Events
Our curated list of the most interesting events happening in Kent over the coming months.
To inform us about an interesting event happening in Kent, email hello AT kentcurrent DOT news. We can’t guarantee we can include everything, but we’ll do what we can.
April 2026
🔫 Tue 14 Apr - David Olusoga: A Gun Through Time // TV historian tells the story of four firearms that changed the world. Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. Tickets from £32. // Also at Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury on 26 Apr.
🎤 Sun 19 Apr - Andy Zaltzman: The Zaltgeist // Host of The Bugle podcast assesses the state of the world. Quartherhouse, Folkestone. Tickets £20. Also at Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone on 5 May.
📖 Thu 30 Apr - Robin Ince: Normally Weird & Let the Quiet Ones Rise // Comedian, author and broadcaster tours his latest books. Margate Bookshop. // Also at Herne Bay Comedy Club on 6 May.
May 2026
📚 1 - 10 May - Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival // 30 speakers over ten days of events, including Brian Bilston, Iain Dale, Peter Bradshaw, and Rory Bremner. Various locations. Various prices.
🎸 Tue 5 May - The Pictish Trail // Electro-acoustic psych-pop from Scotland. Ramsgate Music Hall. Tickets £22.50.
🎸 Fri 8 May - John Bramwell // Former singer-songwriter of I Am Kloot. Forum, Tunbridge Wells. Tickets £25.
🎸 Sat 9 May - Deerhoof // Legendary US/Japanese rock band. Ramsgate Music Hall. Tickets £27.50.
🎸 Sun 10 May - Gwenno // Multi-lingual ex-Pipette tours new album. Ramsgate Music Hall. Tickets £22.50. Also at Forum, Tunbridge Wells on 12 May.
🎛️ Wed 13 May - The Adam Buxton Band // Beloved podcaster and jingle auteur tours his first album. Dreamland, Margate. Tickets £30.
🎛️ Sat 16 May - Kentronica // Mini-festival dedicated to experimental electronic music. Gulbenkian Arts Centre, Canterbury. Tickets from £10.
🚗 16 - 17 May - Faversham Festival of Transport // Vehicles of all shapes and sizes throughout the town centre. Faversham town centre. Free.
🪖 19 - 23 May - Operation Mincemeat // Acclaimed musical and unbelievable true story about a stolen corpse. Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. Tickets from £36.
🎤 Sat 23 May - Ania Magliano: Peach Fuzz // Recent star of Taskmaster delivers new show of jokes, confessions and unhinged observations. Marlowe Studio, Canterbury. Tickets £22.50.
🎸 Sun 24 May - Willy Mason // Oxygen songwriter goes back on the road. Forum, Tunbridge Wells. Tickets £28.
🎤 Thu 28 May - MC Hammersmith: Hippity Hoppity Get Off My Property // World’s leading freestyle rapper to emerge from the ghetto of middle-class West London. Quarterhouse, Folkestone. Tickets £17.50. Also at Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury on 29 May.
🎷 Fri 29 May - Curtis Stigers // Legendary jazz singer returns to Medway. St Margaret's Church, Rainham. Tickets from £49.
June 2026
🎤 Wed 3 Jun - Mark Thomas: 40 in Stand Up Years // Political comedian marks four decades of being a thorn in the side of the establishment. The Alex, Faversham. Tickets £15.
🎤 Thu 4 Jun - Mark Watson: Before It Overtakes Us // Award-winning comedian ponders the future of humanity. Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone. Tickets £25.
🗳️ 16 - 20 Jun - I'm Sorry, Prime Minister // Final chapter from the co-creator of Yes, Minister, sees Jim Hacker and Humphrey Appleby endure one final crisis. Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. Tickets from £19.
🤼 Sun 21 Jun - UKPW //Action-packed wrestling entertainment featuring a 20-person rumble. Westgate Hall, Canterbury. Tickets £12.
July 2026
🏎️ Wed 1 Jul - Evening With Nigel Mansell // Former Formula 1 champion shares stories of his career in motorsport. Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells. Tickets from £48.25.
🏰 3 - 5 Jul - Rochester Castle Live // Three days of outdoor concerts, headlined by Ministry of Sound Classical, The Libertines, and McFly. Rochester Castle Gardens. Tickets from £32.50.
🧑🎨 4 - 19 Jul - Medway Open Studios // Free trail of art with dozens of venues and hundreds of artists. Various locations. Free.
🎸 Sat 18 Jul - The Flaming Lips + The Beta Band // Acclaimed band with legendary live shows. Dreamland, Margate. Tickets TBA.
🎸 Sun 26 Jul - The Proclaimers // They would walk 500 miles to play in Kent. Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. Tickets from £44.
🎤 Thu 30 Jul - Michelle Wolf: Best Job in the World // Former Daily Show correspondent tours standup show. Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury. Tickets £30.
🎸 Fri 31 Jul - Belle and Sebastian // 30th anniversary celebration of their incredible If You're Feeling Sinister album. Dreamland, Margate. Tickets from £64.
August 2026
🚂 29 - 31 Aug - Steam on the Square // Get up close to steam and military machines. Chatham Historic Dockyard. Tickets £29 (includes Dockyard entry).
September 2026
🎤 Wed 16 Sep - Phil Wang: Uh Oh // Comedian tours new stand-up show, now with added moustache. Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells. Tickets from £29.25.
🐺 19 - 20 Sep - Stewart Lee vs The Man-Wulf // Comedian returns to Chatham for perhaps an optimistic two-night appearance. Central Theatre, Chatham. Tickets £31.
📖 Tue 29 Sep - Enter the Castle with Jon Ronson // Acclaimed author tours his first book in 11 years. Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. Tickets from £34.
🎤 Wed 30 Sep - Maisie Adam: Whatsherface // Recent Taskmaster winner tours brand new show. Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. Tickets £28.
October 2026
🎤 Fri 9 Oct - Harriet Kemsley: Floozy // Kent comedian plays Kent show. Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. Tickets £21.
🎤 Sun 11 Oct - Lemn Sissay: Let the Light Pour In // Evening with the master of the spoken word, author, activist, and performer. Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury. Tickets £31.25.
🎙️ Mon 12 Oct - Jeremy Bowen: Truth Under Fire // Former BBC International Editor talks about his career in war zones and the state of the world. Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells. Tickets from £36.75.
🎤 Sun 25 Oct - Nish Kumar: Angry Humour From a Really Nice Guy // Existential angst and political disquiet from one of the UK's best comedians. Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. Tickets £29. Also at Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells on 22 Nov.