Cambridge Radio

Ferrenc, Barber and Tchaikovsky at West Road Concert Hall
2026-06-27 | West Road Concert Hall, 11 West Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB3 9DP, United Kingdom
Born in Paris to an artistic family, Louise Farrenc was precociously musically talented, both as a pianist and a composer. Married at 17, she toured Europe as accompanist to her flautist husband, but they ultimately settled back in Paris, where Louise established a career as a pianist and professor of piano at the Paris Conservatoire. Her Overture no. 2 in Eb (1834) is a lively and tuneful work in the operatic style of the time.
Welcome Mabelle Park to perform Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto (1939), surely one of the most captivating of 20th-century violin concertos. .
The title of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, the Pathetique, should be interpreted as meaning ‘passionate’ or ‘heartfelt’, rather than ‘pathetic’.
Tickets available online from www.ticketsource.co.uk £20 (adults), £10 (students), £6 (under 14)
For info go to https://www.westroad.org/whats-on/farrencbarbertchaikovskyccso25

Première of Susannah Self’s new Gloria
2026-07-03 | West Road Concert Hall, 11 West Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB3 9DP, United Kingdom
Selfmade Music is premièring Susannah Self’s fourth major new choral work, the Gloria, in a performance on Friday July 3rd, 2026, 7.30pm in Cambridge’s West Road Concert Hall. It will be paired with Handel’s Dixit Dominus, a brilliant work written in Italy when he was only 22. In addition, Susannah Self’s radiant work for violin and strings, Harbour, will be given its third performance with soloist Kayla Nicol.
Directed by Dr Susannah Self, North Sea Voices and Orchestra are joined by top chamber choir Ely Collegium, and will give the first official performance of this impressive new work.
Susannah Self is developing a growing reputation for her large-scale choral works, which audiences are responding to with enthusiasm.
Admission to the performance in the West Road Concert Hall is £10, £15, £20 and £25.
Booking for this West Road Concert Hall concert is via the ADC Theatre’s website: https://www.adcticketing.com/whats-on/concert/self-gloria-handel-dixit-dominus/

Learn to Scythe Day at Wandlebury Park
2026-07-11 | Wandlebury Country Park, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB22 3AE, United Kingdom
From 10am-4pm.
The lightweight Austrian scythe is an excellent tool for managing areas such as wildflower meadows and around trees.
You will learn how to select and set up a scythe to suit your stature and the basics of mowing and sharpening. There will be ample time to practise, and you should be a confident mower by the end of the day.
The course will be taught by Richard Brown a professional scythe tutor (www.wildscythe.co.uk) assisted by other skilled scythers.
The cost for the day is £75 per person, including the hire of scythe equipment for the day. Please state your height when booking so that there is a suitable scythe available. Scythes will also be available to buy on the day.
Tea and coffee are provided but please bring your own refreshments and packed lunch. Wear outdoor clothing and dress for the weather. Over 18s only. Please do not bring dogs.
£75 per person, booking essential
For info go to https://cambridgeppf.org/etn/learn-to-scythe-day/
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Cambridge 75th Celebrations
2026-07-12 | Jesus Green, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
1pm-8pm
Sunday 12th July, 2026 marks 75 years since Cambridge gained city status and to celebrate that there will be a party on Jesus Green and everyone in Cambridge is invited!
A full day of live music and well-known DJ’s providing a chance to have a song and dance in the sun to some summer sounds. The day also will feature walkabout acts throughout the green with food vendors, bars, and stalls for people to browse. This free event is a chance for people to come together and celebrate the great city of Cambridge.

