11.09.2025
The festival scene in the area might be starting to wind down as autumn begins to creep up, but fear not! There’s still plenty of festivals taking place across the county.
We’ve teamed up with the Tent People to create a magical mini tented village to showcase the best of Derbyshire. Our tents will be spread throughout the event, allowing you to explore each wonderful location while taking part in all of the incredible art workshops.
If you’ve missed out on the festivities so far this summer, fear not! We’re pitching our tents at Tapton Lock Festival for the penultimate part of the tour from 6-7 September, before heading south to Melbourne Festival from 20-21 September to host our final outdoor event of the year. We can’t wait to see you there!
And if you still can’t make it to any of our Festivity dates, you can still experience some of the fantastic art that the region has to offer from the comfort of your own home with the Festivity Digital Exhibition. Check it out right now on YouTube here!
You can keep a watchful eye on Derbyshire’s festival scene right here on the website’s Festivals round-up page.
If you know of a festival that’s not on our list and deserves inclusion, let us know! Drop us a line with the details at editor@artsderbyshire.org.uk to tell us about it.
But what else do we have?
Plenty! There are things to do, things to see, experiences to have and workshops to get involved in. Read on and see what takes your fancy!
You’ve got until Friday to head to LEVEL Centre to check out their Public Open Exhibition and the sensory experience of Alex Billingham’s Neon Caverns. Now into its fifth year, the Public Open Exhibition features work from disabled contemporary visual artists from across the UK. Running alongside the exhibition, Neon Caverns features wrap-around film projections, sculptural playable elements, crystals, a projection pool, and even a fluffy neon sofa.
📌 Where: LEVEL Centre, Rowsley
⏰ When: until 5 September
👛 Cost: FREE
The legendary, award-winning musical Blood Brothers returns to Derbyshire from tomorrow, playing the Buxton Opera House as part of its ongoing UK tour. Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving tale of twins separated at birth, who grow up on the opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with tragic consequences. Bill Kenwright’s production surpassed 10,000 performances in London’s West End – one of only three musicals ever to achieve that milestone!
📌 Where: Buxton Opera House
⏰ When: 2-6 September
👛 Cost: £32.50-£54.50
HOT! An art exhibition in summer shades taking us back to hot holidays at home and faraway. It features everything from oil and acrylic to pastel paintings, prints and photos to digital work, and even wire sculpture and ceramics. If you’re out and about this week, make a beeline for Melbourne and drop into Creative Melbourne Gallery so that you don’t miss out on some fabulous art.
📌 Where: Creative Melbourne Gallery, South Derbyshire
⏰ When: until 6 September
👛 Cost: FREE
In 2022, Derby Museums made its most significant acquisition in twenty years with a remarkable self-portrait of Joseph Wright of Derby. Inspired by the self-portrait, Joseph Wright of Derby: Life on Paper explores the role of drawing within the story of his life. The exhibition features more than 70 of Wright’s (largely overlooked until now) personal drawings, sketches and letters, spanning the full breadth of the artist’s life and career.
📌 Where: Derby Museum and Art Gallery
⏰ When: until 7 September
👛 Cost: FREE
Otaku Link 13 takes over The Old Bell Hotel in Derby this month for a full day and night of anime celebration, creativity and community. Whether you’re a long-time fan or brand-new to the scene, this event offers something for everyone, ending with a high-energy afterparty that’s free for day ticket holders. The ultimate anime celebration – by fans, for fans.
📌 Where: The Old Bell Hotel, Derby
⏰ When: 7 September
👛 Cost: £7
Now in its fourth year, Toy Art UK 2025 will showcase over 30 of the most exciting toy artists and pop culture creators, with styles ranging from collectible vinyl toys and hand-cast resin figures to bold illustrative art and one-of-a-kind sculptures. This is the first time the event has been hosted in Derby, with the Museum of Making providing the perfect setting to celebrate toy innovation, design and contemporary creativity.
