Winchester Brew - 13th November '25

Halloween’s over, the fireworks have fizzled, and before we’ve even caught our breath, Christmas has arrived….and we’re absolutely here for it! The Winchester Christmas Lights Switch-On brings that first bit of festive glow to the city this week, and it’s hard not to feel a little excited already.

Beyond the twinkle, there’s loads happening: new art classes kicking off, theatre in all styles and sizes, live music for every taste, and even a charity murder mystery dinner for something a bit different.

A big thank you to everyone reading, and a warm welcome to our new subscribers this week. We’d love your thoughts on Winchester Brew, so don’t forget to fill in the quick poll at the end. And if you think a friend might enjoy it too, share this issue using your referral link at the bottom of the email - it’s a lovely way to help more people discover what’s happening in and around Winchester. 🎄

Our featured pick of the events this week.

🛍️ Winchester Christmas Lights Switch On, The Broadway, Thursday 4:30 PM. The lights will be switched on by local heroes nominated by the public. The event will be hosted by Jonny Meah from Heart Radio and promises an evening full of festive fun, with Winchester Round Table's Santa’s Sleigh and wonderful live performances from The Pilgrims’ School Chamber Choir, Harestock Primary School Choir, Osborne School's Rubik's Cube, Winchester Rock Choir, Theatre Royal Winchester, Winchester A Capella, Integr8 Dance, Love Soul Choir, Diva Academy and Weeke Primary School Choir.

When: Thursday 13th November, 4:30pm - 7:30pm

Where: The Broadway, outside the Guildhall

A curated list of events from the next seven days. We try to only include events that still have availability, though things can sell out quickly so best to check ahead. Cheapest adult ticket price option shown where available.

🎭 The Heroines: 5 Stories from 5 Heroines, The Nutshell, Thursday 13th and Friday 14th at 7:30 PM. Tired of being just a footnote in the swaggering epic tales of "Great" heroes, the Heroines are loud, proud and ready to take centre stage. Princesses, Queens, Nymphs, Politicians and Pioneers, they are grabbing the spotlight to show you that their stories, women's stories, are worth more than the two lines they were originally assigned.  £18

🎭 The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Chesil Theatre, from Friday 14th to Sunday 22nd Nov, at 7:30 PM. A witty and savage satire of Hitler's rise to power, telling the story of gangster Aruto Ui as he seizes control of the vegetable trade in 1930s Chicago. With echoes of Charlie Chaplin, Al Capone, Shakespeare and Goethe, Brecht's compelling parable continues to have relevance wherever tolatarianism appears today. £18

🖼️🎓 Drawing & Painting Six Week Course, The Colour Factory, at 10:00 AM. Build confidence in your art and learn new skills within a historical context. Rosie Parmley’s classes offer a rich learning experience that build confidence within a vibrant art community and offer an opportunity to exhibit in the Summer Exhibition at The Colour Factory. £260

🎬 Cinema Screening: Roman Holliday, Theatre Royal Winchester, at 11:00 AM. Audrey Hepburn stars as the globe-trotting Princess Anne who is in the midst of a highly publicised tour of Europe's capital cities. One night, Anne sneaks out of her room, hops into the back of a delivery truck and escapes her luxurious confinement. £12

🎤📚 Emma Kenny's Killer Couples, Theatre Royal Winchester, at 7:30 PM. Emma Kenny returns with an enthralling new show that plunges into the depths of love twisted into terror. After her triumphant The Serial Killer Next Door tour, Emma captivates yet again, solidifying her status as one of the UK's foremost crime presenters. This time, she invites you to delve into the dark world of Killer Couples. £32.50

🎤 The Science of ADHD: Navigating Neurodiversity in a Neurotypical World, Winchester Science Centre, at 7:30 PM. Join us for this engaging talk about ADHD, exploring the neuroscience, symptoms, the positives, the struggles + much more. Followed by Q+A. £16

🎶🎤 Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip, The Railway Inn, at 8:00 PM. Mik Artistik is a poet, performer, artist and comedian. Delightful, frightening, strange and hysterically funny, Mik throws shapes and straws and croons like a dream - sometimes. £15

🏛️ Conflict and the Cathedral Tour Remembrancetide special, Winchester Cathedral, at 11am. Step inside history and ascend through the layers of time on a unique, reflective journey through one of England’s most architecturally and historically significant cathedrals. £13

🎶🎓 Ukulele Improvers, Theatre Royal Winchester, at 12:00 PM. Simply learn by playing songs in a friendly and relaxed environment and having a lot of fun. £13.50

