Local news, what's on and the information you need across Dorset, from Dorchester to the Blackmore Vale.
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What's On

What's On in Dorset

Things to do in and around Dorset: events, days out and family activities, with the practical details.

Top story Cerne Abbas Giant: Where to See It, and How Old It Really Is The Cerne Abbas Giant is best seen from the National Trust viewing area, not the A352 lay-by. The walk, the bus, dogs, and the 2021 late Saxon dating. · 6 min read

Dates for the diary

  1. Sat 7 Nov Weymouth parkrun 9am · Lodmoor Country Park · Free
  2. Sat 7 Nov The Great Field parkrun, Poundbury 9am · The Great Field · Free
  3. Sat 7 Nov Lyme Regis Fireworks Display 6.30pm · Marine Parade · Free
  4. 7 to 8 Nov Dorset Winter Food and Drink Fair Athelhampton House and Gardens · From £5
  5. 7 to 14 Nov BridLit 2026 at the Electric Palace Electric Palace · From £16.50
  6. Sun 8 Nov Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service, Lyme Regis 9.15am · St Michael's Church
  7. Sun 8 Nov Remembrance Sunday Service and Parade, Weymouth 10.30am · Weymouth War Memorial, The Esplanade
  8. Sun 8 Nov Remembrance Sunday Service, Dorchester 10.55am · Dorchester War Memorial
  9. Fri 13 Nov The Illegal Eagles 7.30pm · Weymouth Pavilion · From £41.50
  10. Fri 13 Nov A Head Full of Coldplay 7.30pm · Dorchester Corn Exchange · From £20
  11. 14 to 15 Nov A Dorset Christmas Market, The Tank Museum The Tank Museum
  12. Sun 15 Nov Community Fun Day at Dorchester RFC 10am · Dorchester RFC

