ve been many injured pigeon toes that have dropped off in my lap since then.”
Sam is organising the National Pigeon Advocacy’s International Pigeon Advocacy Conference at Derby Conference Centre on October 10 & 11. “We’ll have the whole venue to ourselves; there’ll be vegan catering, lots of guest speakers, and I’ll be doing an art creative project,” she says. Tickets are on sale at nationalpigeonadvocacyassociation.co.uk.
Pigeon merchandise will be sold at the two-day conference, including clothes, gifts and cards from Little Green Pigeon (littlegreenpigeon.co.uk).
“It’s about teaching people to be kind and considerate, and hopefully being kind to pigeons can filter out into caring about other things too,” says Sam.
A good starting point would be to visit helpwildlife.co.uk, where a registry of bird rehab & rescue centres and sanctuaries can be found, giving a list of who to contact.
Did you know?
ON her wedding day, Sam Crick walked back down the aisle to Lieutenant Pigeon’s 1972’s four-week chart topper, Mouldy Old Dough, the second biggest-selling single of that year.
“I was dressed in grey and there were pigeon ornaments on the cake and on the tables, as well as naturally moulted feathers in my bouquet,” says Sam, who has two pigeon tattoos. “I also wore a pigeon necklace that Cath [Sharp] gave me.”
Feral: Pigeon Paint Off organiser Sam Crick showing one of her two pigeon tattoos
Jared More, left, and Matthew Rutherford in Riding Lights Theatre Company’s The Selfish Giant
A GIANT in a garden, Wendy turning piratical in a re-imagined Peter Pan, a slapstick take on The Three Musketeers and an enlightening Helmsley exhibition are among Charles Hutchinson’s highlights in the week ahead.
Inspirational tale of love and generosity of the week: Riding Lights Theatre Company in The Selfish Giant, Friargate Theatre, Lower Friargate, York, until Saturday, 1.30pm and 4.30pm
STEP into the magical world of the Giant’s garden, a place full of music, beauty, bird song and stories in Jon Boustead’s stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Selfish Giant. The Giant, however, is cross when he returns to find children – children! – playing happily in his beautiful orchard, whereupon he erects a big wall to put a stop to all the fun.
Once winter seizes the garden in its icy fingers, will summer ever return? Through storytelling, interactive games, live music and puppetry, York company Riding Lights presents a 50-minute play for family audiences. Box office: 01904 613000 or friargatetheatre.co.uk. Age recommendation: Three upwards.
York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre’s cast in Wendy & Peter Pan. Picture: James Drury
Neverland revamped: York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre in Wendy & Peter Pan, York Theatre Royal, tomorrow to Saturday, 7pm plus 2pm Saturday matinee
YORK Theatre Royal Youth Theatre returns to the Main House stage for the first time since 2019 for 46 performers, aged eight to 19, to present Ella Hickson’s feminist take on J M Barrie’s Peter Pan in Lydia Crosland and Sophie-Jade Howell’s large-scale production.
A quiet sadness permeates the Darling household, until the unexpected arrival of a mischievous young boy called Peter and a rather sassy fairy, Tink, whereupon Wendy leads the rebellious lost boys, takes on the terrifying Captain Hook, finds the key to her parents’ lost happiness and discovers the power of being brave and strong. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
The poster for Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries
Spoken-word gig of the week: Say Owt presents Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries by Pete the Temp, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm
POET, author and comic Pete the Temp’s Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries is a spoken-word show about rebellion, resistance and wild imagination. The 1800s’ Romantic movement began as a rebellion: against empire, industry and the mechanisation of the soul. Yorkshire became the epicentre of its rebellion.
Tomorrow’s storytelling stage show fuses scholarship with music, comedy and poetry in a spellbinding history of riot, repression and psychedelic experimentation. As we face this age of despair, find out what we can learn from past dreams of freedom and renewal. Bangladeshi-Geordie spoken-word poet and creative practitioner Tahmina Ali supports with her explorations of identity, belonging, motherhood, mental health and cultural inheritance, viewed through a distinctly northern lens. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Our Star Theatre Company: Whirlwind of confusion, mayhem and comical mishaps in The Three Musketeers
Slapstick silliness of the week: Our Star Theatre Company in The Three Musketeers, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, Friday, 7.30pm
OUR Star Theatre Company’s re-telling of The Three Musketeers is packed with humour, audience participation and energetically silly turns as a small troupe of performers gears up for its debut performance of Alexandre Dumas’s story.
However, what starts as a simple theatrical endeavour soon unravels into a whirlwind of confusion, mayhem and comical mishaps. From forgotten lines to chaotic set changes, the actors become entangled in a series of blunders. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
York actress Frances Marshall in rehearsal for Alan Ayckbourn’s The Trial Of Romeo Oscar. Picture: Tony Bartholomew
Premiere of the week: Alan Ayckbourn’s The Trial Of Romeo Oscar, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, Friday to October 4
ALAN Ayckbourn’s 92nd play is his first courtroom drama, one set in the future, as he explores the question that artists have been asking for centuries: what makes us human?
In 2194, humanity is scattered around the solar system and day-to-day life on Earth looks very different. Preparations are underway for a landmark legal case. Romeo Oscar, a military issue android, is on trial for murder: the first non-human to be tried in a court of law. The evidence is polarising and selecting an impartial jury is proving a challenge. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.
See the world more curiously in: Be Like Blippi, York Barbican, Saturday, 1pm and 4pm
JOIN Blippi and Meekah for a one-of-a-kind interactive adventure that inspires children to move, play and explore like Blippi in a new show packed with high-energy music and surprises, featuring fan favourites The Excavator Song, Monster Truck, Dino Dance and Curious Like Me.