🎬 After Dark - The Planetarium Live: Discovery, Winchester Science Centre, at 6:30 PM. Zoom through the stars on an exciting flight through the solar system. Take a seat in the breathtaking Planetarium and discover the secrets of the skies above us during a presenter-led live show. £12.50

🎶🎬 Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here at the Planetarium, Winchester Science Centre, at 8:15 PM. Sit back and relax to the sights and sounds of the fulldome Planetarium visualisation of Pink Floyd's critically-acclaimed album, Wish You Were Here. Celebrating 50 years to the day since the album was released. £20

🎶 A Night to Remember Motown Show, Theatre Royal Winchester, at 7:30 PM. A Night To Remember: Motown Show takes you back in time to 1960’s Detroit. Be prepared for a high energy show, packed with the greatest Motown hits of all time. £32

🚶‍♀️🌳 Organised Walk: Kings Somborne and Ashley Down Wood Circular , Juniper Carpark, Farley Mount, at 9:45 AM. This is a lovely countryside trail of approx 7.6 miles taking us through the farmlands and woodland pockets around Kings Somborne, Ashley and Holland with a mix of natural and historic sights a long the way. £2

🍸🧑‍🎓Christmas Cookery Class: Cocktails and canapes, Lainston House, at 10:00 AM. Get into the festive spirit with our hands-on Christmas Cocktail and Canapé cookery class! Perfect for beginners and seasoned cooks alike, this class will guide you through the creation of festive cocktails and delicious, bite-sized canapés that will wow your guests at any festive gathering. £195

🖼️🎓 Taster Watercolour Workshop with Rachael Alexander, The Colour Factory, at 10:00 AM. Have you wanted to learn how to use watercolours but been a bit confused by all the terminology? This ‘taster’ session will give you a feel for this beautiful fluid medium, whist de-mystifying some of the techniques. £55

🎶 The Country Music Experience, Winchester Guildhall, starts at 12pm and 6pm. Time to don the Cowboy boots and Stetson as Nashville arrives in Winchester for a huge country music party! With a full line up of incredible live acts and the world famous Cotton Eye Disco! £17.50

⚽ Winchester City FC vs Exmouth Town, Hillier Way, at 3:00 PM. Come and support the Citizens in their next home match. £13.50

🎭🍽️🎗️ Murder Mystery Event, Twyford Parish Hall, at 7:00 PM. Sit back and get ready for an evening filled with intrigue, laughter, and suspense as you join the movers and shakers of Boomer TV, gearing up to unveil their innovative new station. The Audience will be asked to identify who, how and why at the end of the play. Tickets includes a three-course meal. £28

🎭 Bark Bark, The Nutshell, at 7:30 PM. Using cameras, puppets, and diorama sets, five performers weave together a live animation told from the perspective of a dog.  A delicate, eerie, and amusing look at three lives, human and non-human, from emerging live-cinema company Buzzcut. A “sold out must see” from Edinburgh Fringe 2024. £16

🎶 London Concertante : Christmas at The Movies, Winchester Cathedral, at 7:30 PM. Get ready to unwrap the ultimate holiday treat with London Concertante’s ‘Christmas at the Movies’ concert, a jolly journey through the heart-warming and hilarious worlds of beloved Christmas films. £21

🧶 Willow Lantern Making, BellaCrafts, at 10:00 AM. Using willow and colourful tissue papers create your own delightful lantern. Full instructions and ideas included. Please bring any lights you would like to add or add at home later. £19

📷🎓Fine Art & Still Life Workshop with Simon Bray, The Colour Factory, at 10:00 AM. Within the session, we will explore the theme of Fine Art and Still Life, finding inspiration in example images and photobooks, before working both individually and in pairs/groups to create new work and inform broader discussions about photographic techniques and ideas. £55

📚🤝 Winchesters Writing Group meetup, The South Downs Social, at 10:00 AM. This is the regular meet up for Winchester Writers’ Group. Come along to get to know a friendly group of fellow writers. In this session, we will have a prompt for you to write something about for an hour. This will be followed by time to share what you've written to the group if you want to.

