Spa Valley's free Real Ale and Cider Festival runs 15 to 18 October and Dunorlan fireworks are on 7 November. Forty dated listings, with times and prices.

The Spa Valley Railway’s Real Ale & Cider Festival is the biggest date in the next six weeks: four days from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 October, with free entry at Tunbridge Wells West. Three weeks later the town’s two firework displays share a night, Saturday 7 November, at Dunorlan Park and at Benenden. Between them sit October half term, a Howard Hodgkin exhibition opening at The Amelia Scott and a full run of theatre at the Assembly Hall and Trinity.

Everything below was read from the organisers’ own listings on 28 September 2026, and every entry links back to its source so you can check before you set off. Prices are the organisers’ published ones. Where a venue publishes no price on its listing, we give none. For places that are open whatever the month, see our guide to things to do in Tunbridge Wells.

This week

Monday 28 September to Sunday 4 October.

  • Simon & Garfunkel: Through The Years, Wednesday 30 September, 7.30pm, Assembly Hall Theatre, TN1 2LU, from £32.25. The duo Bookends, Dan Haynes and Pete Richards, perform the Simon & Garfunkel songbook against a backdrop of archive imagery. (Assembly Hall Theatre)
  • Macbeth, Thursday 1 October, 7pm, Assembly Hall Theatre, TN1 2LU, £17.25 to £28.25. A full-scale staging set in the Dark Ages, with sword fights, haze and stage blood. The theatre recommends it for ages 11 and over. (Assembly Hall Theatre)
  • Twelfth Night, The Pantaloons, Thursday 1 October, 7.30pm, Trinity Theatre, TN1 1JP, £18. The Pantaloons’ family-friendly Shakespeare, with live music and audience participation. Age guidance 8 and over. (Trinity Theatre)
  • Rory Bremner & Guests, Friday 2 October, 7.30pm, Trinity Theatre, TN1 1JP, £33. The impressionist headlines a night of stand-up at Trinity. (Trinity Theatre)
  • Prima Queen, Friday 2 October, doors 7.30pm, The Forum. The indie band play a standing show with Domino Wave in support. Over 16s, or under 16s with an adult. (Tunbridge Wells Forum)
  • The Royal Pantiles Walking Tour, Saturday 3 October, 2pm to 3.15pm, The Pantiles, £15. A guided walk on how a spring found in 1606 became a town. Meet at No. 4 The Pantiles, by the Imperial Pharmacy at the Nevill Street end. (The Pantiles)
  • The Simon & Garfunkel Story, Saturday 3 October, 3pm and 7.30pm, Trinity Theatre, TN1 1JP, £33. The touring concert show, twice in one day and three days after the Assembly Hall’s own Simon & Garfunkel night. (Trinity Theatre)
  • Silver Sunday, Sunday 4 October, 2pm to 4pm, The Amelia Scott, TN1 1AW, free, booking essential. Age UK Tunbridge Wells and the borough council host afternoon tea, a pianist, a violinist and a magician for older residents and a guest each. (The Amelia Scott)
  • RTWSO: Season Opening, with a Fanfare, Sunday 4 October, 3pm, Assembly Hall Theatre, TN1 2LU, £24 to £38, under 18s and students £5. The Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra opens its season with Elgar’s Cello Concerto, played by Laura van der Heijden, and Copland’s Third Symphony. (Assembly Hall Theatre)
  • Irish & Trad Sessions at The Sussex, Sunday 4 October, 4pm, The Sussex Arms, free entry. The Fonthill Session play Irish, Cornish and old-time tunes in the pub. Over 18s, or under 18s with an adult. (Tunbridge Wells Forum)
  • The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town, Sunday 4 October, 5pm, Trinity Theatre, TN1 1JP, £25. John Hewer’s stage version of the Spike Milligan and Ronnie Barker serial made famous by The Two Ronnies. (Trinity Theatre)

Next week

Monday 5 to Sunday 11 October.

  • Exhibition on Screen: James McNeill Whistler (PG), Monday 5 October, 10.30am, and Thursday 8 October, 7.30pm, Trinity Theatre, TN1 1JP, £14. A 90-minute documentary film on the painter, shown twice. (Trinity Theatre)
  • Pantiles Market, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October, 10am to 4pm, The Pantiles, free to attend. The monthly open-air market of local produce, antiques, fashion and crafts along the colonnade. (The Pantiles)
  • Mary Poppins, Catherine Bellinger School of Dance, Saturday 10 October, 12pm and 4.30pm; Sunday 11 October, 11.30am and 4pm, Trinity Theatre, TN1 1JP, £21, under 16s £18. The dance school’s own production, four performances over the weekend. (Trinity Theatre)

Later in October

Kent County Council schools are off from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, and our October half term page has the dates school by school. Buses replace trains between Tonbridge and Wadhurst from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November: see the Grove Hill Tunnel closure before planning a day out by rail.