More stories

What's On Hengistbury Head: £2.70 Winter Parking, No Land Train Hengistbury Head's winter parking is £2.70 for 2 hours and the land train is off until April. The walk to Mudeford Spit, the Double Dykes, dogs and the ferry. · 6 min read Christmas Christmas Shopping in Dorset: 20 Independents Worth the Drive We checked 20 independent Dorset shops, from Goulds in Dorchester to Folde in Shaftesbury, for opening hours and what they sell. Updated November 2026. · 17 min read Christmas Where to Buy a Christmas Tree in Dorset 2026 With Prices We checked 6 places to buy a real Christmas tree in Dorset, from Trinity Street in Dorchester to Moors Valley, for prices and dates. Updated November 2026. · 9 min read What's On Brownsea Island: Shut Until Sat 13 March 2027, No Dogs Brownsea Island is closed for winter and reopens on Saturday 13 March 2027. Ferries from Poole Quay, red squirrels, the no-dogs rule and what it costs. · 6 min read What's On Abbotsbury Swannery: Shut Until March, Cygnets From May Abbotsbury Swannery closes for winter on 1 November and reopens in mid-March. Cygnets hatch from early May; swan feeds are at noon and 4pm. Tickets and rules. · 6 min read What's On Portland Bill: Lighthouse Climb, Pulpit Rock and Parking Portland Bill: climb the 41m lighthouse (1.1m height rule), see Pulpit Rock and the 1844 obelisk, park in the Crown Estate car park, and stay off the ledges. · 7 min read What's On The Cobb Lyme Regis: Walk It Safely, Park, and Beaches The Cobb at Lyme Regis is a Grade I listed harbour wall with no railings. How to walk it safely, Granny's Teeth, the car parks and the beaches either side. · 7 min read Food & Drink Christmas Dinner in Dorset 2026: Where to Book, With Prices 14 Dorset venues for Christmas dinner: nine serve Christmas Day lunch at £90 to £155 a head, and five serve December menus from £27. Checked October 2026. · 15 min read What's On Charmouth Fossil Hunting: Tides, Where to Look, the Code Charmouth fossil hunting works best on a falling tide after winter storms. Search the loose shingle, not the cliffs; record rare finds at the centre. · 8 min read Food & Drink Afternoon Tea in Dorset: 9 Places Worth the Drive, From Lyme to Swanage Nine places for afternoon tea in Dorset with prices, notice and deposits, at about £20 to £36 a head, from Sherborne Abbey to Lyme Regis. Checked October 2026. · 9 min read Days out Days Out in Dorset With Children, Checked October 2026 Dorset days out with children that stay open this winter: Tank Museum, Monkey World, Corfe Castle and 10 more, with prices, under-5s rules and closed dates. · 12 min read What's On Kimmeridge Bay: £6 Toll, Snorkel Trail and Range Walk Dates Kimmeridge Bay costs £6 a car on the private toll road, card only, 8am to dusk. The Wild Seas Centre shuts 2 Nov; the Etches museum stays open. Dogs welcome. · 8 min read Tolpuddle Tolpuddle Old Chapel: Free Brent Shore Talk, Wed 4 November Tolpuddle novelist Brent Shore talks on his trilogy, from Peterloo to the Great War, at the Old Chapel at 7.30pm on 4 November. Entry free, donations shared. · 2 min read Dorchester Poundbury Mental Elf Fun Run: £12 Entry Until 13 November Dorset Mind's first festive 5K is at The Great Field, Poundbury, at noon on Sunday 13 December. Walk, jog or run; Early Elf tickets £12 adults, £5 children. · 4 min read Playgrounds Dorset Playgrounds and Parks for Children 14 Dorset playgrounds are listed with ages, fencing, toilets, parking charges and dog rules, from Moors Valley to Lyme Regis. Checked October 2026. · 12 min read Food & Drink Dorset's Best Cafes: 12 Worth the Drive, From a Wishing Well to a Castle We checked 12 Dorset cafes, from the Upwey Wishing Well to Seventh Wave at Durlston, for prices, dog rules and hygiene ratings. Updated November 2026. · 12 min read Walks Walks in Dorset: Hill Forts, Coast Paths and Country Parks We checked 12 Dorset walks, from Old Harry Rocks to Hambledon Hill, for length, parking charges, dog rules and storm closures. Updated October 2026. · 11 min read Food & Drink Brunch in Dorset: 9 Places Worth Getting Up For, From Lyme to Wimborne Nine Dorset brunch spots with prices, hours and hygiene ratings, from Turkish eggs in Lyme Regis to £35 bottomless brunch in Weymouth. Checked October 2026. · 9 min read What's On West Bay Visit: Parking, Broadchurch Cliff and Dog Rules West Bay visit: three council car parks and when they lock, why East Cliff keeps falling, and which beaches dogs can use, with dates. Bridport's harbour. · 7 min read Food & Drink Sunday Roast in Dorset: Where to Book, Checked October 2026 Eight Dorset pubs with roast times, booking rules, dog policies and hygiene ratings, and Sunday menu prices from £18 to £27. Checked October 2026. · 8 min read What's On Golden Cap Walk: Two Routes to the 191m Top, and Parking Golden Cap walk: the gentle way up from Langdon Hill, the steep coast path from Seatown, a 4.5-mile loop past St Gabriel's, and National Trust parking. · 8 min read Food & Drink The Best Restaurants in Dorset: 14 Tables Worth the Drive We checked 14 Dorset restaurants, from Brassica in Beaminster to Shell Bay at Studland, for prices, opening hours and booking. Updated November 2026. · 13 min read Food & Drink The Best Pubs in Dorset: 16 Worth the Drive, From Purbeck to Bridport We checked 16 Dorset pubs, from the Square and Compass to CAMRA winner the Tiger Inn, for opening hours, beer and hygiene ratings. Updated November 2026. · 17 min read Dorchester Mary Anning Exhibition, Dorchester: 30 Jan to 2 May 2027 Mary Anning: Fossil Hunter runs at Dorset Museum in Dorchester from 30 January to 2 May 2027, curated by Tracy Chevalier, with her only known portrait on show. · 5 min read Poole Poole Museum Needs £10,000 to Keep Wilsher-Mills Masthead A V&A grant of just under £10,000 pays half for Jason Wilsher-Mills' carers masthead. Poole Museum hopes to raise the rest by 3 January, when the show closes. · 4 min read Care homes Christchurch Care Home Holds Diwali for Shashi on 2 Nov Fairmile Grange in Christchurch marks Diwali