Nell Gwynn at the ADC Theatre
2026-07-14 - 2026-07-17 | ADC Theatre, Park Street, Cambridge, CB5 8AS
London, 1660. The civil war has ended and King Charles II has exploded onto the scene with a love of all things loud, extravagant and sexy. And at Drury Lane, a young Nell Gwynn is causing stirrings amongst the theatregoers.
But at a time when women are second-class citizens, can her charm and spirit really protect her from the dangers at the palace? A joyful and unapologetically bawdy romp through the excesses of the court and the eccentricities of the theatre as the out-spoken Nell navigates her own path to success.
This production is suitable for ages 12 and over.
Nightly performances at 7.45 pm with a matinee on Saturday at2.30pm
Tickets – £13.50 to £19.00
For info go to https://www.adctheatre.com/whats-on/play/nell-gwynn/

Dear Zoo
2026-07-17 - 2026-07-18 | Cambridge Arts Theatre, 6 St Edward's Passage, Cambridge , Cambridgeshire, CB2 3PJ, United Kingdom
Dear Zoo, Rod Campbell’s timeless children’s book returns to the stage!
See the characters write to the Zoo. Who will be delivered? A cheeky monkey, a jumpy frog and of course a perfect puppy.
Help your children learn as the book leaps onto the stage and share a magical experience as the story unfolds with child-engaging puppets, music and lots of audience interaction.
Rod Campbell’s best-selling lift the flap book has delighted generations of young readers since it was first published in 1982. And has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide.
Tickets – £20
Age Guidance – 1+
For info go to https://www.artstheatre.co.uk/whats-on/dear-zoo/

Songs of the Bulbul
2026-07-21 | Cambridge Arts Theatre, 6 St Edward's Passage, Cambridge , Cambridgeshire, CB2 3PJ, United Kingdom
Aakash Odedra Company, the award-winning South Asian dance company present Songs of the Bulbul.
Songs of the Bulbul is inspired by the ancient Sufi myth of a bulbul songbird captured and held in captivity, choreographed by Rani Khanam with music by Rushil Ranjan.
The bird was bound ever closer and slowly perished through despair, singing more sweetly as its end drew nearer, until it uttered one final, heartbreaking and piercingly beautiful song just before it departed the mortal world.
Tickets – £30
Show Guidance – Contains flashing lights, strobe, loud and sudden
For info go to https://www.artstheatre.co.uk/whats-on/songs-of-the-bulbul/

Holiday Bushcraft for Children
2026-07-21 - 2026-07-23 | Cambridgeshire
8.30am – 4pm.
Holiday Bushcraft at Wandlebury is designed for children aged 5-14 and is run by experienced instructors from Wild Thyme & Embers, who will inspire children and share their knowledge and skills of surviving in the wild. The sessions focus on practical bushcraft and survival skills and follow a forest school approach encouraging self-confidence and sense of achievement.
All basic bushcraft techniques suitable for this age range will be taught, including:​ Shelter building/ Knots and rope work/ Use of cutting tools and whittling/ Plant and tree recognition and uses/ Seasonal woodcrafts/ Fire lighting techniques/ Wilderness cooking skills/ natural art and crafts/ Woodland games.
The cost for each day is £48 per child. Please book via the Wild Thyme & Embers http://www.wildthymeandembers.co.uk/holiday-bushcraft-club/
Children need to bring a packed lunch and large water bottle (which can be refilled throughout the day) and dress for the weather. Please send children with a change of clothes and ensure they wear suitable footwear, preferably closed toe shoes such as hiking boots, wellies or trainers.
For info go to https://cambridgeppf.org/etn/holiday-bushcraft-for-5-14-year-olds-copy/

Willow Weaving Workshop
2026-07-25 | Cambridge Corn Exchange, 2 Wheeler Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3QB, United Kingdom
Come along to the Cambridge Corn Exchange Foyer for a morning of Willow Weaving led by Willow Phoenix.
Willow Phoenix is a sustainable willow business, based at Abbey Yard, West Acre. They offer willow courses and tuition in basketry, sculpture and land art.
Their mission is to teach as many folk as possible about this beautiful, generous tree and all the amazing things you can make with it’s help.
Weaving is a slow, mindful activity which lowers cortisol and releases serotonin. This all helps to calm us down and feel generally better about the world. You can’t worry and weave. Using natural materials is a feast for the senses and counts as green exercise, which improves mood, self-esteem and ‘connection to nature’.
During the workshop you will have the opportunity to make a decorative willow flower. The centre of the flower is also the same method as making a basket base. So you will have learned some basketry too. Take home your makes and you flower will look great inside or out.
Alternative, you could try your hand at making a Willow Wind Spinner. By fixing two spirals together to make a double helix pattern, you will create a spinning willow decoration.
Take home your makes. All tools and materials will be provided
Tickets – Adults – £11.50/ Children – £6.50
For info go to https://www.cornex.co.uk/events/willow-weaving-workshop

