What’s On – Local events guide

Selected dates between 14/3/26 and 1/4/26. See website for details. Heartfelt at Nothe Fort showcases sentimental objects donated by Dorset residents, each paired with the personal story behind it, alongside artworks by Artwey members. Free with fort admission.

Embark on a fascinating journey through Brownsea Island’s rich history as you explore the island and the castle’s picturesque grounds. A rare opportunity to enter the castle itself, view the paintings and artefacts of past owners. Afterwards, head to the Morning Room and help yourself to a warm drink and a delicious scone with cream and jam. Two walks per month except Mar/Aug & Dec.

After a long and dark winter, from 28 March to 6 April Dorchester Corn Exchange will shine with Helios, a giant Sun artwork by artist Luke Jerram, FREE to the public! Presented by Dorchester Arts and Dorchester Town Council, the event includes dance, art, scriptwriting and gala events ‘under the sun’ as well as Catch the Sun, a community exhibition by local artists, which opens 24 March.

Brownsea Island is a haven for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Our guided walks, led by an expert Dorset Wildlife Trust ranger, take you through the island’s beautiful wetlands. Brownsea Lagoon is one of the best birdwatching sites in England. The lagoon’s shallow, nutrient-rich waters draw in thousands of birds annually, creating an ever-changing avian spectacle.

You are warmly invited to our monthly, cathedral-style service of Choral Evensong in Lent on Saturday 28th March at 4.30pm in St Peter’s Church, Dorchester. The music includes Lotti’s ‘Crucifixus’, the ‘Preces & Responses’ and ‘Second Service’ by William Byrd and Elgar’s ‘Light out of darkness’. Admission is free and there is a glass of wine to follow. All are very welcome. See web link below for more information.

Daytime Brass Dorchester presents a FREE informal cafe style concert at the United Church, South Street, Dorchester DT1 1BY Tuesday 31st March music commences 2.00pm – 4.00pm, free refreshments, there will be a raffle and charity buckets available if you wish to donate. We hope to see you there please join us for our very first concert. Daytime Brass making History in Dorchester.

You are warmly invited to our cathedral-style service of Choral Eucharist on Maundy Thursday 2nd April at 7pm in St Peter’s Church, Dorchester. The music includes: William Byrd’s ‘Mass for Three Voices’, Duruflé’s ‘Ubi caritas’ and Giibbons’s ‘Drop, drop slow tears’. All are very welcome to this free service. For more information click the web link below.

Join us at St Peter’s Church Dorchester for our annual musical meditation on Good Friday. This year there will be a performance of Stainer’s Crucifixion on Good Friday 3rd April at 6pm, with soloists Jonathan Prentice (bass) and Paul Heaslip (tenor). The performance is offered as an act of worship so admission is free and all are very welcome. For more information click the web link below.

Spring Fayre with tombola, Raffle, craft stalls Homemade cakes and Refreshments. To book a free 6ft craft space please email via the link below.

You are warmly invited to our cathedral-style service of Choral Eucharist on Easter Sunday 5th April at 10.30am in St Peter’s Church, Dorchester. The joyful selection of music includes: William Harris’s ‘This joyful Eastertide’, Mozart’s ‘Missa brevis in D K.194’ and Stanford’s ‘Ye choirs of new Jerusalem’ before concluding with a rousing ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ from Handel’s Messiah. All welcome.

7:30 pm. Come and join The Oddfellows for an evening of music at The Pavilion in Weymouth. Ticket price from £22.50, subsidy of £10.00 for members of The Oddfellows. There is an opportunity to join members for a pre-show supper in The Pavilion Restaurant.

Practical Workshop: With a mix of working solo and in pairs, Principal Archivist Claire Skinner will help you discover how to read common types of documents in both English and Latin (particularly from the 16th-18th centuries) and give you links to resources which will allow you to explore these topics in more depth. Tickets £12 for DAT members, £15 for non-members. Please book via ticketsource (follow web link below)

You are warmly invited to our monthly, cathedral-style service of Choral Evensong for Easter on Saturday 11th April at 4.30pm in St Peter’s Church, Dorchester. The music includes Vaughan Williams’s ‘Rise heart, thy Lord is risen’, the ‘Preces & Responses’ by David Beeby, Stanford’s ‘Magnificat & Nunc dimittis in Bb’ and Patrick Hadley’s ‘My beloved spake’. Admission free, a glass of wine to follow.

