Roald Dahl's The BFG comes to Chichester Festival Theatre from the 9th March

Roald Dahl's The BFG

Chichester Festival Theatre, 9th March - 11th April

What's On in Sussex

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Sussex is ready to welcome you for a year filled with colour, creativity and coast-to-countryside events. Whether you’re drawn to vibrant seaside cities, peaceful gardens, world‑class culture or family‑friendly days out, you’ll find plenty to enjoy across East and West Sussex in every season.

2026 brings an exciting line‑up of celebrations. At Borde Hill, the much‑loved Jay Robin’s Rose Garden marks its 30th anniversary, with more than 750 David Austin roses across 100 varieties taking centre stage. Across the county, the Brighton Festival celebrates its 60th year, bringing theatre, music, dance and visual art to venues and open spaces throughout the city from 2–25 May 2026. East Sussex honours the 100th anniversary of Winnie‑the‑Pooh, with Ashdown Forest hosting themed walks, family activities and exhibitions inspired by the Hundred Acre Wood. Whilst in West Sussex, Chichester Cathedral welcomes visitors back to its spectacular Festival of Flowers, returning from 3rd – 6th June to mark 30 years with more than 50,000 blooms filling the historic nave and cloisters.

From dramatic coastline and rolling South Downs landscapes to headline festivals, historic re‑enactments and flourishing gardens, Sussex is the perfect place for a short break or longer escape. Start planning your 2026 adventure today — your Sussex experience is waiting.

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What's on in Sussex this weekend?

To find out what's on in Sussex today or this weekend, use the search box above to narrow down your required date, explore the featured list or head to the bottom of the page and explore the list of events in Sussex. If you are on a budget look out for the free events (F) taking place across the county. Sussex means you're never far from an event, a place, or an adventure - guaranteed to keep you entertained and coming back for more.

Staying overnight in Sussex?

If you're travelling from outside the area for an event in Sussex, there are numerous hotels and other accommodation options to suit your needs.

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Sussex events near me

Sussex hosts hundreds of exciting events, all year round for residents, day-trippers, and holidaymakers to enjoy. The guide below shows our full calendar of events in Sussex. Find what's happening near you by clicking the Map View button.

What's on in East Sussex and West Sussex

Inspiration

  1. Dinosaur Adventure Live!
    Surely The Greatest Prehistoric Show on Earth! 65…
    1. 15 Feb 2026
  2. Stargazing at Helen Garden
    Explore the skies with Eastbourne Astronomical…
    1. 21 Feb 2026

Number of results:

Number of results: 159

, currently showing 1 to 20.

  1. Le Petit Chef at DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole

    Type

    Type:

    Food

    Brighton

    Step into a world of magic, gastronomy, and innovation! Le Petit Chef & The Magical Cooking Book is a one-of-a-kind 3D dinner show that will leave a lasting impression.

    Watch how your dining table becomes a stage where Le Petit Chef prepares your…

    Dates

    From:
    13 Feb 2026to14 Feb 2026Open 19:00 -
  2. Painting party with The Paint Club at The Railway Inn

    Painting party with The Paint Club at The Railway Inn

    Type

    Type:

    Arts

    Brighton

    About the Event
    Everything You Need to Paint a Masterpiece

    Join The Paint Club for a relaxed and creative evening of painting! One of our friendly artists will guide you step-by-step from a blank canvas to your very own work of art.

    Each artist…

    Dates

    From:
    24 Feb 2026Open 19:00 - 21:00
    From:
    24 Mar 2026Open 19:00 - 21:00
    From:
    28 Apr 2026Open 19:00 - 21:00
    From:
    26 May 2026Open 19:00 - 21:00
    From:
    23 June 2026Open 19:00 - 21:00
    From:
    28 July 2026Open 19:00 - 21:00
    From:
    25 Aug 2026Open 19:00 - 21:00
  3. Dawn Chorus Walk

    Type

    Type:

    Outdoor Event / Activities

    Haywards Heath

    It may be an early start… but it's worth getting up extra early to experience the full power and majesty of the Dawn Chorus choir set against a beautiful spring sunrise.

    Join Sussex naturalist Michael Blencowe for a gentle walk through Borde Hill's…

    Dates

    From:
    25 Apr 2026Open 05:30 - 07:30
  4. Fascinating and free exhibition train

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibitions

    Station Road, Bognor Regis

    An exhibition inside a train is heading to Bognor Regis – and it's totally free to visit.

    Co-curated with the National Railway Museum and packed full of interactive exhibits and amazing stories, 'Inspiration' reveals how railways transformed the…

    Dates

    From:
    2 Mar 2026to3 Mar 2026Open 10:00 - 17:00
  5. Bogan Bingo Bottomless Brunch

    Type

    Type:

    Comedy

    Brighton and Hove

    Bingo, bottomless brunch & the Bogan Bingo boys!

    What could be a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than a gloriously chaotic bingo and bottomless brunch session with Brighton’s no.1 comedy bingo show, Bogan Bingo!

    Tickets include:

    - 90…

    Venue

    Komedia, Brighton and Hove

    Dates

    From:
    28 Feb 2026Open 12:30 -
    From:
    28 Mar 2026Open 12:30 -
    From:
    27 June 2026Open 12:30 -
    From:
    24 Oct 2026Open 12:30 -
    From:
    21 Nov 2026Open 12:30 -
  6. Sink & Soften - An Evening Yoga Practice with Calli Popham

    Type

    Type:

    Outdoor Event / Activities

    Haywards Heath

    Join us for a slow, embodied practice designed to help you land, listen, and let go, not by forcing release, but by creating the conditions for it to happen naturally. The practice will take place in the tranquillity of the South Lawn after hours,…

    Dates

    From:
    5 June 2026Open 17:00 - 18:00
  7. Bates Green Garden

    Type

    Type:

    Gardens

    Arlington

    Bates Green Garden was designed and planted by the late Carolyn McCutchan over a period of many years from 1968.  The tranquil 1.5-acre garden surrounds the farmhouse, which was originally a gamekeepers cottage built circa 1814. 

    Dates

    From:
    25 Feb 2026to28 Oct 2026Various Opening Times
  8. Bluebell Spectacular & Woodland Walk 2026

    Type

    Type:

    Participatory Event

    Polegate

    Enjoy vistas of bluebells in 23 acres of ancient woodland. Walks and trails through three farms. Countryside exhibition. One walk is wheelchair friendly.

    Dates

    From:
    3 Apr 2026to10 May 2026
  9. Feast of Fiddles 31st Tour Comes to Bexhill Academy Theatre

    Type

    Type:

    Music

    Bexhill on Sea

    2026 and Feast of Fiddles set out on their Annual Tour once again – their 31st.
    Two storming performances at the New Forest Folk Festival and Fairport's Cropredy Convention in 2024 promoted what has become their 8th recording and another live…

    Dates

    From:
    23 Feb 2026Open 19:30 - 22:30
  10. Hastings Half Marathon 2026

    Type

    Type:

    Sporting Events

    Grosvenor Crescent, Saint Leonards on Sea

    The energy: electric
    The crowd support: epic
    The course: achievably challenging
    The vibes: unmatched

    WINNER OF MIDSIZED EVENT OF THE YEAR AT THE 2025 RUNNING INDUSTRY AWARDS!

    Join thousands of runners on the start line at the iconic - and…

    Dates

    From:
    22 Mar 2026
  11. Roald Dahl's The BFG

    Type

    Type:

    Theatre

    Chichester

    Roald Dahl's unforgettable story The BFG comes to life in a magical new co-production from Chichester Festival Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Roald Dahl Story Company. This new adaptation by Tom Wells is directed by RSC Co-Artistic…

    Dates

    From:
    9 Mar 2026to11 Apr 2026
  12. The Paint Club painting party at The Hop Sun

    Type

    Type:

    Arts

    Triangle Road, Haywards Heath

    About the Event
    Everything You Need to Paint a Masterpiece

    Join The Paint Club for a relaxed and creative evening of painting! One of our friendly artists will guide you step-by-step from a blank canvas to your very own work of art.

    Each artist…

    Dates

    From:
    12 Feb 2026Open 18:30 - 20:30
    From:
    12 Mar 2026Open 18:30 - 20:30
    From:
    9 Apr 2026Open 18:30 - 20:30
    From:
    14 May 2026Open 18:30 - 20:30
    From:
    11 June 2026Open 18:30 - 20:30
    From:
    9 July 2026Open 18:30 - 20:30
    From:
    13 Aug 2026Open 18:30 - 20:30
  13. Talk | Nicholson and the Theatre with Jane Pritchard

    Type

    Type:

    Talks

    Chichester

    Join Jane Pritchard, Curator of Dance, Theatre and Performance at the Victoria and Albert Museum, for a richly illustrated talk exploring William Nicholson's fascinating, and often overlooked, contribution to the theatre in the early 20th century,…

    Dates

    From:
    19 Mar 2026Open 18:00 - 19:00
  14. Pashley Manor Gardens Tulip Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Bank Holiday

    Near Wadhurst

    Pashley Manor's spectacular Tulip Festival is a riot of colour in East Sussex with over 40,000 tulips to experience.

    Venue

    Pashley Manor Gardens, Rother

    Dates

    From:
    16 Apr 2026to1 May 2026Open 10:00 - 17:00
  15. Mudfest! At WWT Arundel

    Type

    Type:

    Childrens Events

    Arundel

    Mud isn't just messy - it's marvellous. It's the stuff our super-powered wetlands and great family adventures are made of. For one week only this February half term, embrace the mess and discover just how brilliant mud can be with hands-on…

    Dates

    From:
    14 Feb 2026Open 10:00 - 16:00
    From:
    15 Feb 2026Open 10:00 - 16:00
    From:
    16 Feb 2026Open 10:00 - 16:00
    From:
    17 Feb 2026Open 10:00 - 16:00
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    18 Feb 2026Open 10:00 - 16:00
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    19 Feb 2026Open 10:00 - 16:00
    From:
    20 Feb 2026Open 10:00 - 16:00
    From:
    21 Feb 2026Open 10:00 - 16:00
    From:
    22 Feb 2026Open 10:00 - 16:00
  16. Fungal Foray

    Type

    Type:

    Countryside

    Arlington, Polegate

    Come and dip into the fascinating world of fungi. From Beefstakes to Birds Nests, Fly Agaric to Fibrecaps, we have identified sixty types of fungi in Beatons Wood, and there are many more! Discover a little about the woodland web, and maybe discover…

    Dates

    From:
    1 Oct 2026Open 10:00 - 12:00
  17. Kids Go FREE! Be a Nature Detective this February Half Term 2026

    Type

    Type:

    Childrens Events

    Tenterden

    KIDS GO FREE this Half Term!
    Be a Nature Detective this February Half Term!
    Climb aboard our Steam and Diesel-hauled trains at the Kent & East Sussex Railway and enjoy a memorable family adventure through the stunning Rother Valley National…

    Dates

    From:
    14 Feb 2026to15 Feb 2026Open 10:00 - 16:00
    From:
    17 Feb 2026Open 10:00 - 16:00
    From:
    21 Feb 2026to22 Feb 2026Open 10:00 - 16:00
  18. Kids Trail: Mission Spring

    Type

    Type:

    Childrens Events

    Haywards Heath

    Agent Snowdrop needs your help! Spring has gone missing, and we suspect Winter has locked it away.

    Your secret mission, should you choose to accept it, is to join our Secret Nature Agency and help bring Spring back to life.

    Armed with your Agent…

    Dates

    From:
    14 Feb 2026to22 Mar 2026Open 10:00 - 17:00
  19. Children's Workshop | Easter Holiday Club: Fabulous Footwear

    Type

    Type:

    Childrens Events

    Chichester

    Have fun designing and collaging your own fabulous footwear!

    Looking at William Nicholson's picture of Gertrude Jekyll's boots, other paintings and photographs of very fancy footwear, we will collect ideas and features we like the look of. Then…

    Dates

    From:
    10 Apr 2026Open 11:00 - 14:00
  20. Rye Summer Series Race Five

    Type

    Type:

    Sporting Events

    Rye

    The Rye Summer Classic Series provides a unique chance to enjoy one of Britain's most treasured conservation sites, covering a mosaic of interlocking shingle ridges, saltmarsh, intertidal grazing, reed-beds and saline lagoons. It can get windy on…

    Dates

    From:
    4 Sept 2026