Events
Our curated list of the most interesting events happening in Medway over the coming months.
To inform us about an interesting event happening in Medway, email hello AT localauthority DOT news. We can’t guarantee we can include everything, but we’ll do what we can.
March 2025
🎭 Until 29 Mar - Accidental Death of an Anarchist // Satirical play poking fun at corruption and idiocy at the heart of the system. Medway Little Theatre, Rochester. Tickets £12.
🧒🏻 Until 2 April - Medway Youth Creates // Showcase of local young artists’ work produced in art groups led by local artist Nick Ashton. Halpern Gallery, Chatham. Free.
🎞️ Wed 26 March - Bird // First outing for the new Electric Medway Cinema Club, with Andrea Arnold’s coming-of-age fable about marginalised lives, filmed entirely in Kent. Huguenot Museum, Rochester. Tickets £5.
🎭 Thur 27 Mar - Soul Food Solo Stories // Immersive night of Black Heritage, with four powerful, unique stories. Glassbox Theatre, Gillingham. Tickets from £10.
👩🔧 Sat 29 Mar - Remake, Repair, Create // A morning of upcycling your clothes, making costumes from household trash and creating handmade notebooks. Sun Pier House, Chatham. Free.
🛍️ Sat 29 Mar - Rochester City Vintage & Artisan Market // New traders event with market stallholders dotted throughout Rochester High Street. Free.
🧾 Sat 29 Mar - Milk. Eggs. Bread. // A comedic exploration of shopping lists found around Medway by Kieran Poole. Sun Pier House, Chatham. Free.
April 2025
🎤 Wed 2 Apr - Paul Chowdhry: Englandia // New show from multi-award-winning stand-up comedian, actor and writer. Central Theatre, Chatham. Tickets from £25.
🗣️ Wed 2 Apr - Medway Matters Live // Chance to quiz Medway Council Leader Vince Maple and Chief Executive Richard Hicks. Hundred of Hoo Academy, Hoo. Free.
🛹 Sat 5 Apr - Glory Days of Black Lion Skatepark // Gillingham’s Black Lion Skatepark was an iconic destination. Talks, archival photos, and a meet-up with local legends and enthusiasts. Glassbox Theatre, Gillingham. Free.
🎤 11 - 12 Apr - Rainham Poetry Festival // Two-day festival of poetry headlined by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage. St. Margaret’s Church, Rainham. Free.
🗣️ Sat 12 Apr - Medway Choir Festival // Bringing together groups from across the Medway Towns to celebrate community choir music. Pilkington Building, University of Kent, Chatham. Tickets £10.
🗣️ Wed 16 Apr - Medway Question Time // Our latest live event where you can put questions to a panel of significant Medway figures. MidKent College, Gillingham. Free.
🎸 Sat 19 Apr - My Life Story + The Pastel Waves // The Britpop band come and play in Rainham. Oast Community Centre, Rainham. Tickets £22.50.
🥕 Sun 20 Apr - Rochester Farmers’ Market // Wide range of traders selling food and gifts. Blue Boar Lane car park, Rochester. Free.
🗣️ Thu 24 Apr - Full Medway Council meeting // Elected representatives squabble over how to do things. St George’s Centre, Chatham. Free.
🎤 Sat 26 Apr - Theresa Lola // Poet reads from her second collection, Ceremony for the Nameless. Sun Pier House, Chatham. Free.
🎸 Sat 26 Apr - Helen McCookerybook // Return visit for legendary singer-songwriter. Rams Micropub 12 Degrees, Rochester. Tickets £10.
🎶 Sun 27 April - Len Price 3 // Matinee performance from Medways high energy garage combo, with support from Cream Soda and The Burntwick Smugglers. Poco Loco, Chatham. Tickets £10.
May 2025
🎹 1 - 5 May - Rainham Piano Festival // Internationally acclaimed jazz and classical pianists play Rainham, headed by Curtis Stigers. St Margaret’s Church, Rainham. Tickets from £15.
📷 1 - 14 May - Medway ‘77 // Exhibition of photos in and around Rochester and Chatham from 1977. Halpern Gallery, Chatham. Free.
📝 7 - 20 May - Paper Places // Exhibition by Nicola Chatten, where simple sheets of paper are transformed into lasting works of art depicting the natural world. Halpern Pop, Rochester. Free.
🚔 Sat 10 May - Crime & Punishment // Themed open-mic night where musicians play songs related to, well, crime and punishment. Rochester Social Club. Free.
🎭 15 - 24 May - Where The Wind Blows // Tragicomedy play about love and nuclear war. Medway Little Theatre, Rochester. Tickets £12.
🛍️ Sat 17 May - Broken Heart Bazaar // Alternative art, curios and wonders, gothic gifts, spooky homewares, and preloved trinkets. Sun Pier House, Chatham. Free.
🥕 Sun 18 May - Rochester Farmers’ Market // Wide range of traders selling food and gifts. Blue Boar Lane car park, Rochester. Free.
🎻 Sat 24 May - City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra // Performances of work from Strauss, Brahms, and Weber. Central Theatre, Chatham. Tickets from £15.
June 2025
🥕 Sun 15 Jun - Rochester Farmers’ Market // Wide range of traders selling food and gifts. Blue Boar Lane car park, Rochester. Free.
🎸 Sat 28 Jun - Careful Now Medway Foodbank Fundraiser // All day festival of music featuring excellent indiepop bands, including Tugboat Captain. Oast Community Centre, Rainham. Tickets £30.
July 2025
🎨 5 - 20 Jul - Medway Open Studios // Artists across Medway throw open their studios and exhibit their work. Various locations. Free.
🎭 6 - 19 Jul - Duncan Rand One Act Play Festival // 52nd edition of the festival, bringing theatrical groups together for friendly competition. Medway Little Theatre, Rochester.
🎤 Wed 16 Jul - Rhod Gilbert & The Giant Grapefruit // New dark and personal show from the Welsh comedian. Central Theatre, Chatham. Tickets £35.
🚃 Sat 19 Jul - Model Railway Exhibition // One of the largest events in the South East celebrating all things model railways and model engineering. Chatham Historic Dockyard. Tickets from £9.
🥕 Sun 20 Jul - Rochester Farmers’ Market // Wide range of traders selling food and gifts. Blue Boar Lane car park, Rochester. Free.
August 2025
🍺 Sun 24 Aug - RAH Fest // Fundraising event for Rebel Against Homelessness with BBQ, music and a raffle! Coopers Arms, Rochester. Free.
September 2025
🎤 Fri 26 Sep - Jack Dee: Small World // Comedian brings a new show featuring the culture wars, the environment, and British foreign policy. Central Theatre, Chatham. Tickets £30.
October 2025
🪖 18 - 19 Oct - Medway History Showcase // An action-packed day of engagement inspired by Medway’s trade, travel, and settlement history. Royal Engineers Museum, Gillingham. Free.
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