Winchester Brew - 18th September '25

Heritage Open Days are drawing to a close, Winchester Green Week is just beginning, and in between there’s live jazz in the city and the Half Marathon on Sunday.

And while autumn has mostly settled in, the forecast is teasing a quick return of sunshine on Friday. (Runners may have to contend with more typical September weather by the time Sunday arrives!)

This week’s Brew is a jam-packed one - gigs, family days out, walks, talks and more - with hopefully something for everyone. Take a scroll and see what catches your eye.

If you enjoy this issue, please pass it along to a friend or neighbour and encourage them to subscribe. The more people who know what’s on, the better our weekends get. 😀

To celebrate and promote sustainable living.

A week of events for everyone, organised by local communities, environmental groups, educational institutions, faith groups, local authorities and businesses in the Winchester District. A sustainable future can be created by all of us growing greener together.

LEARN - Discover easy, every day ways to reduce your impact on the planet.

CREATE - Get inspired and immerse yourself in artistic responses to climate change. Discover easy, every day ways to reduce your impact on the planet.

ACT - Take action against climate change alongside our community.

It’s running from Saturday, 20th September to Sunday, 28th September. For more info on the events, check out the website here:

https://www.winchestergreenweek.org.uk/

Our featured pick of the events this week.

What: Our Purple Night Walk has become a staple in the community calendar and in 2025 it will take place in September to coincide with the hospice’s fourth anniversary.

Join us as we come together to celebrate the lives of loved ones and walk in their memory as we help raise important funds to help care for local people who need our vital support.

Last year, 250 people joined us on our walk through the city and helped raise over £40,000 to support the care of local people living with a life-limiting illness.

When: Saturday, 20th September. Gathering from 6 PM. Walk starts around 7 PM and expected to finish by around 9 PM.

Where: A 6km route through historic Winchester. Start: The Pilgrims’ School. Finish: Winchester Cathedral

Dress code: Purple!

Please Note: You must book in advance by Thursday 18th September to be able to join.

A curated list of events on in the next seven days in Winchester and surrounding areas. 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.

A Curious Adventure at Winchester City Mill, Winchester City Mill. Matt Fletcher and Kevin Butler, of performance troupe Out There Actions, tell the true story of a curious adventure experienced by two cows at Winchester City Mill in September 1849. A ten-minute show for the whole family, performed on demand. Sat 20th and Sun 21st 11 AM to 3 PM https://www.winchesterheritageopendays.org/programme-of-events/2025/9/20/a-curious-adventure-at-winchester-city-mill

Pirates Love Underpants, Theatre Royal Winchester. Join our swashbuckling party of pirates on their quest to find the fabled Pants of Gold for the Captain's Treasure chest! Filled with music, puppetry and glittering pants of gold, arrr you ready to set sail for a family adventure? Pirates Love Underpants is suitable for children aged 1+. £12 Sat 20th 1:30 PM, Sun 21st 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM https://www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk/whats-on/pirates-love-underpants

Winchester College Garden Tour, Winchester College, at 2:00 PM. Led by members of the Winchester College gardening team, these tours explore the vast biodiversity and horticultural history of the beautiful hidden gardens of Winchester College. £15 https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/75860

The Dusty Show, Theatre Royal Winchester, at 7:30 PM. Welcome to The Dusty Show. The celebration of a true British pop icon. An unforgettable evening of wall to wall hits and classics spanning the decades of Dusty Springfields life and music. £32 https://www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk/whats-on/dusty-show

Emmanuel Sonubi: Life After Near Death, The Arc, at 7:30 PM. Emmanuel Sonubi is back on tour after sold-out performances at the Edinburgh Fringe, his European Tour, and his hit New York Soho Theatre run. It’s about turning life’s toughest moments into comedy gold, finding the laughs in survival and the punchlines in perseverance. £18 https://www.arcwinchester.org.uk/event/emmanuel-sonubi-life-after-near-death

Starlight Cinema: Interstellar, Winchester Science Centre, at 7:45 PM. Are you ready for a completely unique cinema experience? Grab a seat, sit back and relax as Interstellar plays out under the stars of The Planetarium this September. £8.50 https://www.winchestersciencecentre.org/whats-on/starlight-cinema-interstellar

