by Katie Thompson
With the start of a new year, comes the excitement of loads to look forward to for the next 12 months. Whether you’re looking for your culture fix, delicious food, want to celebrate some of the City of Stories’ best attractions or explore our green spaces, there’s something for you.
From amazing West End theatre shows and entertaining festivals to the much-anticipated opening of Norwich Castle keep, 2025 is already shaping up to have some memorable moments!
Read on some of our favourites for January and beyond.
There are so many great shows at Norwich Theatre to start 2025!
We don’t know about you, but every year Norwich Theatre’s fantastic line-up of musicals, plays, comedy and more means we could be going almost every week. And that’s just January!
At the Theatre Royal, Stephen Daldry’s multi award-winning An Inspector Calls returns (21 January – 25 January, from £10). Following a sell-out tour in 2022, this National Theatre production follows the unexpected arrival of a mysterious police inspector at a wealthy family home. As he investigates the death of a young woman, the family’s revelations will enthrall theatregoers of every age.
Then it’s time for a big birthday! 2025 marks 100 years of Norfolk and Norwich Operatic Society. And they’re suitably celebrating with all-time classic Singin’ in the Rain (28 January – 1 February, from £10). You can expect toe-tapping dance numbers, laugh-out-loud comedy routines and musical favourites like Good Mornin’, Broadway Melody and, of course, the eponymous title tune.
Across the river, Norwich Playhouse’s 30th year is starting with a dramatic full-scale production of Macbeth (20 January – 23 January, tickets £21). This iconic Shakespeare play promises to be full of wicked witchcraft, politics, love and spectacular sword fights!
Namaste Village’s Indian Street Food Festival promises stalls of delicious vegetarian food!
If your new year’s resolution is to eat less meat, then why not try Namaste Village’s popular Winter Mela Indian Street Food Carnival? Namaste Village makes a clear case for vegetarian food, using authentic and traditional Indian recipes that are completely meat-free and completely delicious!
Taking place at their Queen’s Street restaurant on Sunday 19 January (11am onwards, £3 entry), this fantastically flavourful feast will spice up your winter with irresistible aromas and tempting tastes. With food starting from £1 and a menu that includes dishes like crispy pakoras, aromatic biryanis and Bombay specials, our mouths are already watering!
This storytelling show is a love story to Norwich, its people and its history
Another anniversary not to be missed: the Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell is 100 in 2025! Throughout the museum, locals and visitors alike can relate to Norwich’s social history and this show is no different.
Having previously sold out at Norwich Playhouse, Norwich: A Love Story celebrates our fine city through storytelling. Created by writer John Osborne, this special one-off show (17 January, 6.30pm – 8.30pm, tickets £10) is a love story to the City of Stories’ most-loved landmarks, its history and its strangers. It’s both fun and full of nostalgia and accompanied by artwork by Norwich painter Pinch. (You might recognise a scene or two!). Then, there’s also the chance to explore the museum after-hours!
From Norwich to The Broads… January is a great time to get outside
It may sound cliché, but January is a great time to focus on your health and wellbeing post-Christmas. And in Norwich (and Norfolk), we’re lucky enough to have luscious green spaces, a breathtaking coastline and the beautiful Broads all on our doorstep. Whether it’s a winter stroll along the river or an invigorating walk along the beach, we suggest getting outside and making the most of our natural surroundings.
If you’re not quite ready to brace winter temperatures, why not try hot yoga at Yantra Studio on King Street? They cater for all abilities across a range of classes that includes yoga, barre fusion, Pilates and even meditative gong baths. Aaand, relax….
Norwich Science Festival’s venues include UEA, Norwich Theatre and The Forum
This February sees the return of Norwich Science Festival (15 February – 22 February), presented by The Forum. In its 9th year, the packed programme has something for all ages and budgets. And with big names like Steve Backshall MBE and Dame Darcey Bussell headlining, it’s no wonder why! Our top picks include the Explorer Dome (15 February – 19 February, £8, ages 3 – 12 years), The Explorium (throughout, FREE) and Suspended Seasons (16 February, £18, ages 18+).
Then in May, it’s the Norfolk and Norwich Festival (9 May – 25 May)! Early release tickets are available now with the full programme announced in February. One of their headliners is Showdown (14 – 25 May, from £25). It’s a mix of contemporary circus and humour with seven extraordinary acrobats but only one winner! If you can’t wait until May, then try an ever-popular tour of Norwich Guildhall (selected dates until April, tickets £5).
Also in May, keep your eyes peeled for Norwich Arts Centre’s inaugural Norwich Jazz Festival!
Norwich Castle’s much-anticipated reopening of the Keep is set for spring 2025
While there’s no set date just yet, Norwich Castle’s much-anticipated reopening of the Keep is set for spring 2025. And if their new atrium is anything to go by, we’re in for a treat! As part of their Royal Palace Reborn project, expect to see reinstated floors, audio-visual projections, VR, multisensory and interactive elements, and the British Museum’s first medieval gallery outside of London. Excited yet?
From Norwich to the African savannah, the go gos are back!
From the African savannah to the City of Stories, Break’s Go Go sculptures are back for a summer safari in 2025. The sculpture trail will see Break’s big five (giraffe, rhino, gorilla, lion, elephant) bring awareness to all the good the charity does. Plus, this roarsome safari will showcase local artists’ works alongside that of local community groups and schools for everyone to enjoy.
This September, Norwich is in the room where is happens!
Norwich is finally going to be in ‘the room where it happens’ when the UK tour of multi award-winning West End phenomenon Hamilton arrives at Norwich Theatre Royal! (As the last stop on the tour, it’s fair to say we’ve been patiently ‘wait(ing) for it’!)
Hamilton is a contemporary classic with incredible choreography, stunning costumes and a talented cast of actors. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the show follows Alexander Hamilton’s journey from immigrant to Washington’s ‘right hand man’ to one of America’s founding fathers. The score blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway to create a spellbinding soundtrack.
And it’s here for a whole six weeks (16 September – 25 October), so it’s likely ‘you’ll be back’ for more than one performance! Don’t throw away ‘your shot’- tickets start from £25.