Equipped with Blippi’s signature mix of play, learning, and exploration, Be Like Blippi invites you to break out your orange Blippi glasses and ignite your spark of curiosity. Please note, Blippi and Meekah will be played by professional stage performers. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
The Illegal Eagles: Checking into the Hotel California at York Barbican
Tribute gig of the week: The Illegal Eagles, Hotel California Tour, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.30pm
THE Illegal Eagles mark 30 years on the road in 2026 with their new Hotel California Tour. Renowned for their vocal and guitar prowess and ability to re-create the legendary sound of the Eagles, the tribute act’s milestone itinerary features a full performance of the iconic Hotel California album, featuring Life In The Fast Lane, New Kid in Town and the unforgettable title track. Expect all the timeless Eagles greatest hits too. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Robert Dutton & Andrew Moodie: Launching Into The Light exhibition at Helmsley Arts Centre
Exhibition of the week: Robert Dutton & Andrew Moodie, Into The Light, Helmsley Arts Centre, September 8 to 30
THIS exhibition presents landscapes that evoke a strong affinity for different reasons. Dramatic mountainous terrain, breathtaking moorland landscapes and coastal sea sand and communities all have their place.
“We hope that Into the Light may extend beyond the artwork to suggest a sense of optimism, moving from darkness to light, in a sometimes troubled world,” say artists Robert Dutton and Andrew Moodie. “The paintings are presented both to inspire you and also to bring you that same sense of awe and wonder with nature that we felt as we painted them, enjoying the unique quality of the light that led us to each location.”
Jeanette Hunter’s Pearl, left, Jackie Cox’s Jan, Nicki Clay’s Shelley and Gemma McDonald’s Linda in MARMiTE Theatre’s Ladies Day. Picture: Lucy Baines
Racing romp of the week: MARMiTE Theatre in Ladies Day, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, September 8 to 12, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
LIFE is one long slog for four fish factory packers from Hull, Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda, but their fortunes could change when they head to Knavesmire on the day Royal Ascot came to York in 2005.
Factory hairnets make way for fascinators as the friends hit the racecourse for an unforgettable day out. Secrets are spilled, along with copious amounts of champagne, as their friendships are tested to the limits in Martyn Hunter’s s production of Amanda Whittington’s comedy gem. Box office:https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/
Louisa Ashdown in the rehearsal room for Hephaestus Theatre’s Richard iii Redux
Introducing: Hephaestus Theatre in Richard iii Redux, The Basement, City Screen Playhouse, York, September 10, 7.30pm
UNIVERSITY of York theatre graduates Eleanor Doig (producer) and Louisa Ashdown (director and performer) introduce new York company Hephaestus Theatre in Kaite O’Reilly and Phillip Zarrilli’s dark comedy Richard iii Redux.
The company’s mission is to tell disabled stories and put disabled and neuro-diverse actors on stage and behind the scenes, this time with Ashdown playing The Actor opposite Georgina Way’s Presenter (on film) in a journey to find who the real Richard iii was while exploring the challenges of being a disabled actor. Box office: eventbrite.co.uk.
Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, from Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print at York Art Gallery, on loan from Maidstone Museum
FROM Making Waves’ finale to 50 years of Aardman, a comic convention to a slapstick Three Musketeers, Charles Hutchinson highlights a diverse week ahead.
Last chance to see: Making Waves: A Closing Celebration, York Art Gallery, Exhibition Square, York, today and tomorrow, 10am to 5pm
YORK Art Gallery marks the closing of the Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print with a two-day festival of music, workshops, creative activities and food and drink for all the family in the gallery and York Museum Gardens. Making Waves talks take place at 11am and 2pm each day; The Art of Kokedama in the Studio today has sold out but limited tickets are available for 11am tomorrow.
Highlights in the gardens include the Ippuku Tea Stand today, 10am to 5pm (free); Japanese Gardening Society today and tomorrow, 10am to 5pm (free); face painting, today and tomorrow, 10am to 4.30pm; Paddle in the Surf: Mokuhanga printmkaing, today and tomorrow, 10.30am to 4.30pm; sun ring making, 10.30am to 4.30pm (free); Jiu Jitsu performance, today and tomorrow, 2pm (free); Taiko drumming performance, Sunday, 11am and 3pm, with interactive session at 1.30pm (all free), and Micklegate Choir performance of Sound Waves, tomorrow, 12 noon (free). Koto Japanese harp music performances will be at 10am, 11.20am, 12.40pm, 2pm and 3.15pm in the Foyer tomorrow (free). Exhibition admission tickets: yorkartgallery.co.uk.
York singer-songwriter Beth McCarthy: Opening August 29’s bill on The Grid Stage at Leeds Festival at Bramham Park. Picture: Leeds Festival
Festival of the week: Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, near Wetherby, continuing August 29 and 30
TODAY serves up York singer-songwriter Beth McCarthy (12.30pm to 1pm), James Marriott, Declan McKenna, Skepta, Charlie XCX and bill-topping Fontaines D.C. on The Grid. Catch Geese in The Gallery too. Sunday’s Grid finale features Absolutely, Slayyyter, Maisie Peters, Sombr, Raye and the festival-closing Dave. Box office for day tickets: leedsfestival.com/tickets.
Aardman In Concert: Celebrating 50 years of clay, comedy and creativity with a live orchestra at York Barbican
Film celebration of the week: Aardman In Concert, York Barbican, August 29, 1pm and 3.30pm
FIFTY years of Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy Time, Morph and Creature Comforts are marked in a heart-warming big-screen celebration, clay, comedy and creativity.
Presented in partnership with Aardman, Carrot Productions’ new show takes a joyful journey through five decades of stop-motion clay animation from the Bristol studio with its blend of treasured characters, oh-so British humour and music, climaxing with a screening of Wrong Trousers accompanied by a live orchestra. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
York Unleashed Comic-Con: Comics galore on the Knavesmire
Convention of the week: York Unleashed Comic-Con, York Racecourse, Knavesmire, York, August 30, 10am to 4pm
YORK Unleashed Comic-Con promises a cosplay-friendly atmosphere, Yorkshire artists and comic creators, traders, collectables and geeky merchandise, gaming and interactive zones, a comic book chill-out zone, family-friendly activities and accessible, inclusive spaces. Media guests include Alex Jordan, Harry McEntire, Alan Fletcher, Richard Price and Jamie Kenna. Tickets: unleashedtickets.co.uk.