Cambridge Ceilidh Family All Stars
2026-07-26 | Cambridge Corn Exchange, 2 Wheeler Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3QB, United Kingdom
Keith Day is the caller for several ceilidh bands in Cambridge and is known to many as a Cambridge Folk Festival compere of some 50 years standing, and was a member of the famous Cambridge Crofters. His wish was to select a band of the best players from the Cambridge area and add on a horn section to make a big noise. It ended up a 13-piece band! CCAS comprises members of the Lairds, The Jumping Beans and the University Ceilidh band, as well as other musicians of local repute.
The sound of the band is what you might expect from the tune players: a mixture of rollicking traditional jigs and reels from the British Isles and America played on fiddle, concertina, accordion, banjo, piano and bodhrán, given even more punch with the addition of saxophones, trumpet, trombone and tuba with calling by Keith himself, of course.
Set to be an afternoon of fun & dancing, please join us at the Cambridge Corn Exchange
Cost – £11.00 (Including booking fee)
Starts at 1.00 pm
For info go to https://www.cornex.co.uk/events/cambridge-ceilidh-all-stars-family-ceilidh

Murder Most Unexpected
2026-07-29 - 2026-07-31 | ADC Theatre, Park Street, Cambridge, CB5 8AS
Murder! But whodunnit? The truth is in your hands!
Step into the world of Murder Most Unexpected, an Agatha Christie-style mystery made up entirely on the spot. Following sell-out runs in 2024 and 2025, local comedy legends Cambridge Improv Factory are back to unravel a hilarious tale of twists, turns, and suspicious characters – all inspired by your suggestions!
Every performance is unique, anything can happen, and anyone could be the killer… The only certainty is that advance booking is essential!
Cambridge Improv Factory aim to perform to the age range of those in the room, but this is an improvised show so cleanliness is not guaranteed. Expect adult humour, comic book violence, innuendo and light swearing. The Saturday matinee will aim to be more family friendly, only taking audience suggestions that are appropriate for ages 12 and over. Evening performances will be suitable for ages 16 and over.
Nightly performances at 7.45 pm with a matinee on Saturday at 2.30 pm
Tickets – £10.00 to £16.00
For info go to https://www.adctheatre.com/whats-on/comedy/murder-most-unexpected/

22nd Cambridge Rock Festival
2026-07-30 - 2026-08-01 | Harlock’s Farm, Ben's Yard, Stuntney, Ely, CB7 5TR
CRF is the ultimate Classic Rock, Blues, and Prog Music Festival, where good vibes meet great music. Experience a blend of real ales, family-friendly atmosphere, and outstanding musical performances.

Cambridge Folk Festival
2026-08-01 | Cherry Hinton Hall, Cherry HInton Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB1 8DW, United Kingdom
Cambridge Folk Festival: Saturday 1st – Sunday 2nd August Folk, Americana, Blues and Country all weave together make up the rich musical tapestry of Cambridge Folk Festival 2026. The much-loved music event pitches up at Cherry Hinton Hall for 2 days of incredible music, the line-up includes headline performances from musical luminaries Frank Turner, Suzanne Vega and Richard Thompson plus many more of the finest singers and bands throughout the weekend.
2026 also has a unique little twist with special events being held in the run up to the festival in venues around the city. Catch Thea Gilmore at Storey’s Field on Saturday 25 July and Dr John Cooper Clarke at the Corn Exchange also on Saturday 25 July.
To discover full weekend line up and book your tickets before it sells out, head to the festival’s website www.cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk
