Swanage Regatta and Carnival is the biggest event of the year.  8 days with every kind of activity you can imagine.  

The highlights of the Swanage Carnival are the Red Arrows display, the Carnival Parade, plus a sensational fireworks display held every Saturday night in August, plus an additional show on Wednesday during Swanage Carnival week.

Swanage Comedy Festival is held twice a year in March and September.  Three consecutive nights with some top class comedy.  The next Swanage Comedy Festival is 22 to 25th September

Purbeck Arts Week  Purbeck is a timeless landscape of ever changing light and colours. Our Festival celebrates this through art: painting, sculpture, music, dance, film, story-telling and other forms.
Purbeck Arts Week is held for 2 weeks at the end of May and early June.

Swanage Walking Festival is held in the spring, 9 days of guided walks.  The first event was a big success in 2011.  The next Swanage Walking Festival is 26th April to 6th May 2012

Swanage Folk Festival offers a whole weekend of performances, dancing and participation. The friendly Swanage Folk Festival keeps on getting better and better and is now an established fixture on the town's calendar.  It is held on the 2nd weekend in September

The lifeboat supporters put on a whole week of events, fun and games in the middle of August.  Events include outdoor theatre, races, quizzes, lifeboat trips and tours, music performances.  Check the website Swanage Lifeboat Week

Swanage Jazz Festival.  
The aim of the Swanage Jazz Festival is to put on lots of quality music in many jazz styles from New Orleans and mainstream to modern and contemporary.  Swanage Jazz Festival offers 3 days and nights of Jazz on the 2nd weekend in July

Swanage Life provides you with a comprehensive listing of all music events that happen each month.  This Swanage Gig Guide tells you about music in pubs, halls, outdoors or wherever it is happening.  The guide is produced by Steve Darrington who runs the Blues Festival and frequently performs and organises events in the area

Swanage Blues Festival.  This year we are celebrating the 11th year of Swanage Blues Festivals - or as some call them, the Big Blues Parties on the South Coast!


If you’ve been to any of the previous 15 Swanage Blues Festivals in March or October, you’ll know what a wonderful time there is to be had here.

Throughout the summer, some very professional acts visit the area and perform outdoor theatre.  Some is Shakespeare, some is funny, some is both.  It always good fun.  Here are some of touring groups you can expect to see.  Outdoor theatre has a magical quality

 Click on each image to go to the relevant website and check dates.