The Rocket Man: Playing Elton John’s greatest hits on his Yellow Brick Road Tour at Grand Opera House, York
Tribute gig of the week: The Rocket Man – A Tribute to Sir Elton John, Yellow Brick Road Tour, Grand Opera House, York, August 30, 7.30pm
THE Rocket Man and his band travel down the Yellow Brick Road to perform two hours of Elton John hits, from Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting), Crocodile Rock, Daniel and Your Song to Philadelphia Freedom, I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues and I’m Still Standing. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
The Dead South: Progressive bluegrass and alternative Americana at York Barbican
Recommended but sold out already: The Dead South, Europe 2026 The Return, York Barbican, August 31, doors 7pm
WHATEVER you call The Dead South’s music – progressive bluegrass, alternative Americana, country, folk or Western – people from different backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, languages and ages love it, clubbing together as the cosplaying “Good Company” at gigs.
Formed in 2012 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, the line-up comprises Nate Hilts, Scott Pringle, Danny Kenyon and Colton Crawford, always attired in bolo ties and custom brims. Carter Family meets Addams Family in songs that address themes of murder, disloyalty and ghosts while going from weepy to weird, wistful to wicked. Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra support. Box office for returns only: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Snake Davis: Celebrating the art of the sax solo at Pocklington Arts Centre
Saxophonist of the week: Snake Davis Band, Classic Sax Solos, Pocklington Arts Centre, September 3, 8pm
AN instrumental solo can break hearts, lift spirits, even change lives. Saxophone is the favourite instrument of many folk, and for good reason; so emotional, so passionate; it sings, screams, whispers. Step forward saxophonist to the stars Snake Davis, leading his five-piece band through more than 20 classics, from Baker Street, Careless Whisper, Respect and Yakety Yak to his own solos from Take That’s Million Love Songs, M People’s Moving On Up and Lisa Stansfield’s Change.
Davis reveals their background and history as well as playing them in context. What is their individual magic ingredient; what makes these solos classic? How did they emerge; how did the players produce that magic? Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
The poster for Pete the Temp’s Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries
Spoken-word gig of the week: Say Owt presents Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries by Pete the Temp, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm
POET, author and comic Pete the Temp’s Romantics, Mystics and Revolutionaries is a spoken-word show about rebellion, resistance and wild imagination. The 1800s’ Romantic movement began as a rebellion: against empire, industry and the mechanisation of the soul. Yorkshire became the epicentre of its rebellion.
Tomorrow’s storytelling stage show fuses scholarship with music, comedy and poetry in a spellbinding history of riot, repression and psychedelic experimentation. As we face this age of despair, find out what we can learn from past dreams of freedom and renewal. Bangladeshi-Geordie spoken-word poet and creative practitioner Tahmina Ali supports with her explorations of identity, belonging, motherhood, mental health and cultural inheritance, viewed through a distinctly northern lens. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Our Star Theatre Company: Turning up the slapstick quotient in The Three Musketeers
Slapstick silliness of the week: Our Star Theatre Company in The Three Musketeers, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, September 4, 7.30pm
OUR Star Theatre Company’s re-telling of The Three Musketeers is packed with humour, audience participation and energetically silly performances as a small troupe of performers gears up for its debut performance of Alexandre Dumas’s story.
However, what starts as a simple theatrical endeavour soon unravels into a whirlwind of confusion, mayhem and comical mishaps. From forgotten lines to chaotic set changes, the actors become entangled in a series of blunders. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Louisa Ashdown in rehearsal for her role as The Actor in Hephaestus Theatre’s Richard iii Redux
Introducing: Hephaestus Theatre in Richard iii Redux, The Basement, City Screen Playhouse, York, September 10, 7.30pm
UNIVERSITY of York theatre graduates Eleanor Doig (producer) and Louisa Ashdown (director and performer) introduce new York company Hephaestus Theatre in Kaite O’Reilly and Phillip Zarrilli’s dark comedy Richard iii Redux.
The company’s mission is to tell disabled stories and put disabled and neurodiverse actors on stage and behind the scenes, this time with Ashdown playing The Actor opposite Georgina Way’s Presenter (on film) in a journey to find who the real Richard iii was while exploring the challenges of being a disabled actor. Box office: eventbrite.co.uk.
Mary Anning Rocks at Yorkshire Museum, York. Picture: Antony Chappel Ross
DINOSAUR adventures and the CBeebies house party, Sparks’ York return after 52 years and Leeds Festival’s summer serenade offer contrasts aplenty in Charles Hutchinson’s choices for the days ahead.
Last-chance holiday activities: Yorkshire Museum, Museum Gardens, York, open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am to 5pm
AS the school summer holidays enter their final fortnight, the Yorkshire Museum invites visitors to “make the most of the interactive activities, craft sessions and amazing exhibits before term starts again”.
Grab a dinosaur backpack to explore the Mary Anning and Jurassic galleries in dino-themed entertainment for younger ones, while spotting fossils and dino bones on their adventures on August 24 or 28. The final Melsonby Hoard treasure trove crafting session will be held on August 26, although Viking beaded jewellery and bug brooch making are available every day through the summer break. Pay once to receive all these free activities and unlimited return visits for a year. Tickets: yorkshiremuseum.org.uk.
Nile Rodgers: Celebrating Good Times with CHIC at Scarborough Open Air Theatre
Coastal gig of the week: Nile Rodgers & CHIC, TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, August 22, gates open at 6pm
IN the final Scarborough Open Air Theatre concert of the summer, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Grammy Lifetime Achievement winner and composer, producer, arranger and guitarist Nile Rodgers returns to the Yorkshire coast for the third time with CHIC, the New York City R&B and soul band he co-founded with Bernard Edwards.
Expect such disco dance-floor fillers as Le Freak, Good Times, We Are Family and I’m Coming Out. Acid jazz combo Brand New Heavies support. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.
Sparks’ Ron and Russell Mael: Returning to York after 52-year hiatus
York gig of the week: Sparks, York Barbican, August 25, doors open at 7pm
NEXT Tuesday, cult Californian pop-rock pioneers Sparks play York for the first time since their November 2 1974 gig at the University of York.