⚽ Winchester City Flyers FC vs Southampton Women’s FC, Charters Community Stadium, at 2:00 PM. Come and support the Flyers in their next home match. £5

🧘 Evening sundown yoga with Sophie House, Elevate Fitness Studios, at 5:00 PM. Think relaxed Ibiza evenings, think relaxing yoga, think about time after class with your community. Finish your weekend by joining us for a calming yoga session followed by chilled socials. £10

🎶 Dominie Hooper, The Railway Inn, at 7:30 PM. Dominie Hooper is a singer, songwriter crafting spellbinding music rooted in folklore, ritual, and emotional transformation. Her songs simmer with raw intensity and lyrical barbs, blending growling cello, textured guitar, and collective vocals into something dark, unsettling, and beautiful. £12.50

🤝 Nutshell Network: Creative Co-working, The Nutshell. As part of our commitment to fostering creative exploration and connection, we are opening our doors on select Tuesdays from 9:45am-4pm for creative co-working.

📚🏛️ Archives Tour, Winchester College, at 11:00 AM. This tour allows a rare opportunity to view two medieval rooms which house the school’s Archives, as well as documents and artefacts relating to the school’s history which will be on display. Tours are delivered by our College Archivist, Suzanne. £15

🎬 After Dark - Night Sky Live: Family, Winchester Science Centre, at 5:00 PM. Are you ready for a family astro adventure? Head outside with us and discover the stars and planets of the night sky, live! Learn the skills you’ll need to identify what’s above us before following the stargazing host outside into the South Downs National Park. It’s the perfect spot to observe the stars, constellations and planets. £17.50

🎶🍽️ A Night at The Musicals – A Wicked Special, The Ivy Winchester, 6:30PM to 9:30PM. Defy gravity at an extraordinary evening of West End wonder, with dazzling cocktails and spellbinding performances. Featuring sensational vocalists performing unforgettable hits from Wicked, this exclusive live event - A Night at The Musicals: A Wicked Special - promises a magical night of theatrical brilliance.

📚🍷 Read It and Weep book club, The Railway Inn, at 7:00 PM. Join us on the third Tuesday of every month in Platform 2 for The Railway Inn’s new book club, Read It and Weep, as we sink our teeth into a juicy book (and probably enjoy a glass of wine or three!)

🎬 After Dark - Night Sky Live: Adult, Winchester Science Centre, at 7:30 PM. Begin your Night Sky Live adventure in the Planetarium. Learn the skills you’ll need to identify what’s above us before following the stargazing host outside into the South Downs National Park. It’s the perfect spot to observe the stars, constellations and planets. £17.50

🎶 His Lordship, The Railway Inn, at 7:30 PM. A maximum rock’n’roll trio conceived during lockdown to blow the cobwebs away and remind us of what music has been missing, the band are made up of the powerhouse duo of James Walbourne (The Pretenders, The Pogues, The Rails) and Kristoffer Sonne (Chrissie Hynde, Willie Nelson). £16

🪩🕺🏽 Dance Yourself Dizzy Jive Class, Guildhall Winchester, at 8:00 PM. Dance Yourself Dizzy is re-opening at Winchester Guildhall for class nights every Tuesday! Spread the word, bring your friends & spread the Modern Jive love! £10

🤝🚶‍♀️Hampshire Business Networking Presents: Netwalking, Winchester Cathedral, at 10:00 AM. Netwalking combines the benefits of networking with the joy of walking through the beautiful city of Winchester. Connect with fellow business professionals while enjoying the surroundings of this historic location. £5

🏛️🚶‍♀️Walking Tour: Privies, Pots and Pits, Visitor Information Centre, at 10:30 AM. A guided walk exploring the history of Winchester toilets to mark UN World Water Day and UN World Toilet Day. Learn about water rights, the Muckabites and why a dean of Winchester gave his name to the road leading to the water pumping station. £15

🌿🚶‍♀️Kitchen Garden Tour, Lainston House, at 11:00 AM. Join our General Manager at Lainston House for a fun walk and talk to see what's growing and hear insights on plot to plate in our restaurants. The tour lasts 40 minutes and you’ll get a sit-down tea or coffee as well. Delightful. £5

Got an event we should feature in the Winchester Brew? Click the button below and add your event details!

Could your home be their forever place?

Every week we’ll recommend a walking or cycling route in or near the Winchester area.

A bit of froth to end on…

Did You Know? The name ‘Winchester’ originates from the Roman Venta Belgarum (‘market of the Belgae’), which evolved in Old English to Wintan-ceaster (‘fort at/for Venta’), which eventually became Winchester.

Riddle Me This: Two in a corner, one in a room, none in a house, but one in a shelter. What am I? Last week’s answer: “QUEUE”

Brain Teaser: A man pushes his car to a hotel and says, “I’m bankrupt.” What’s going on? Last week’s answer: No. The removed corners are the same color; 31 dominoes cover 31 black + 31 white squares, but the mutilated board has 30 of one color and 32 of the other - so it can’t be done.

Till next time,