Winchester Jazz Festival 2025, Empirical, The Nutshell, at 8:00 PM. Join the multi award-winning UK jazz ensemble Empirical for a performance of their album Wonder is the Beginning. £25 https://discardednut.co.uk/thenutshell/whatson/the-nutshell-jazz-club-empirical

Jane Austen's Endings: A talk by Dr Gillian Dow, Winchester Cathedral, at 7:30 PM. In this talk, Dr Gillian Dow (University of Southampton) will range across Austen’s published and unpublished writing, looking in detail at the choices Austen made when concluding her fictions. £15 https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/event/the-tell-tale-compression-of-the-pages-a-talk-by-dr-gillian-dow/

Winchester On Parade - WMM Big Open Day, Winchester Military Museums, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Held at the historic Peninsula Barracks, there's fun for all the family. Join us for a free, fun-filled day, featuring 6 museums, re-enactors, The Rifles' Band, food & drinks stalls, historical-based activities, crafts, face painting and more. https://www.winchesterheritageopendays.org/programme-of-events/2025/5/20/winchester-on-parade-wmm-big-open-day

Autumn Equinox walk, St Catherine’s Hill, at 10:00 AM. Join us for a sacred autumn equinox walk up St Catherine's Hill, where we'll climb wooden steps to the Iron Age hill fort and mysterious mizmaze, reflecting on the year's efforts and harvests. £10 https://www.tickettailor.com/events/wildwitchywalks/1820704

Winchester Green Fair, Winchester Cathedral Cafe, from 11:00 AM. A free, fun, and interactive event, featuring a quiz for kids and lots of stalls representing local organisations. Come and be inspired to make small changes to reduce your impact on the environment and live more sustainably. https://www.winchestergreenweek.org.uk/events/winchester-green-fair-launch-event-for-winchester-green-week-2025

After Dark - Led Zeppelin: The Planetarium Experience, Winchester Science Centre, at 6:00 PM. Sit back and hold on tight as 12 of Led Zeppelin's legendary tunes play out against a backdrop of dynamic 360 degree Planetarium visuals. £20 https://www.winchestersciencecentre.org/whats-on/led-zeppelin-september

National Theatre Live: Inter Alia, Theatre Royal Winchester, at 7:00 PM. National Theatre Live Inter Alia a new play by Suzie Miller Oscar-nominated Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, Saltburn) is Jessica in the much-anticipated next play from the team behind Prima Facie. £17.5 https://www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk/whats-on/national-theatre-live-inter-alia

After Dark - Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon, Winchester Science Centre, at 7:15 PM. Immerse yourself in the original, pyschedelic, fulldome Planetarium visualisation of Pink Floyd's iconic album, The Dark Side of the Moon. £25 https://www.winchestersciencecentre.org/whats-on/pink-floyd-september

Winchester Jazz Festival 2025, Sean Bertram, The Arc, at 7:30 PM. Sean Bertram is a Canadian singer/songwriter, guitar prodigy, multi-instrumentalist, and audioengineer. Sean has released 3 full-length studio albums, an EP, and a handful of singles, including “The Muffin Song” which has nearly 5 million streams on Spotify. £12 https://www.arcwinchester.org.uk/event/winchester-jazz-festival-2025-sean-bertram

Nic Cage Against The Machine, The Railway Inn, at 8:00 PM. Get ready for the world’s first and only tribute to Rage Against The Machine... fronted by none other than Nicolas Cage (well, an impersonator!) £12 https://railwayinn.pub/shows/nic-cage-against-the-machine-2025-09-20

Jane Austen themed Murder Mystery night, The Great Hall, at 8:00 PM. Who would dream of killing such a noble and amiable gentleman? And who had the motive, the means and the opportunity? Can you help solve this terrible murder? Join us for a puzzling evening of curiosity, mystery and murder. £35 https://historicwinchester.co.uk/whats-on/murder-most-austentatious/

Winchester Half Marathon, Winchester Guildhall. The Winchester Half Marathon is a beautiful course that starts and finishes in the centre of Winchester. Experience the very scenic route through the idyllic setting countryside that takes in landmarks such as St Catherine's Hill, Winchester Cathedral and King Alfred the Great! £45 https://challenging.events/e/winchester-half-marathon-9903

Winchester's Vintage Superstore Kilo Sale, Winchester Guildhall, at 11:00 AM. We're coming to WINCHESTER. Grab a bag on your way in and pick & mix your vintage clothing, all for £20 a kilo! https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winchesters-vintage-superstore-kilo-sale-tickets-1588219319739

Fulflood Jumble Trail, around Fulflood, from 11:00 AM. Join us for a neighbourhood sale. It’s a day of community fun and active recycling. Take a neighbourhood stroll and get to know your community as you find bargains and collect treasure. Contact [email protected] for more info.