Coinciding with their release of latest album Sparks Live On The Moon, the Mael brothers, Ron (keyboards), 81, and Russell (vocals), 77, are lining up a euphoric, career-spanning set, picking from such hits as This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us, Amateur Hour, Something For The Girl With Everything, The Number One Song In Heaven and Beat The Clock. Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer supports. Box office for returns only: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Justin Fletcher: Directing CBeebies House Party Live! at York Barbican, featuring special guest Mr Tumble
Children’s show of the week: CBeebies House Party Live!, York Barbican, August 26, 11am and 2pm
DIRECTED by CBeebies superstar Justin Fletcher, CBeebies House Party Live! is a fun-packed family stage show full of sensational songs, stupendous surprises and mega moments.
Throwing an epic party just for you will be Mr Tumble, Mister Maker, York Theatre Royal pantomime alumni Andy Day and Evie Pickerill, Duggee, Nigel Clarke and George Webster, who promise dancing, singing, streamers, giant jellies, bubbles galore and a CBeebies bedtime story. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
This Is The Kit: Through the round window at The Crescent, York
Recommended but sold out already: Please Please You & Brudenell Presents: This Is The Kit & Seamus Fogarty, The Crescent, August 27, 7.30pm
IN today’s fast-paced mid-apocalyptic world, it can feel like a waste of time to discuss time, but with This Is The Kit, alias songwriter/banjo strummer/pinhole camera lover/Winchester-born Paris dweller Kate Stables, time deserves a modicum of consideration. Why? Because Stables keeps making albums of cataclysmic honesty and welcoming tonal embraces.
Placing companionship at a premium, This Is The Kit welcomes you into its space, on record and in concert halls with Stables’supporting cast of Rozi Plain (bass), Jamie Whitby-Coles (drums) and Neil Smith (guitar). Irish-born, London-based alt-folk alchemist Seamus Fogarty supports. Box office for returns only: thecrescentyork.com.
Dave: Headlining The Grid stage at Leeds Festival on August 30. Picture: Leeds Festival
Festival of the week: Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, near Wetherby, August 27 to 30
KASABIAN headline day one of Leeds Festival on The Grid stage, where The Lathums and Arkayla play too that day. Next Friday’s line-up on The Grid includes Blossoms, Role Model, Florence +The Machine and headliners Chase & Status Live, while headline-grabbing Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap play The Gallery that night. Look out too for Westside Cowboy and Paris Paloma in The Ballroom.
Next Saturday serves up York singer-songwriter Beth McCarthy (12.30pm to 1pm), James Marriott, Declan McKenna, Skepta, Charlie XCX and bill-topping Fontaines D.C. on The Grid. Catch Geese in The Gallery too. Next Sunday’s Grid finale features Absolutely, Slayyyter, Maisie Peters, Sombr, Raye and the festival-closing Dave. Box office: leedsfestival.com/tickets.
Carolyn Coles: Hosting seascape painting workshop for beginners at South Bank Studios, Bishopthorpe Road, York
Workshop of the week: A Day At The Seaside with Carolyn Coles, South Bank Studios, Southlands Methodist Church, York, August 28, 10am to 5pm
SOUTH Bank Studios seascape painter Carolyn Coles hosts A Day At The Seaside, a workshop for beginners, in the Garden Room at South Bank Studios. “Start the day with the ‘Loosen Up and Feel The Flow’ workshop,” says Carolyn. “Then, in the afternoon, paint a panel and frame it.” Everything is included for £75. For more information and to book a place, email [email protected].
Looking ahead, Carolyn will take part in Staithes Festival of Arts & Heritage 2026 from September 11 to 13, when 113 artists will exhibit at 67 pop-up venues, alongside live music, heritage talks and outdoor screenings. General entry and the Artist Trail are free.
Lee Gemmell’s Egyptology student Edward Bellingham in Baron Productions’ The Mummy Lot No. 249
Thriller of the week: Baron Productions presents Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Mummy Lot No. 249, St Mary’s Church, Bishophill Junior, York, August 28 & 29, 7.30pm
FOUNDED by Daniel Wilmot in 2015, York company Baron Productions presents Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1892 one-act play The Mummy Lot No. 249 as its 2026 summer show, in which Oxford student Abercrombie Smith discovers his neighbour, Egyptology student Edward Bellingham, has used ancient magic to reanimate a malevolent mummy to terrorise and attack his rivals.
Wilmot’s cast features Jack McAdam as Smith, Lee Gemmell as Bellingham, M. Alder as Peterson, Lauren Hegarty as Hastie and Ellie Guffick as Monkhouse Lee. Box office: https://www.ticketsource.com/baron-productions.
The Snake Davis Band: Heading to Helmsley Arts Centre
Return upcoming: The Snake Davis Band, Everlasting Love Tour, Helmsley Arts Centre, September 12, 7.30pm
SAXOPHONIST Snake Davis is “so happy to be back at Helmsley Arts Centre yet again”, this time showcasing new tunes and his new album on the Everlasting Love Tour with his four-piece band featuring guitar, bass guitar and drums.
The set list spans “floaty to danceable, soul and Northern Soul to pop, jazz to world”, embracing original material and classic sax pieces such as Baker Street and Night Train, as Snake swaps performing arena and stadium gigs with stellar acts for playing intimate venues with his own music choices and favourite musicians. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Mary Anning Rocks at the Yorkshire Museum, York. Picture: Antony Chappel Ross
DINOSAUR museum adventures and the CBeebies house party, CHIC’s good times on the coast and Sparks’ York return after 52 years offer contrasts aplenty in Charles Hutchinson’s choices for the days ahead.
Last-chance holiday activities: Yorkshire Museum, Museum Gardens, York, open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am to 5pm
AS the school summer holidays enter their final fortnight, the Yorkshire Museum invites visitors to “make the most of the interactive activities, craft sessions and amazing exhibits before term starts again”.
Grab a dinosaur backpack to explore the Mary Anning and Jurassic galleries in dino-themed entertainment for younger ones, while spotting fossils and dino bones on their adventures on August 21, 24 or 28. The final Melsonby Hoard treasure trove crafting session will be held on August 26, although Viking beaded jewellery and bug brooch making are available every day through the summer break. Pay once to receive all these free activities and unlimited return visits for a year. Tickets: yorkshiremuseum.org.uk.
