Days Out in Gloucester

A Night at the Opera by Candlelight

This experience is brought to you by Candlelight Concerts.

Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester

Festival Pass - 10 Day Admission

The Festival Pass gives entry to all 51 events that take place in the main hall at Blackfriars Priory from Friday 11th - Sunday 20th September 2026.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · today

Athelstan: England's First King', with Michael Wood

In 927, King Athelstan conquered Viking York and secured the submission of Britains rulers at Eamont Bridge, a crowning achievement that created the first unite…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · today

Pomp & Circumstance: Great British Traditions', with Penny Mordaunt

Penny Mordaunts sword-carrying role at the Coronation of King Charles III became one of the ceremonys defining images.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · today

Fortress City: The Roman Walls of Gloucester', with Andrew Armstrong

The Roman army established a fortress at Gloucester in the first century AD, creating a defensive line that shaped the city for centuries and still defines its…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · today

Aethelstan: England's First King', with Michael Wood

In 927, King Aethelstan conquered Viking York and secured the submission of Britains rulers at Eamont Bridge, a crowning achievement that created the first unit…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · today

The Beatles & The Sixties', with Samira Ahmed, John Robb, & Janina Ramirez

From the opening chord and the screaming crowds to the irreverent humour, the Beatles did not simply soundtrack the 1960s, they seemed to capture its exhilarati…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · tomorrow

David Olusoga, in Conversation'

Join historian and broadcasterDavid Olusoga for an illuminating conversation exploring how Britains past shapes its present.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · tomorrow

The Bayeux Tapestry: A Precious Cargo', with Peter Ricketts, Jim Peters, and Janina Ramirez

How do you move one of the worlds greates treasures across the Channel after almost a thousand years?

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · tomorrow

Domesday: Travelling the England of the Norman Conquest', with Max Adams

In 1085, just 19 years after the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror ordered the most astonishing survey medieval England had ever seen.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · tomorrow

The Bayeux Tapestry: A Precious Cargo', with Peter Ricketts, Michael Lewis, and Janina Ramirez

How do you move one of the worlds greates treasures across the Channel after almost a thousand years?

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · tomorrow

Peace Makers: Why Diplomats Matter in War and Peace', with Peter Ricketts

Wars dominate the headlines, but diplomats often shape what happens next. Taking his new book Peace Makers as a starting point, former National Security Adviser…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · tomorrow

From Boudicca to Joan of Arc: Women of Legend'with Janina Ramirez, Elodie Harper, and Samira Ahmed

Boudicca, thelfld and Joan of Arc became icons of courage, rebellion and national identity but who controlled the stories told about them?Bestselling historian…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · tomorrow

Morelands Match Factory - Memories Project

This event will be in the scriptorium as part of the Gloucester History Festival.2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the closure of the Morelands Match Factory.M…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 2 days left

Gloucester Heritage Walking Trail

This is a one-hour guided BSL walk that will start at 11 am in the Scriptorium.It will be led by Olivier Jamin , an award-winning Deaf artist and experienced BS…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 2 days left

No Friend to This House', with Natalie Haynes

Few writers bring the ancient world to life with as much wit and intelligence as Natalie Haynes.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 2 days left

Art From the Dawn of Time', with Janina Ramirez

Janina Ramirez has spent the past year on a top-secret project taking her to thirty countries and the very origins of storytelling art.From the worlds oldest im…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 2 days left

The Rise of Populism and the Right'

Across Europe, America and beyond, populist movements and authoritarian leaders are reshaping politics in ways that would once have seemed unimaginable.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 2 days left

Tankers on the Severn

This event will be in the scriptorium as part of the Gloucester History Festival .From 1922 to 1985, a variety of boats handled petroleum products on the river…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 2 days left

Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe', with Katja Hoyer

Weimar was a cradle of democracy, culture and radical new ideas yet it also became an early stronghold of fascism.Bestselling historian Katja Hoyer tells the st…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 2 days left

The Tudors: This Little World', with Nandini Das

From the Battle of Bosworth to the Spanish Armada, we might think we know the Tudors.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 2 days left

Villages by the Sea: An Exploration of Britain's Coastal Heritage', with Ben Robinson

Britains coastline is far more than the edge of our island, it is where some of our greatest stories began.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 3 days left

How the Anglo-Saxons Won Britain', with Nicholas J Higham

Why did Roman Britain disappear? And how did the Anglo-Saxons transform a shattered province into the foundations of England?