Classic & Sports Car Parade, Around Winchester, from 12:00 PM. Cars will assemble at the St Catherine’s Park & Ride where they can be viewed both before and after the parade. Cars will depart together at 12pm and head towards the city centre, looping around in front of the Guildhall. https://www.winchesterheritageopendays.org/programme-of-events/2025/6/18/classic-amp-sports-car-parade

SUNDAY SESSIONS X WJF, The Nutshell, at 3:00 PM. Hosted by award-winning saxophonist Alex Western-King, this new event blends performance with an open workshop, giving you first-hand insight into all things Jazz. Live music made for young people aged 12+ who want to be a part of Winchester's cultural scene. £13 https://discardednut.co.uk/thenutshell/whatson/sunday-sessions

Hal Cruttenden: Can Dish It Out But Can’t Take It, The Arc, at 7:30 PM. Hal is back with a brand-new tour for 2025 with a show that promises to stick it to ‘The Man’, as long as ‘The Man’ doesn’t stick it back to him. £20 https://www.arcwinchester.org.uk/event/hal-cruttenden-can-dish-it-out-cant-take-it

Ma Polaine’s Great Decline, The Railway Inn, at 8:00 PM. Ma Polaine’s Great Decline are an award-winning band praised by MOJO Magazine for their unique blend of pop, folk, blues, and Americana. Ma Polaine’s music resonates as both comfortably familiar and refreshingly innovative, creating a truly engaging experience. £12 https://railwayinn.pub/shows/ma-polaines-great-decline-2025-09-21

A Hundred Small Things, Theatre Royal Winchester, at 8:00 PM. A show for people who appreciate the small things in life. Rich Lansley presents A Hundred Small Things. A comedy/theatre/spoken-word show celebrating the overlooked, the ordinary, and the tiny miracles hiding in plain sight. £10 https://www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk/whats-on/hundred-small-things

The Demon Barbers: 25th Anniversary tour, Theatre Royal Winchester, at 7:30 PM. Renowned for their electrifying fusion of traditional British folk music and high-energy dance, the award-winning band will present a spectacular show featuring fresh new material alongside reimagined favourites from their acclaimed back catalogue.  £15 https://www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk/whats-on/demon-barbers-25th-anniversary-tour

Bring Your Own Baby Comedy, The Nutshell, at 12:30 PM. Bring Your Own Baby Comedy is the UK’s premier baby-friendly comedy club! The show features the funniest comedy stars from the circuit and TV. The show features two acts, plus a compere, and the whole show will last approx. 75 minutes. Grown up comedy... babies welcome! £18 https://discardednut.co.uk/thenutshell/whatson/byob-sep

The Railway Sessions – Megan Linford and BlindZ, The Railway Inn, at 7:30 PM. Megan Linford is a folk / roots musician whose music pulls from a fusion of inspiration from both Traditional folk music and the Joni, Sandy Denny, Dylan songs of the 60s and 70s. Supporting her will be Sam Weeks, aka. Blind Z.  £12.50 https://railwayinn.pub/shows/the-railway-sessions-megan-linford-2025-09-24

5 Mistakes that Changed History, Theatre Royal Winchester, at 7:30 PM. We all make mistakes, but rarely do they change the course of history. 5 Mistakes That Changed History is a hilarious historical storytelling show performed by historian and comedian, Paul Coulter, about five people and how their mistakes changed the world. £15 https://www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk/whats-on/5-mistakes-changed-history

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

Could your home be their happy place?

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

Some fun to end on…

Did You Know? Winchester’s Hat Fair (held every July) is the UK's longest-running outdoor arts festival, named for the tradition of street performers collecting donations in their hats.

Riddle Me This: What has to be broken before you can use it? Last week’s answer: Footsteps

Number Puzzle: A snail is at the bottom of a 30-foot well. Each day, it climbs up 3 feet but slips back 2 feet at night. How many days will it take for the snail to get out of the well? Last week’s answer: 141

Till next time,