No common ground: Pandora Clifford’s Mags and Liz Garland’s Liz in Handbagged at the SJT, Scarborough. Picture: Tony Bartholomew
Political drama of the week: Handbagged, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, until August 29
MOIRA Buffini’s 2013 Olivier Award-winning play imagines what happened behind closed palace doors when two of the 20th century’s most powerful women, Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, locked handbags. Meeting once a week for 11 years, one believed there was no such thing as society; the other committed her life to serving it.
Spanning 1979 to 1990, Handbagged asks if The Queen and the Iron Lady ever found common ground or did their stiff upper lips reign supreme? Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder directs the SJT cast of Pandora Clifford, Liz Garland, Alexandra Mathie, Deven Modha, Simon Darwen and Meriel Scholfield. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.
The Magic Numbers: Brothers and sisters in unison at The Crescent
Siblings of the week:An Evening With The Magic Numbers, The Crescent, York, Friday, 7.30pm
THE Magic Numbers combine two pairs of siblings, Romeo & Michele Stodart and Sean & Angela Gannon, who are known for their unique harmonies, melodic hooks, songwriting craftsmanship and timeless sound, exemplified by Forever Lost, Love Me Like You and Love Is A Game across five albums. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.
Nile Rodgers: Performing with CHIC at Scarborough Open Air Theatre
Coastal gig of the week: Nile Rodgers & CHIC, TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Saturday, gates open at 6pm
IN the final Scarborough Open Air Theatre concert of the summer, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Grammy Lifetime Achievement winner and composer, producer, arranger and guitarist Nile Rodgers returns to the Yorkshire coast for the third time with CHIC, the New York City R&B and soul band he co-founded with Bernard Edwards.
Expect such disco dancefloor fillers as Le Freak, Good Times, We Are Family and I’m Coming Out. Acid jazz combo Brand New Heavies support. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.
Sparks’ Ron and Russell Mael: Playing York after 52-year hiatus on August 25. Picture: Munachi Osegbu
York gig of the week: Sparks, York Barbican, August 25, doors open at 7pm
CULT Californian pop-rock pioneers Sparks play York for the first time since 1974 on their 2025-2026 world tour, coinciding with this month’s release of latest album Live On The Moon.
The Mael brothers, Ron (keyboards), 81, and Russell (vocals), 77, are lining up a euphoric, career-spanning set, picking from such hits as This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us, Amateur Hour, Something For The Girl With Everything, Looks, Looks, Looks, The Number One Song In Heaven and Beat The Clock. Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer supports. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
The poster for CBeebies House Party Live! at York Barbican
Children’s show of the week: CBeebies House Party Live!, York Barbican, August 26, 11am and 2pm
DIRECTED by CBeebies superstar Justin Fletcher, CBeebies House Party Live! is a fun-packed family stage show full of sensational songs, stupendous surprises and mega moments.
Throwing an epic party just for you will be special guest Mr Tumble, Mister Maker, York Theatre Royal pantomime alumni Andy Day and Evie Pickerill, Duggee, Nigel Clarke and George Webster, who promise dancing, singing, streamers, giant jellies, bubbles galore and a CBeebies bedtime story. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Lee Gemmell’s Egyptology student Edward Bellingham in Baron Productions’ The Mummy Lot No. 249
Thriller of the month: Baron Productions presents Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Mummy Lot No. 249, St Mary’s Church, Bishophill Junior, York, August 28 & 29, 7.30pm
FOUNDED by Daniel Wilmot in 2015, York company Baron Productions presents Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1892 one-act play The Mummy Lot No. 249 as its 2026 summer show, in which Oxford student Abercrombie Smith discovers his neighbour, Egyptology student Edward Bellingham, has used ancient magic to reanimate a malevolent mummy to terrorise and attack his rivals.
Wilmot’s cast features Jack McAdam as Smith, Lee Gemmell as Bellingham, M. Alder as Peterson, Lauren Hegarty as Hastie and Ellie Guffick as Monkhouse Lee. Box office: https://www.ticketsource.com/baron-productions.
The artwork for the interactive Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote at Milton Rooms, Malton
Crime detection games ahead: Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote, Milton Rooms, Malton, September 2, 7.30pm
HOSTED by super-fan, playwright and PopHorror co-producer Tim Benzie, cult event Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote comes to Malton with an interactive screening of NBC Universal Television’s classic Murder, She Wrote episode A Fashionable Way To Die, wherein Jessica Fletcher visits Paris to support her friend’s fashion show, but soon a murder takes place that only she (or you) can solve.
Combining games, prizes and audience participation, Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote features a race to solve the crime, via the Fameometer and the Suspiciometer; a Cabot Cove quiz; a singalong to the theme tune with new lyrics, plus clips and biographies of the campy guest stars. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
The Snake Davis Band: Heading back to Helmsley Arts Centre
Return upcoming: The Snake Davis Band, Everlasting Love Tour, Helmsley Arts Centre, September 12, 7.30pm
SAXOPHONIST Snake Davis is “so happy to be back at Helmsley Arts Centre yet again”, this time showcasing new tunes and his new album on the Everlasting Love Tour with his four-piece band featuring guitar, bass guitar and drums.
The set will span “floaty to danceable, soul and Northern Soul to pop, jazz to world”, embracing original material and classic sax pieces such as Baker Street and Night Train, as Snake swaps performing arena and stadium gigs with stellar acts for playing intimate venues with his own music choices and favourite musicians. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Michelle Yim in The Ballad Of Mulan, on tour at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Malcolm Tam
Tour show announcement of the week: Red Dragonfly Productions & Grist To The Mill Productions present The Ballad Of Mulan, York Theatre Royal Studio, September 11, 7.45pm; September 12, 2pm & 7.45pm
COMMISSIONED and performed by West Yorkshire-born British-Chinese actress Michelle Yim, The Ballad Of Mulantells the story of the real woman behind the legendary Chinese female warrior who disguised as a man to join the Empire’s army – and inspired Disney’s animation and live-feature Mulan.
Woman, warrior, legend, for ten years Mulan has fought for the Chinese Empire. Now, after one last battle, she will be going home, but can she return to her old life, becoming a woman again? Yim’s hour-long The Ballad Of Mulan presents a search for identity in a violent world. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
SmART Gallery charity art sale organiser Jo Dalgleish
AS many as 180 artists will be taking part in the fundraising SmART Gallery art sale on Sunday, August 30 from 11am to 2.30pm in South Bank, York.
