11 days ago
Theatre by the Lake premieres The Farmer's Wife in Keswick
Keswick's lakeside playhouse has staged the world premiere of a new play drawn from Helen Rebanks' memoir, the centrepiece of a 2026 season rooted firmly in Cumbrian life.
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Arts & Culture
Theatres, galleries, cinemas, bookshops, makers and heritage attractions across the Lake District, and what's on in the arts scene.
14 days ago
Bowness's Old Laundry Theatre becomes The Victoria Wood Theatre
The much-loved Bowness-on-Windermere venue has taken the name of its former trustee Victoria Wood, marking the change with a new musical built from her songs.
16 days ago
The Armitt in Ambleside celebrates Wainwright and Beatrix Potter
Ambleside's museum and library marked 70 years of Alfred Wainwright's first Pictorial Guide with never-before-seen material, alongside a display of Beatrix Potter's remarkable fungi studies.
19 days ago
Heaton Cooper Studio in Grasmere celebrates painter Julian Cooper
Grasmere's family-run gallery, founded in 1905, has spent 2026 showcasing three generations of artistic talent, opening the year with a major exhibition of Julian Cooper's mountain paintings.
23 September 2026
Coniston's Ruskin Museum prepares Bluebird K7 for a historic return
Donald Campbell's restored hydroplane, cared for by the Ruskin Museum in Coniston, was granted permission to run on Coniston Water in 2026 for the first time since 1967.
21 September 2026
Wordsworth Grasmere's trust secures poet's final home at Rydal Mount
The Wordsworth Trust, which cares for Dove Cottage in Grasmere, has acquired Rydal Mount, where William Wordsworth and his family lived from 1813 until his death in 1850.
20 September 2026
Ulverston's Laurel and Hardy Museum keeps Stan Laurel's hometown laughing
Housed in the town's 1930s Roxy cinema, Ulverston's family-run Laurel and Hardy Museum holds what is thought to be the largest collection of the duo's memorabilia anywhere.
19 September 2026
Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick prepares for a move to Rawnsley Hall
Keswick's much-loved pencil museum is moving from its Southey Works home to the historic Rawnsley Hall, with a larger, brighter space and a visitor café planned for 2027.
18 September 2026
Lakes International Comic Art Festival returns home to Kendal
After several years in Bowness-on-Windermere, the Lakes International Comic Art Festival came back to Kendal in October 2026, centred on the Brewery Arts Centre with Bill Sienkiewicz as featured artist.
17 September 2026
Abbot Hall in Kendal brings fresh exhibitions to a Georgian landmark
Kendal's Grade I listed Abbot Hall, home to a celebrated Romney collection, has followed its major redevelopment with a lively programme of contemporary exhibitions through 2026.