12 noon for 12.30. The New Inn was voted the third best carvery in Dorset (2025). Small plate £11.95 and large plate £17.95. There is a £5.00 subsidy for members of Oddfellows. If you would like to join us please confirm by 5th April.

Come and join The Oddfellows for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Scrabble, Upwords, Bananagrams, Rummicub, mah jong, Cribbage and much much more at PIP cafe on Poundbury. This is a free event. Refreshments including homemade cake.

7:00 pm. Fund raising jazz concert featuring Rebecca Chambers New Tricks Trio. Doors open at 6.30pm. Concert begins at 7pm. Licensed bar and refreshments. Ample parking. Tickets £12.50 via web link below. All profits go towards maintenance and restoration of St Michael’s Church, Beer Hackett.

Join us at St Peter’s Church Dorchester on Saturday 18th April between 12.30pm and 1.00pm for our monthly lunchtime concert. This is a programme of works for violin and organ performed by husband-and-wife duo Christina and Graham Scott. The soloists enjoy busy performing careers alongside their work in the music department at Bryanston School. Admission is free and all are very welcome.

1:10 pm. With period instruments, including replicas of some found on board, Courtlye Musick tell the story of Henry VIII’s ship, the Mary Rose. History sprinkled with sixteenth century instrumental music, including dance music and songs. Part of St Aldhelm’s Church lunchtime concert series and refreshments will be available at the church from midday. Free concert with retiring collection.

Brownsea Island is a haven for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Our guided walks, led by an expert Dorset Wildlife Trust ranger, take you through the island’s beautiful wetlands. Brownsea Lagoon is one of the best birdwatching sites in England. The lagoon’s shallow, nutrient-rich waters draw in thousands of birds annually, creating an ever-changing avian spectacle.

7:00 pm. A Talk by Mike Randall. Learn about the sufferings of “unfortunate and melancholy souls” convicted at Dorchester Assizes in the late 18th and 19th centuries and what befell them and the families they left behind. Tickets are £8 for Dorset Archives Trust members, or £10 for non-members. Please book via ticketsource (web link below)

Get ready for an epic clash of titans! Join us for a thrilling charity football match as the South Western Ambulance Service takes on Dorset Police in a battle for bragging rights and, more importantly, to raise vital funds for four incredible charities. Tickets on sale now – Check out our website!

The Hand in Hand Lodge is renting The Lake House which is situated within 26 acres of glorious countryside. Home of renowned sculptor Simon Gudgen. Guests can arrive from 10am to walk around the beautiful lakes. We will take a picnic and afternoon tea to enjoy on the privacy of our own island. Tickets cost £40.00 with a discount of £15.00 for members of the Oddfellows.

The Hand in Hand Lodge is renting The Lake House which is situated within 26 acres of glorious countryside. Home of renowned sculptor Simon Gudgen. Guests can arrive from 10am to walk around the beautiful lakes. We will take a picnic and afternoon tea to enjoy on the privacy of our own island. Tickets cost £40.00 with a discount of £15.00 for members of the Oddfellows.

7:00 pm. Dance leads to dalliance and love—or a broken heart. Step back in time with Courtlye Musick and Ars Nova of Cherbourg as we whirl you through affairs of the heart with medieval and Tudor dance music and love songs played in costume on period instruments. Free concert with retiring collection. With Poole-Cherbourg Twinning Association.

2:30 pm. Dance leads to dalliance and love—or a broken heart. Step back in time with Courtlye Musick and Ars Nova of Cherbourg as we whirl you through affairs of the heart with medieval and Tudor dance music and love songs played in costume on period instruments. Free informal concert with retiring collection.

Come and join The Oddfellows for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Scrabble, Upwords, Bananagrams, Rummicub, mah jong, Cribbage and much much more at PIP cafe on Poundbury. This is a free event. Refreshments including homemade cake.

The Dorchester Vegan MegaMarket returns outdoors to the historic Maumbury Rings Roman Amphitheatre this Spring! With free entry to our 2 Day May MegaMarket, with 50+ stalls of 100% vegan products situated at the north end of the rings, everyone can enjoy this superb outdoor event. And with a massive grass amphitheatre you can bring your own blankets or chairs for relaxing and dining.

Event description: A concert of short choral pieces for choir with chamber orchestra including Handel’s ‘Let God Arise’, Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42, The famous soprano aria ‘Scherza Infida’ from Handel’s Ariodante. They will be joined by the outstanding young Soprano Sumei Bao-Smith. Entrance is FREE. There will be a retiring collection for Weldmar Hospicecare.
Everyone is most welcome.