Pictures at this outdoor art gallery will be displayed on the York Racecourse fence that runs from Campleshon Road along Racecourse Road.
“It’s a totally inclusive art gallery, created by the community, for the community, all to raise money for two great charitable causes: our voluntary work in Sierra Leone and the Christmas Crisis appeal,” says SmART organiser Jo Dalgleish.
“The idea is that we produce homemade canvases, sell them blank for £10, then ask the artist to donate them back to SmART for the gallery. On the opening day we’ll have live music, stalls, a cafe and a grand sealed bid auction of all the paintings.
“All money raised on the day goes to charity. All the paintings that are not sold will remain on the fence for the year as an outdoor art gallery for the community to enjoy.”
Among the artists contributing artworks will be Yohanna, a ten-year-old refugee from Ethiopia; Tadcaster artist Beth Elsdon; Di Wood, Jo’s friend from her York schooldays, who now lives Inverness, from where she will post her canvas to Jo, and part-time artist Sally Ellen Barlow, who has exhibited for six years and has had a piece licensed and sold globally by IKEA.
Jo’s two-year-old grandson, Oskar Carlyle, has created his first canvas entitled Wisteria, after watching his Great Grandad’s creeper being pruned while on holiday in France. By way of contrast, probably the oldest participant is Tessa Bailey, who has just retired as an artist at the age of 80.
The Huntington Art Group of professional and amateur artists, Caroline, Julia, Kevin, Jackie, Maureen, Linda and Steve, will be exhibiting for the second year.
“On show too will be works by Leah, Aggie, Rose and Maddie, four girls at college wanting to be paramedics or midwives, who all want to join our group going to do voluntary work in Sierra Leone next Easter,” says Jo.
Artworks on show at the SmART Gallery charity art sale in 2025
“Part-time artist Nick Clapham got involved because his sister has been going to Sierra Leone for years as she helped set up the Sierra Leone National Railway Museum! Nick gets many of his friends and families involved and drives over to York to deliver everybody’s canvases.”
Jo continues: “A number of young people and staff from Lord Gowthorpe’s Independent School for young people with autism, where I work, will be exhibiting too.
“Angela Atkin had never painted canvases before the beginning of the SmART Gallery, but, living on Knavesmire Crescent, she wanted to support the event during Covid, so she learnt how to paint and now exhibits every year, along with getting all her family involved.”
Contributing too will be Bob Anderton, a well respected and long-time York artist, who, among other credits, was instrumental in the restoration of the Holgate Windmill, in Windmill Rise, York.
Look out for a work by Tim Blake, Jo’s brother, who was born in York but now lives in London and works as an art director and production designer, latterly on the films Shelter and Hamnet.
Pictures will be displayed in full on August 30. “We’re hoping to sell as many as possible but at least half are taken down and taken by the buyers; the rest of them stay up on the fence till next year!” says Jo.
“Every year we have one stolen – very annoying – despite the fact there are clear signs saying they’re still for sale and the money is all for charity! We usually continue to sell those left out in dribs and drabs, all year, to be honest.
“This year we sold two after they’d been up for around ten months! They did look a little worse for wear! But, depending on what medium has been used, they can look as good as new after a year.
“Once taken down, a year later, they progress to the Alley Art Gallery on the walls of the alley between Knavesmire Crescent and Curzon Terrace! This has a sign at the top explaining.”
Doubles troubles: Husband-and-wife strife for Helen Clarke’s Margo and Jamie McKeller’s ageing club champ, Lionel, in York Shakespeare Project’s Summer Sonnets: What the Deuce? Picture: John Saunders
MINISTRY of Sound turning classical, The Magpies’ folk festival, Sue Slack’s landscape paintings and The Basement’s new comedy club should outshine this evening’s solar eclipse, reckons Charles Hutchinson.
New balls please: York Shakespeare Project presents 2026 Summer Sonnets: What The Deuce?, Holy Trinity Churchyard, Goodramgate, York, until Saturday, 6pm & 7.30pm, plus 4.30pm Saturday show
SUMMER at the Goodramgate Lawn Tennis Club finds four doubles teams competing for the chance to play in a Wimbledon amateur tournament, whereupon partnerships and rivalries lead to sabotage and break point. Who has the advantage? Who is at fault? Will the score be love?
Expect further tennis puns aplenty as Rosy Rowley directs Stuart Green’s script that asks a new collection of ten characters to play out this new sporting and unsporting situation where each finds a way to share a Shakespeare sonnet. Taking part are James Robert Ball, Oscar Langford, Helen Clarke, Sarah McKeagney, Stuart Lindsay, Alexa Williams, Jamie McKeller, Alan Sharp, Christine Bramwell and Effie Warboys. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Holly Johnson: Frankie says Relax on the Scarborough coast
Coastal gig of the week: Scarborough Open Air Theatre presents Holly Johnson, ABC and Heaven 17, Friday, gates 6pm
FLAMBOYANT, unapologetically bold Frankie Goes To Hollywood lead vocalist and lyricist Holly Johnson tops the 1980s’ triple bill on Friday, when he performs the chart-topping trio of Relax, Two Tribes and The Power Of Love, further Frankie smashes Welcome To The Pleasure Dome and Rage Hard and solo hits Love Train, Americanos and Atomic City. Sheffield bands ABC and Heaven 17 support. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.
Grim reading: Pandora Clifford’s Mags (a younger Margaret Thatcher) flicking through the headlines in Handbagged at the Stephen Joseph Theatre. Picture: Tony Bartholomew
Political drama of the week: Handbagged, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, until August 29
MOIRA Buffini’s 2013 Olivier Award-winning play imagines what happened behind closed palace doors when two of the 20th century’s most powerful women, Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, locked handbags. Meeting once a week for 11 years, one believed there was no such thing as society; the other committed her life to serving it.
Spanning 1979 to 1990, Handbagged asks if The Queen and the Iron Lady ever found common ground or did their stiff upper lips reign supreme? Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder directs the SJT cast of Pandora Clifford, Liz Garland, Alexandra Mathie, Deven Modha, Simon Darwen and Meriel Scholfield. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.
The Magpies: Hosting their annual folk festival at Sutton Park, Sutton-on-the-Forest
Folk festival of the month: The Magpies Festival, Sutton Park, Sutton-on-the-Forest, near York, Friday and Saturday. SOLD OUT
RUN by the folk trio of Bella Gaffney, Holly Brandon and Ellie Gowers, The Magpies Festival presents Friday’s Main Stage bill of Daraa Tribes (6pm), The Magpies (8pm) and headliners Manran (10pm) and Brass Castle Stage bill of True Foxes (5pm), Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe & Daniel Quayle (7pm), SupaLung (9pm) and New York Brass Band (11pm).
Saturday’s line-up on the Main Stage comprises Steady Habits (12 noon), Alex Hart (2pm), Blair Dunlop (4pm), Katherine Priddy (6pm), Gnoss (8pm) and headliners Cut Capers (10pm). The Brass Castle Stage plays host to Songs In The Round, with Katherine Priddy, Blair Dunlop and Chloe Foy (1pm), Tarren (3pm), Ophelia’s Beard (5pm), Around About Dusk (7pm) and Suntou Susso & The Gambian Superstars (9pm). Box office for returns only: themagpiesfestival.co.uk/tickets.
York River Art Market organiser Caroline Turner with artist Lincoln Lightfoot on the Dame Judi Dench Walk pathway
Open-air art event of the week: York River Art Market, Dame Judi Dench Walk, York, Saturday & Sunday, 10am to 5.30pm
YORK River Art Market returns for its 11th year, bringing more than 30 artists from multiple disciplines to the Ouse riverside each day, this year presenting art and design market stalls on both sides of the pathway.
Described as York’s answer to the Left Bank in Paris, the event is being run for the first time this summer by Caroline Turner, a professional potter and ceramics teacher at Clay Space York. Admission is free.
Ministry of Sound Classical: Taking over the Castle Howard grounds on Saturday
Club classics/House/Orchestral party gathering of the week: Ministry of Sound Classical, Grounds of Castle Howard, near Malton, Saturday, 2pm to 10.30pm
ENJOY sweeping views of the Castle Howard Estate while listening to a live orchestra reimagining the greatest dance anthems from the iconic Ministry of Sound catalogue as timeless tracks are brought to life, blending classical musicianship with contemporary dance music for an unforgettable open-air experience.
As well as headline act Ministry Of Sound Classical, artists performing at this festival will be Judge Jules, Paul Oakenfold, Danny Rampling, Ellie Sax, Smudged Soul and Alex Malam. Box office for last few tickets: skiddle.com/festivals/ministry-of-sound-classical-at-castle-howard/#tickets.
Nice touch: Chloe Petts feeling lippy about playing Basement Comedy Club’s debut gig
Comedy gig of the week: Basement Comedy Club launch gig, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, Sunday, 6pm
CITY Screen Picturehouse launches its new monthly comedy event in the redecorated Basement this weekend. Compered by Sara Barron, the debut Basement Comedy Club bill comprises headline act Chloe Petts, addressing lad culture and identity politics, Manchester comic Shah, shedding light on growing up in an immigrant household and mental health challenges, and Lovdev Barpaga, who specialises in crafting one liners and puns. Box office: picturehouses.com.
Hiker and landscape artist Sue Slack painting above Rosedale
Exhibition of the week: Sue Slack, Finding The Dramatic, Ryedale Folk Museum, Hutton-le-Hole, until August 31
NORTH York Moors landscape painter Sue Slack’s work is inspired by a deep connection with the surrounding landscape. A keen runner and hiker, she draws creative energy from exploring the area close to home.
Working outdoors, Sue embraces the immediacy of being in the landscape and its direct influence on her painting and drawing. In Finding The Dramatic, she presents mixed-media works inspired by the hills, dales and coastline of the North York Moors. Open Saturdays to Thursdays, closed on Fridays; free to visit.
Linda Smith: Bedroom pop at The Crescent
American pop underground act of the week: Please Please You presents Linda Smith, The Crescent, York, Sunday, 6.30pm
HOME recording pioneer Linda Smith has self-released her music since 1987, originally on cassette. In the early 1990s, indie labels Slumberland and Harriet Records expanded her reach with two seven-inch EPs.
Brooklyn, New York label Captured Tracks has reissued two complete albums on vinyl and Smith has begun to tour in the United States and internationally for the first time, now visiting York with her bedroom pop. Support act Troutflies play loose, woozy punk and experimental lo-fi pop, occasionally with duelling melodicas. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.
More Things To Do in York and beyond. Here’s Hutch’s List No. 33, from The York Press, from August 15 onwards
Squash on the tennis court: Effie Warboys’ insufferably spoilt Chessie, front left, pushing around her doubles partner, Alexa Williams’s Belle, in Summer Sonnets: What The Deuce? In the background are Oscar Langford’s Harry, left, and James Robert Ball’s Tony. Picture: John Saunders
MINISTRY of Sound turning classical, The Basement’s comedy launch night and Johnny Depp’s Scarborough return spark Charles Hutchinson’s curiosity.
New balls please: York Shakespeare Project presents 2026 Summer Sonnets: What The Deuce?, Holy Trinity Churchyard, Goodramgate, York, August 15, 4.30pm, 6pm & 7.30pm
SUMMER at the Goodramgate Lawn Tennis Club finds four doubles teams competing for the chance to play in a Wimbledon amateur tournament, whereupon partnerships and rivalries lead to sabotage and break point. Who has the advantage? Who is at fault? Will the score be love?
Expect further tennis puns aplenty as Rosy Rowley directs Stuart Green’s script that asks a new collection of ten characters to play out this new sporting and unsporting situation where each finds a way to share a Shakespeare sonnet. Taking part are James Robert Ball, Oscar Langford, Helen Clarke, Sarah McKeagney, Stuart Lindsay, Alexa Williams, Jamie McKeller, Alan Sharp, Christine Bramwell and Effie Warboys. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
York River Art Market organiser Caroline Turner with artist Lincoln Lightfoot on the Dame Judi Dench Walk pathway
Open-air art event of the week: York River Art Market, Dame Judi Dench Walk, York, August 15 and 16, 10am to 5.30pm
YORK River Art Market has returned for its 11th year, bringing more than 30 artists from multiple disciplines to the Ouse riverside each day on the third of three weekends, this year presenting art and design market stalls on both sides of the pathway.
Described as York’s answer to the Left Bank in Paris, the event is being run for the first time this summer by Caroline Turner, a professional potter and ceramics teacher at Clay Space York. Admission is free.
Cut Capers: Headlining Main Stage at The Magpies Festival on August 15
Folk festival fully booked: The Magpies Festival, Sutton Park, Sutton-on-the-Forest, near York, August 15
RUN by the folk trio of Bella Gaffney, Holly Brandon and Ellie Gowers, The Magpies Festival presents today’s line-up on the Main Stage of Steady Habits (12 noon), Alex Hart (2pm), Blair Dunlop (4pm), Katherine Priddy (6pm), Gnoss (8pm) and headliners Cut Capers (10pm).
The Brass Castle Stage plays host to Songs In The Round, with Katherine Priddy, Blair Dunlop and Chloe Foy (1pm), Tarren (3pm), Ophelia’s Beard (5pm), Around About Dusk (7pm) and Suntou Susso & The Gambian Superstars (9pm). Box office for returns only: themagpiesfestival.co.uk/tickets.
Ministry of Sound Classical: Taking over the Castle Howard grounds on August 15
Club classics/House/Orchestral party gathering of the week: Ministry of Sound Classical, Grounds of Castle Howard, near Malton, August 15, 2pm to 10.30pm
ENJOY sweeping views of the Castle Howard Estate while listening to a live orchestra reimagining the greatest dance anthems from the iconic Ministry of Sound catalogue as timeless tracks are brought to life, blending classical musicianship with contemporary dance music for an unforgettable open-air experience.
As well as headline act Ministry Of Sound Classical, artists performing at this festival will be Judge Jules, Paul Oakenfold, Danny Rampling, Ellie Sax, Smudged Soul and Alex Malam. Box office for last few tickets: skiddle.com/festivals/ministry-of-sound-classical-at-castle-howard/#tickets.
Hollywood Vampires: Joe Perry, left, Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper and Tommy Henriksen
Coastal gig of the week: Hollywood Vampires, TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, August 15, gates 6pm
NAMED after Alice Cooper’s 1970s’ drinking club, American rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires return to Scarborough after their sold-out 2023 gig with the regular line-up of Cooper, film star and guitarist Johnny Depp, Aerosmith co-founder Joe Perry and Crossbone Skully and Warlock musician Tommy Henriksen. Punk icons The Damned support. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.
Sara Barron: Compere for Basement Comedy Club debut gig
Comedy gig of the week: Basement Comedy Club launch show, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, August 16, 6pm
CITY Screen Picturehouse launches its new monthly comedy event in the redecorated Basement this weekend. Compered by Sara Barron, the debut Basement Comedy Club bill comprises headline act Chloe Petts, addressing lad culture and identity politics, Manchester comic Shah, shedding light on growing up in an immigrant household and mental health challenges, and Lovdev Barpaga, who specialises in crafting one liners and puns. Box office: picturehouses.com.
Hiker and landscape artist Sue Slack painting above Rosedale
Exhibition of the week: Sue Slack, Finding The Dramatic, Ryedale Folk Museum, Hutton-e-Hole, until August 31
NORTH York Moors landscape painter Sue Slack’s work is inspired by a deep connection with the surrounding landscape. A keen runner and hiker, she draws creative energy from exploring the area close to home.
Working outdoors, Sue embraces the immediacy of being in the landscape and its direct influence on her painting and drawing. In Finding The Dramatic, she presents mixed-media works inspired by the hills, dales and coastline of the North York Moors. Open Saturdays to Thursdays, closed on Fridays; free to visit.
Linda Smith: Bedroom pop at The Crescent
American pop underground act of the week: Please Please You presents Linda Smith, The Crescent, York, August 16, 6.30pm
HOME recording pioneer Linda Smith has self-released her music since 1987, originally on cassette. In the early 1990s, indie labels Slumberland and Harriet Records expanded her reach with two seven-inch EPs.
Brooklyn, New York label Captured Tracks has reissued two complete albums on vinyl and Smith has begun to tour in the United States and internationally for the first time, now visiting York with her bedroom pop. Support act Troutflies play loose, woozy punk and experimental lo-fi pop, occasionally with duelling melodicas. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.
Silent Disco falls even more silent
CANCELLED:Glasswerk presents Day Fever Silent Disco, York Museum Gardens, August 21, 6.30pm
YORK Museum Gardens will no longer be transformed into “the ultimate outdoor dance floor” for Day Fever’s first ever Silent Disco under the stars that would have followed the organisers’ series of York Barbican indoor events.
“It’s really simple,” said Day Fever’s co-organiser, actress Vicky McClure, before the late cancellation. “Everyone gets a pair of headphones. You’ll be connected to a Day Fever DJ, who will be playing non-stop Day Fever anthems from 6.30pm until 10m. Sing as loud as you like – no-one can hear.” Ticket refunds: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/York/Museum-Gardens/Day-Fever-Silent-Disco/42485814/.
Michelle Yim in The Ballad Of Mulan, on tour at York Theatre Royal.
Show announcement of the week: Red Dragonfly Productions & Grist To The Mill Productions present The Ballad Of Mulan, York Theatre Royal Studio, September 11, 7.45pm; September 12, 2pm & 7.45pm
COMMISSIONED and performed by West Yorkshire-born British-Chinese actress Michelle Yim, The Ballad Of Mulan tells the story of the real woman behind the legendary Chinese female warrior who disguised as a man to join the Empire’s army – and inspired Disney’s animation and live-feature Mulan.
Woman, warrior, legend, for ten years Mulan has fought for the Chinese Empire. Now, after one last battle, she will be going home, but can she return to her old life, becoming a woman again. Yim’s hour-long The Ballad Of Mulan presents a search for identity in a violent world. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