  • Bootleg Beatles, Tuesday 13 October, 7.30pm, Assembly Hall Theatre, TN1 2LU, from £38.75. This year’s show is built on the Beatles’ five best-selling albums, from Rubber Soul to Abbey Road. (Assembly Hall Theatre)
  • The Pantiles Ghost Walk, Wednesday 14 October, 7.30pm to 8.30pm, The Pantiles, £15. An hour’s after-dark walk with guide David Woosnam, mostly level with about 20 steps. It was the only ghost walk still bookable when we checked. (The Pantiles)
  • Spa Valley Railway Real Ale & Cider Festival, Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 October, Tunbridge Wells West station, TN2 5QY, free entry. Bars at Tunbridge Wells West open 6pm to 10pm on Thursday, 11am to 11pm on Friday and Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sunday. Trains run Friday to Sunday, and drinks are bought with beer cards. (Spa Valley Railway)
  • The Orb: 35 years of Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld, Friday 16 October, doors 7.30pm, The Forum. The ambient pioneers mark the anniversary of their 1991 debut. Standing show, finishing at 11pm. (Tunbridge Wells Forum)
  • Tunbridge Wells Repair Café, Saturday 17 October, from 9.45am, Trinity Theatre, TN1 1JP, free. Volunteers mend electricals, clothes, jewellery and small furniture while you wait. No ticket needed, first come first served. (Trinity Theatre)
  • Monsters around the Moat, Halloween half-term trail, Saturday 17 October to Sunday 1 November, 10am to 4pm, Scotney Castle, TN3 8JN. A clue trail round the garden at the National Trust’s Scotney Castle. Our Scotney guide has admission prices. (National Trust)
  • An Evening with Jonny Hincks, Saturday 17 October, 7pm to 8pm, The Amelia Scott, TN1 1AW, £15. The gardener known online as GardenWithJonny talks about his book Garden Yourself Happy. (The Amelia Scott)
  • Simon Yates: My Mountain Life, Saturday 17 October, 7.30pm, Trinity Theatre, TN1 1JP, £24. The climber who cut the rope on Siula Grande in 1985, the story told in Touching the Void, on 35 years of expeditions since. (Trinity Theatre)
  • A celebration of Paul Simon & 40 years of Graceland, Saturday 17 October, doors 7.30pm, The Forum. Gary Stewart’s band play the 1986 album. Standing show. (Tunbridge Wells Forum)
  • Halloween Spooktacular: A Fangtastic Family Show, Sunday 18 October, 2pm, Assembly Hall Theatre, TN1 2LU, £20.25, under 16s £18.25. Comedy, magic and ultraviolet puppetry for ages 3 and over. (Assembly Hall Theatre)
  • The Last Laugh, Tuesday 20 to Saturday 24 October, 7.30pm, with 2.30pm matinees on Wednesday and Saturday, Assembly Hall Theatre, TN1 2LU, £27 to £45. Paul Hendy’s West End play puts Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse in one dressing room. (Assembly Hall Theatre)
  • Gaslight, Trinity Theatre Club, Wednesday 21 to Saturday 24 October, Trinity Theatre, TN1 1JP, £20, under 16s £15. Patrick Hamilton’s 1880s thriller, directed by Sandra Barfield. Evenings are at 7.30pm, with 2.30pm matinees on Friday and Saturday. (Trinity Theatre)
  • Howard Hodgkin: In a Public Garden, From Friday 23 October, to 21 February 2027, The Amelia Scott, TN1 1AW, free. More than thirty prints from 1966 to 2016 by the Turner Prize winner, in the museum’s exhibition space. (The Amelia Scott)
  • Model Brick Show, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October, Tunbridge Wells West station, TN2 5QY, £5 show only; £18 adult with train travel, children free. LEGO displays by adult builders in the engine shed at Tunbridge Wells West. Entry to the show is included in a train ticket. (Spa Valley Railway)
  • Spook-Tober Half Term Discovery Days, Saturday 24, Monday 26, Wednesday 28 and Friday 30 October, 10am to 4pm, The Amelia Scott, TN1 1AW, free. Drop-in Halloween crafts for children. The activity shuts for lunch from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. (The Amelia Scott)
  • Calverley Precinct Market, Sunday 25 October, 10am to 4pm, Calverley Precinct, free to attend. The last-Sunday market of produce, street food and crafts on Calverley Road. (The Pantiles)
  • Nick Sharratt’s Once Upon a Drawalong, Wednesday 28 October, 2pm, Trinity Theatre, TN1 1JP, £15, under 16s £13. The illustrator of You Choose and Shark in the Park teaches children to draw his characters. Bring paper and pencils. Age guidance 4 and over. (Trinity Theatre)
  • Coffee Concert with Ruth Beedham & Marcus Andrews, Saturday 31 October, 11am to 12pm, The Amelia Scott, TN1 1AW, £15. Cello and piano, with Chopin, Piazzolla and Martinu, run with the Tunbridge Wells International Music Festival. Arrive from 10.30am. (The Amelia Scott)
  • Halloween Silent Disco, Saturday 31 October, 2.30pm to 4pm, The Amelia Scott, TN1 1AW, £10. A family disco on three headphone channels with a craft table, aimed at children of 11 and under. Adults must come with a child. (The Amelia Scott)

November

Listings to Monday 9 November. Our fireworks page has the parking rules for both displays, and the town’s Remembrance Sunday arrangements for 8 November will be added here when the council publishes them.

  • RTWSO: Heroes & Legends, Sunday 1 November, 3pm, Assembly Hall Theatre, TN1 2LU, £24 to £38, under 18s and students £5. Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony and a suite from Wagner’s Parsifal, conducted by Peter Selwyn. (Assembly Hall Theatre)
  • An Evening with Sarah Raven and Adam Nicolson, Wednesday 4 November, 6.30pm to 8.30pm, The Amelia Scott, TN1 1AW, £29. The couple talk about the gardens at Sissinghurst and Perch Hill, with a book signing. Booking is through the Sarah Raven website. (The Amelia Scott)
  • Henry V, Bowler Crab Theatre Company, Friday 6 November, 7.30pm, Trinity Theatre, TN1 1JP, £25, students £20. The company’s 40th Shakespeare production and its first history play. (Trinity Theatre)
  • Pantiles Market, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November, 10am to 4pm, The Pantiles, free to attend. November’s market weekend, the last before the Christmas chalets arrive. (The Pantiles)
  • Dunorlan Park Fireworks, Saturday 7 November, 5.30pm to 7.30pm, Dunorlan Park, TN2 3QA, advance £11 adult, £7 child aged 5 to 15, under 5s free. Round Table’s charity display, this year an 18-minute show set to film scores at 7pm. Advance prices end at midnight on Friday 30 October. (Dunorlan Fireworks)
  • Benenden Bonfire and Fireworks, Saturday 7 November, gates 5.30pm, Field by the Benenden School main entrance, TN17 4ES, £8 adult, £4 child aged 15 and under. Bonfire lit at 6.30pm and fireworks at 7pm. Tickets go on sale online from 1 October. (Benenden Bonfire & Fireworks)
  • Carmina Burana, Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society, Sunday 8 November, 3pm, Assembly Hall Theatre, TN1 2LU, £13 to £28, with tickets from £8. Orff’s Carmina Burana and Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances, conducted by Robyn Sevastos. (Assembly Hall Theatre)

The season after that has its own pages: the Christmas Kick Off and festive dates, the pantomime and Scotney Castle’s Christmas trail.

Regular events

  • Rhyme Time, Tuesdays at 10am and 11am, Thursdays at 10am, The Amelia Scott, Children’s Library, TN1 1AW, free, no booking. Nursery rhymes and action songs for under 4s, 20 to 30 minutes a session. (The Amelia Scott)
  • Royal Tunbridge Wells parkrun, Every Saturday, 9am, Dunorlan Park, TN2 3QA, free. A timed 5km to walk, jog or run, with coffee afterwards in the park café. (parkrun)
  • Pantiles Market, second weekend of every month, 10am to 4pm, The Pantiles, free to attend (The Pantiles).
  • Calverley Precinct Market, last Sunday of every month, 10am to 4pm, Calverley Road, free to attend (The Pantiles).
  • Trinity Clocktower Tours, Tuesdays and most Saturdays to the end of October, 10.30am and 11.15am, Trinity Theatre, TN1 1JP. The 45-minute climb is free to book, and the theatre suggests a £5 donation (Trinity Theatre).

Getting there

The Assembly Hall, Trinity and The Amelia Scott are within five minutes’ walk of each other at the top of the town, and The Pantiles and Tunbridge Wells West station are at the bottom. Charges and evening rates for the council car parks are on our parking page, and current closures are on roadworks and travel.

Send us your event

Running something in Tunbridge Wells, Southborough, Paddock Wood, Cranbrook or the villages? Email hello@twellstoday.co.uk with the date, time, venue, price and a photo. Listings are free of charge, and yours goes on this page and in the diary on our What’s On section.

This page is rewritten as organisers confirm new dates. Dates can still change, so use the links before you travel.

Sources

Image: “Bandstand on The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells” by Marathon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bandstand_on_The_Pantiles,Tunbridge_Wells-geograph.org.uk-_3010568.jpg).