Brownsea Island is a haven for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Our guided walks, led by an expert Dorset Wildlife Trust ranger, take you through the island’s beautiful wetlands. Brownsea Lagoon is one of the best birdwatching sites in England. The lagoon’s shallow, nutrient-rich waters draw in thousands of birds annually, creating an ever-changing avian spectacle.

Come and join us for a coffee and chat at the Kings Arms, High East Street, Dorchester where the first two drinks will be paid for by The Oddfellows. Refreshments available to order from the bar.

7:30 pm. Come and joint The Oddfellows at the theatre to see ‘the best Abba show’, ‘Most authentic Abba Show’ (2024). Weymouth Pavilion, tickets from £30.00. Subsidy of £10.0 for members. Come and join us for supper in the Pavilion restaurant prior to the show.

Come and join us for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Rummicub, Scrabble, mah jong, canasta and much much more. Refreshments available. This is a free event.

12:30 pm. Come and join us for a midweek carvery lunch. Cost £16.50 with a £5.00 subsidy for members of The Oddfellows. Please confirm by 17th June if you would like to join us.

Brownsea Island is a haven for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Our guided walks, led by an expert Dorset Wildlife Trust ranger, take you through the island’s beautiful wetlands. Brownsea Lagoon is one of the best birdwatching sites in England. The lagoon’s shallow, nutrient-rich waters draw in thousands of birds annually, creating an ever-changing avian spectacle.

Come and join us for an afternoon of tabletop games at PIP cafe Poundbury.  Come and play or learn to play Scrabble, Rummicub, Canasta, mah jong, crib and much much more!

Come and join The Oddfellows for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Scrabble, Upwords, Bananagrams, Rummicub, mah jong, Cribbage and much much more at PIP cafe on Poundbury. This is a free event. Refreshments including homemade cake.

The Hand in Hand Lodge of Oddfellows is going on a cruise from Poole Quay to Swanage, cruising for about an hour along the Jurassic coast. There is a live commentary and a bar on board. Cost £22.00 for adults and £16.00 for children. members of The Oddfellows enjoy a £10.00 subsidy.

Come and join us for a coffee and chat at The Kings Arms, Dorchester where a warm welcome awaits you.  The first two drinks are paid for by The Oddfellows.  Refreshments available to order from the bar.

Come and join The Oddfellows for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Scrabble, Upwords, Bananagrams, Rummicub, mah jong, Cribbage and much much more at PIP cafe on Poundbury. This is a free event. Refreshments including homemade cake.

A family Fun Dog Show supporting The Lexi May Trust. 6 fun dog show classes, refreshments, doggy trade stalls, Raffles and much more.

12:30 pm. The Hand in Hand Lodge of Oddfellows is going on a guided tour of Shepton Mallet Prison. Please if you need transport there will be plenty of opportunity for a lift. Cost £25.00 with a discount of £10 for members.

Come and join The Oddfellows for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Scrabble, Upwords, Bananagrams, Rummicub, mah jong, Cribbage and much much more at PIP cafe on Poundbury. This is a free event. Refreshments including homemade cake.

Come and join us for a coffee and a chat at The Kings Arms where a warm welcome awaits you. The first two drinks are paid for by The Oddfellows. Refreshments are available to buy at the bar.

Brownsea Island is a haven for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Our guided walks, led by an expert Dorset Wildlife Trust ranger, take you through the island’s beautiful wetlands. Brownsea Lagoon is one of the best birdwatching sites in England. The lagoon’s shallow, nutrient-rich waters draw in thousands of birds annually, creating an ever-changing avian spectacle.

Come and join The Oddfellows for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Scrabble, Upwords, Bananagrams, Rummicub, mah jong, Cribbage and much much more at PIP cafe on Poundbury. This is a free event. Refreshments including homemade cake.

Brownsea Island is a haven for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Our guided walks, led by an expert Dorset Wildlife Trust ranger, take you through the island’s beautiful wetlands. Brownsea Lagoon is one of the best birdwatching sites in England. The lagoon’s shallow, nutrient-rich waters draw in thousands of birds annually, creating an ever-changing avian spectacle.

Come and join The Oddfellows for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Scrabble, Upwords, Bananagrams, Rummicub, mah jong, Cribbage and much much more at PIP cafe on Poundbury. This is a free event. Refreshments including homemade cake.