on Monday 2 November at 2.30pm, inspired by Shashi, a resident with dementia who has been returning to Hindi. · 4 min read What's On Chesil Beach: Where to Get On It, and When It Is Closed Chesil Beach is 18 miles of shingle, but from Abbotsbury to Portland it is closed to the public from May to August. Where to get on it, parking and dog rules. · 7 min read What's On Studland Beach: £4 Parking, Four Beaches and Dog Rules Studland Beach is four National Trust beaches, parking from £4 for two hours. Which beach is which, where the naturist area is, dog rules and the ferry closure. · 6 min read What's On Old Harry Rocks Walk: 1 Mile From Studland, Parking £4 Park at Studland's South Beach car park and Old Harry Rocks is a level mile's walk, about 20 minutes. Parking charges, the Ballard Down loop, Swanage and dogs. · 7 min read Christmas Dorchester ice rink 2026: dates due, Bournemouth from 12 Nov Skating in the Square has opened on Brewery Square's switch-on day three years running; this year that is 28 November. Last winter's price, £11.50. · 6 min read Portland Easton Methodist Quiz Was 31 Oct; Portland Carols 3 Dec Easton Methodist Church holds a quiz at 6.30pm on Saturday 31 October, £5 a head in teams of four, then Portland carols at 3pm on 3 December, for the appeal. · 2 min read What's On Corfe Castle: £15 Entry This Winter, Parking and the Train Corfe Castle is open every day except Christmas Day, with shorter hours from 2 November and no need to book. Ticket prices, parking, the Norden train and dogs. · 6 min read Christmas Dorset Christmas swims 2026: Swanage Boxing Day dip at 11am Swanage's free Boxing Day swim is Saturday 26 December at 11am, the Ice Water Swim Festival is 29 December, and Weymouth's harbour swim is still to confirm. · 5 min read What's On Man O'War Beach: Steps, Swimming and Dogs by Durdle Door Man O'War beach is the sand and shingle cove east of Durdle Door: same £15 car park, steep steps, Excellent bathing water, dogs all year. Checked 15 October. · 8 min read What's On Lulworth Cove: Parking £9 for 3 Hours, Stair Hole, Dogs Lulworth Cove is free to visit and open every day; you pay only to park. Car park charges by the hour, permits, Stair Hole, dogs and the walk to Durdle Door. · 9 min read Dorchester Dorset Autumn Afternoon: £25 Folk and Ploughman's, 15 Nov Folk musicians Alastair Braidwood and Tim Laycock play Dorchester Corn Exchange at 1pm on Sunday 15 November; £25 buys a ploughman's lunch and a drink. · 3 min read What's On Durdle Door: Parking £15 to £35, the Walk Down, Dogs Durdle Door is free; parking above it is £15 for six hours or £25 for nine, every day. The 15-minute walk down, dogs, buses and swimming, checked 13 October. · 9 min read Poole Free Half-Term Family Sessions in Poole, Held 24 and 25 Oct Two free family activity sessions in Poole this half term: 24 October at Bank by Nicholas James, 25 October at Hotel du Vin, for ages 3 to 7. Booking needed. · 2 min read Bournemouth People's Emergency Briefing, Bournemouth: Shown 20 Oct Free screening of the People's Emergency Briefing climate film at Bournemouth Pavilion on Tuesday 20 October, 6pm to 8pm, then a panel Q&A. Ages 16 and over. · 3 min read Dorchester Liza Pulman Sings Streisand: Dorchester, Played 30 October Liza Pulman of Fascinating Aïda brings her Streisand show to Dorchester Corn Exchange on Friday 30 October at 7.30pm. Tickets £32, or £30 for members. · 2 min read Christmas Abbotsbury Illuminate 2026: the light trail returns on 20 November Abbotsbury Illuminate runs on selected nights 20 November to 31 December, plus 24 to 31 October, with free parking and no booking fee. Santa from 5 December. · 7 min read Halloween Dorset Halloween: what ran in 2026, back next October Swanage Railway ghost trains run 30 and 31 October at £25; Weymouth's free parade leaves at 5pm on the 30th; Brewery Square trick or treat runs 27 to 31 Oct. · 11 min read Events What's On in Dorset: Fireworks Thursday, Remembrance Sunday Weymouth fireworks at 8pm on Thursday 5 November, Remembrance from 10.30am on the 8th, then Lyme's lights on 21 November and three towns on the 28th. · 11 min read Fireworks Dorset fireworks 5 Nov: Weymouth 8pm, Dorchester RFC 7.30pm Weymouth's fireworks start at 8pm on Thursday 5 November, Dorchester's at 7.30pm, and Sherborne's display is on Saturday 7 November. Updated November 2026. · 8 min read Christmas Dorset pantomimes 2026: Wimborne from 12 Dec, Weymouth 19 Dec Cinderella at Weymouth Pavilion runs 19 December to 2 January, adults £22 to £25. Wimborne's Tivoli: Jack and the Beanstalk from 12 December, adults £20.50. · 4 min read Christmas Santa in Dorset 2026: Swanage trains 28 Nov to Christmas Eve Swanage Railway's Yuletide Express runs on 12 dates from 28 November to Christmas Eve, £29.95 a seat; Kingston Lacy Santa £15.50; Abbotsbury grotto from 5 Dec. · 6 min read Christmas Kingston Lacy Christmas 2026: late nights to 7.30pm on 4 and 5 Dec Kingston Lacy's Starlit Christmas Ball runs 21 November to 3 January, free with admission, and Santa storytelling is £15.50 a child. Checked September 2026. · 5 min read Remembrance Dorset Remembrance: Weymouth 10.30am, Dorchester 10.55am Sunday 8 November: Weymouth from 10.30am with cannon at 11am, Dorchester at 10.55am. Five Dorchester roads shut 10.30am to 12.30pm; free Weymouth parking. · 7 min read Christmas Dorset Christmas markets: Bovington 14 Nov, Sherborne 6 Dec Sherborne Christmas market is Sunday 6 December with free parking, plus dates for Swanage, Bridport, Dorchester, Wimborne and more. Checked October 2026. · 15 min read Christmas Dorset Christmas lights 2026: six towns, Lyme first on 21 Nov Lyme Regis goes first on 21 November; Dorchester, Weymouth and Swanage on 28 November; Blandford lights its tree at 6.15pm on 4 December, Sherborne on 6 Dec. · 8 min read What's On Tyneham Village Open Days: Daily 19 Dec to 3 Jan 2027 Tyneham is open most weekends, shut 14 to 15 November, then daily from 19 December to 3 January. Gate times, the £4 parking donation and Worbarrow Bay. 7 min read