Culture
English culture encompasses everything from vintage fashion to futuristic architecture crowned with swish rooftop restaurants and bars. Culture old and new fuses effortlessly in our big cities, where Victorian museums host cutting-edge modern artists. And you’ll find hoards of cultural activities in the countryside and along the coast too. Follow sculpture trails hidden in woodlands, walk in the footsteps of your favourite fictional characters on a film or literature tour, catch a film screening in the grounds of a Tudor mansion and stop by one of numerous art galleries popping up in seaside resorts on your cultural holidays.
Nightly summer bandstand concerts and weekly fireworks
The UK’s busiest bandstand on Eastbourne’s seafront offers nightly concerts from pop to rock throughout summer, with a weekly firework crescendo.
Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex
Discover one of the largest textile collections in England
Known locally as 'the jewel in Worthing's crown', Worthing Museum & Art Gallery is much more than meets the eye.
Location: Worthing, West Sussex
Discover Worthing's local art scene
Splash Point's converted beach chalet studios put art & culture right on the beach.
Location: Worthing, West Sussex
Take a trip to the theatre in Worthing
Worthing’s four distinctive venues bring an ever changing combination of nostalgic and cutting edge theatre.
Location: Worthing, West Sussex
August events: Open Studios Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight Open Studios Island-wide event is making a triumphant return for 2024 having been revived with the creation of a new Community Interest Company (CIC), steered by a collective of artists and dedicated volunteers.
Location: Isle of Wight (island-wide)
August events: SO Festival
Lincolnshire’s coastal district of East Lindsey is transformed into an international arts venue during this annual summer festival.
Location: Skegness, Lincolnshire
Holiday amongst the clouds
For a fairytale holiday on the Suffolk Coast, drop your bags off at The House in the Clouds, a weird and wonderful holiday home.
Location: Thorpeness, Suffolk
Discover Maggi Hambling’s The Scallop
The Scallop, this iconic image of the Suffolk Coast arrived on Aldeburgh beach in 2003, courtesy of local artist, Maggi Hambling.
Location: Aldeburgh, Suffolk
Tuck into a home cooked meal at The Kirkstile Inn
Enjoy a delicious menu made from the best Cumbrian produce, washed down with a pint of freshly brewed ale at the Kirkstile Inn in the heart of the North Lake District.
Location: Loweswater, Cumbria
Explore Brighton's Cultural Quarter
Find an exotic Royal palace, classical concerts, West End shows and fine art all within a moment’s walk of each other.
Location: Brighton & Hove, East Sussex
Get your jazz hands out for the Scarborough Jazz Festival
Each September, the annual Scarborough Jazz Festival on Yorkshire’s north coast provides the ideal tonic for music lovers to wash away those summer blues.
Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Create your own work of art in a quaint artist’s bolthole
Get the creative juices following and spend the weekend discovering inspiring landscapes just waiting to be captured.
Location: Staithes, North Yorkshire
Find yourself face-to-face with gigantic outdoor sculptures
Each face reveals a story as you meet the gigantic outdoor sculptures that span the width and breadth of the seaside resort.
Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Experience the locations that have inspired great literature
The constantly changing scenery, dramatic landscapes and distinctive character of Yorkshire’s people have all been sources of literary inspiration.
Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire
See A-listers perform at Europe’s largest open air theatre
Elton John, Jessie J; you might think you’re reading the line up for a big city gig, think again.The stars flock to Scarborough.
Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Explore the West Bay coastline as seen on TV’s Broadchurch
Soak up the picture-perfect setting used in the TV series Broadchurch as you explore West Bay on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast.
Location: West Bay, Dorset
Explore an island of discovery
Explore Portland’s rugged landscape and breathtaking views and discover its history, heritage and natural assets.
Location: Portland, Dorset
Join 100 iron men by the sea at Another Place
An army of iron statues look out to sea from Crosby Beach. Visit this surreal, haunting artwork by Antony Gormley, and explore its unique coastline.
Location: Crosby Beach, Merseyside
Watch Indie A-listers at the End of the Road Festival
The intimate surroundings of the End of the Road Festival give you the chance to get up close and personal with the bands and their music.
Location: Larmer Tree Gardens, North Dorset
Get beside the seaside for the Coastival arts festival
Be part of Scarborough’s three-day celebration of all things music, theatre, dance, film and art.
Location: Scarborough, Yorkshire
July events: Penzance Literary Festival
A literary festival on the Cornish coast with a distinctly local flavour and a relaxed atmosphere that’s ideal for book lovers.
Location: Penzance, Cornwall