📌 Where: Museum of Making, Derby Silk Mill
⏰ When: 20 September
👛 Cost: £6.13 (children under 16 go free with a paying adult)
Penned Up, a new play by award-winning playwright Danusia Iwaszko, is coming to the Pavilion Arts Centre as part of a world premiere UK tour, which also visits prisons including HMP Hollesley Bay and HMP Highpoint. Drawing on Danusia’s 15+ years of experience teaching playwriting in prisons, Penned Up offers an unflinching look at life inside. Think Porridge meets Brassed Off – a laugh riot and a gut-punch in equal measure.
📌 Where: Pavilion Arts Centre, Buxton
⏰ When: 25-26 September
👛 Cost: £23
Chesterfield Borough Council’s ‘Little and Often’ programme takes Chesterfield on a trip back to the Jurassic period, as dinosaurs take over the town’s market on 27 September. Including interactive shows in the market square and giant roaming dinosaurs, Jurassic Chesterfield is sure to be a fantastic event. Perfect for families, selfie lovers and curious dinosaur explorers of all ages.
📌 Where: Chesterfield Market
⏰ When: 27 September
👛 Cost: FREE
Spring Bank Arts Centre in New Mills welcomes David Seddon and Philip Vulliamy once again this Sunday with Tales of Five Songs, a charming afternoon tea concert. David and Philip return for their third delve into the art of song, so enjoy some gossip about Schubert, Sullivan, Quilter, Gershwin and Swann, then hear the songs. Tea and cake included!
📌 Where: Spring Bank Arts Centre, New Mills
⏰ When: 7 September
👛 Cost: £8
The next Brampton Sessions at St Thomas Centre & Coffee Bar takes place this Wednesday, welcoming Alastair Gordon – a Sheffield-based folk and blues musician who plays a mixture of original and traditional finger-picked material. Head down to enjoy an incredible evening of music with floor spots from local musicians in a lovely venue.
📌 Where: St Thomas Centre & Coffee Bar, Brampton
⏰ When: 3 September
👛 Cost: £5 suggested donation
Following the success of the first tour in June and July, Derby Book Festival has teamed up again with the Society of Authors, Derby Libraries and Derbyshire Library Service to organise a second series of talks by local authors in libraries across the county this autumn. Head to your local library and enjoy talks and workshops across a broad range of topics.
📌 Where: Various libraries across Derbyshire
⏰ When: 17 September-27 November
👛 Cost: £3.30-£5.50
Songwriter and composer Chris Wood also takes over Spring Bank Arts Centre this month with his wise and soulful folk stylings. Winner of 6 BBC Folk Awards, he’s played with The Royal Shakespeare Company and was a key member of The Imagined Village along with Billy Bragg, Martin and Eliza Carthy. A wise and soulful craftsman, his concerts are a cliche free zone.
📌 Where: Spring Bank Arts Centre, New Mills
⏰ When: 18 September
👛 Cost: £17.50
Head to Libby’s Walled Garden Workshop for an evening with renowned folk singer Judy Dunlop and a selection of her musical chums, namely Nigel Corbett, Poke O’Swedgers and Adrian Hall. Judy herself should need little introduction to Chesterfield-based music aficionados. She was a member of the Albion Band in the early-1990s and has remained one of traditional and contemporary British folk music’s top vocalists.
📌 Where: Libby’s Walled Garden Workshop, Chesterfield
⏰ When: 24 September
👛 Cost: £12
Spring Bank Arts Centre is booked and busy this month! Paul Carbuncle will be bringing out the punk in folk and the folk in punk when he lights up the venue on 27 September. Expect hops, thinly veiled onomastics, poetry and/or pottery, social commentary, and a fairly high body-count.
📌 Where: Spring Bank Arts Centre, New Mills
⏰ When: 27 September
👛 Cost: £12
The Derwent Valley Wind Band returns to the Derby Theatre stage for the Last Night of the Proms with an uplifting evening of music that celebrates the very Best of British. The programme will include the sounds of James Bond, The Beatles and Andrew Lloyd Webber, as well as a musical tribute of sounds from the era to commemorate the 80th anniversary year of VE Day.
📌 Where: Derby Theatre
⏰ When: 27 September
👛 Cost: £10-£12
Go along and take part
Are you a woman who’s new to singing, or rediscovering your voice? Join DALEDIVA for their 4-week singing programme Release Your Voice on Thursday evenings, starting 11 September. Learn to embrace your voice and discover new vocal techniques in a supportive environment. No auditions, pressure or judgement – just fun, harmony and friendship. All levels welcome!
📌 Where: The Lime Tree, Matlock
⏰ When: 11 September, 18 September, 25 September & 2 October
👛 Cost: £20
Meet Stevie Davies at her glass workshop in Wirksworth for one of two glass art workshops running through September. On 4 September, Stevie will show you how to create a fused glass design inspired by flower gardens, or on 18 September there’s the Big Bold Hangings Fused Glass Workshop, where you’ll make a big bold glass panel to hang up in your home.
📌 Where: Stevie Davies Glass, Wirksworth
⏰ When: 4 September / 18 September
👛 Cost: £48 / £46
Join Spring Bank Arts Centre for their monthly coffee morning this Saturday. Have a look around their beautiful grade-ll listed building, see what events they have coming up, buy tickets and grab a fresh coffee or some delicious homemade cake (or why not both?). They also often have a guest speaker or exhibition – so you can enjoy your freshly-brewed coffee and cakes while viewing incredible guests or exhibitions.
📌 Where: Spring Bank Arts Centre, New Mills
⏰ When: 6 September
👛 Cost: FREE
The Chesterfield Co-operative Choral Society welcome you to join them at All Saints Parish Church this Saturday to sing a selection of choruses from Handel’s Messiah. They will be using the Watkins Shaw edition – you’re welcome to bring your own copy but copies will be provided on request.
📌 Where: All Saints Parish Church, Matlock
⏰ When: 6 September
👛 Cost: £15 (includes music and light refreshments)
Kedleston Hall’s Summer of Play is taking over their Secret Garden until Sunday. Enjoy the obstacle course and giant birdhouse, put on a play for your family and friends, or if you fancy peace and quiet, you can escape to the book nook or yoga den. There’s something for everyone, so go and see if you can find it!
📌 Where: Kedleston Hall, Derby
⏰ When: until 7 September
👛 Cost: £12-£20 for a family ticket
Spend a day in Louise Mary Design’s studio at Sharpe’s Pottery Museum making a silver pendant or making a silver spoon. Under Louise’s tutelage you’ll learn traditional silversmithing skills, including how to cut, file, form, solder and polish silver to make your own stunning silver creation. Get creative making your own jewellery or silverware and learn a new skill in a friendly, relaxed environment.
📌 Where: Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, Swadlincote
⏰ When: 12 September / 25 September
👛 Cost: £80 / £140
How do you secure a literary agent? If you’re an aspiring author, you’ve probably asked yourself this question a thousand times – and Googled it a thousand more. With lots of conflicting advice out there, it’s hard to know whose you ought to trust. Well, why not listen to the agents themselves? Hosted by Writing East Midlands, Meet the Agents for Global Majority Writers is an informative and interactive panel discussion and workshop taking place on 13 September. Ask all your burning questions, and don’t forget to take notes!
📌 Where: Serendipity Institute, Leicester
⏰ When: 13 September
👛 Cost: £25 (£10 for concessions)
Start preparing to deck the halls and check out the Christmas pottery workshops being hosted by The Wirksworth Pottery Company on 20-21 September. Get into the festive spirit with a hands-on pottery workshop where you’ll create your very own handmade Christmas decorations from scratch, or unleash your creativity at their hand painting Christmas decoration workshops. No experience needed, just bring your holiday cheer and creativity.
📌 Where: The Feather Star, Wirksworth
⏰ When: 20-21 September
👛 Cost: £30
After running this course back in June, Our Crafty Place is bringing it back for 6 more lucky people to experience the fun and wonder of creating your own large felt pot, this time using wet felting techniques. Suitable for absolute beginners and also people with some experience of felting who are curious to learn a new technique. Places are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment!
📌 Where: Our Crafty Place CIC, Ilkeston
⏰ When: 27 September
👛 Cost: £106.85
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