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 3 days left

The Buildings of the Bayeux Tapestry', with Andrew Ziminski

The Bayeux Tapestry is famed for its battles and heroes but look more closely and another story emerges, one told in timber, flint and stone.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 3 days left

The Buildings of the Bayeux Tapesty', with Andrew Ziminski

The Bayeux Tapestry is famed for its battles and heroes but look more closely and another story emerges, one told in timber, flint and stone.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 3 days left

The Cathedral Cloisters: Gloucester's Medieval Masterpiece'

Theyve welcomed medieval monks, inspired architects, survived the Reformation and become famous around the world through Harry Potter and Wolf Hall, yet Glouces…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 3 days left

Emily Palmerston: The Regency Countess Who Shaped an Age'

Everyone knows of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire but few have heard of Emily, Viscountess Palmerston.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 4 days left

Witchland: Witch Hunting in 17th Century Britain', with Marion Gibson

Why did ordinary people come to believe their neighbours were witches? And what does that tell us about Britains past?

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 4 days left

Lady Jane Grey: Crown of Blood', with Nicola Tallis

Executed in 1554 at just seventeen, Lady Jane Grey has long been remembered as the tragic Nine Days Queen, manipulated by ambitious men and sacrificed in a ruth…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 4 days left

King Arthur: Life and Legend', with Amy Jeffs

Camelot, Excalibur, Merlin and the quest for the Holy Grail have inspired writers and artists for centuries. But where does history end and legend begin?

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 4 days left

Pagan Britain: Ancient Sacred Landscapes', with Ronald Hutton

Long before churches and cathedrals dominated the landscape, Britain was a land of sacred springs, ritual monuments and mysterious places of worship.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 4 days left

Navigating a Dangerous World', with Robin Niblett & Martin Sixsmith

The balance of global power is shifting faster than at any time since the end of the Cold War.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 5 days left

The DNA of History: The Secrets Hidden in our Genes', with Turi King

Join the scientist who identified the remains of Richard III for a lively mythbusting tour of modern genetics unpacking how DNA solves crimes, rewrites history…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 5 days left

The SAS Great Train Raid', with Damien Lewis

A daring SAS mission, a heavily guarded Nazi train and an extraordinary story of courage, deception and survival.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 5 days left

The Gloucester Citizen at 150', with Ian Mean

For 150 years, The Gloucester Citizen chronicled the triumphs, tragedies and everyday lives of Gloucestershires people.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 5 days left

Reds: How Communism Shaped the World', with Paul Mason

For much of the 20th century, Communism shaped revolutions, inspired millions and transformed the lives of billions.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Last chance · 5 days left

Entitled: The Rise & Fall of The House of York', with Andrew Lownie

Bestselling royal biographerAndrew Lownie lifts the lid on the extraordinary story behind Entitled, the book that exposed the lives of Prince Andrew and Sarah,…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Mythica: The Real Women of The Odyssey', with Emily Hauser

Helen of Troy, Penelope, Cassandra and Aphrodite have inspired storytellers for thousands of years.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

The Secret History of Britain's Footpaths', with Nicholas Crane

For centuries Britains footpaths have carried pilgrims, traders, soldiers and explorers across some of our most spectacular landscapes.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

The Crusader Storm: How the Crusades Changed the Medieval World', with Nicholas Morton

From the foundation of the Crusader States in 1097 to Saladins conquest of Jerusalem a century later, the medieval Middle East was transformed by war, trade, al…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Edward VIII & Wallis Simpson: Love, Duty and Abdication', with Anne Sebba & Andrew Lownie

Ninety years after the abdication crisis shook the monarchy, Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson continue to fascinate.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Castles: A Fortified History of the World', with Dan Jones

From ancient strongholds to medieval fortresses, castles have shaped warfare, politics and power for more than three thousand years.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Henry VIII: The Last Years', with Andrew Johnston & Joanne Paul

What really happened during the final, dangerous years of Henry VIIIs reign? Tudor historians Andrew Johnston andJoanne Paul explore a court scarred by the brea…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Scriptorium Buttery:'Mother's Ruin: A History of Gin', with Andy Cole

Scriptorium SessionsGin expert Andy Coleuncovers gins colourful journey from medicinal spirit to eighteenth-century craze and British favourite.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Conquest: How Rome Seized Britain', with Ferdinand Addis

In 55 BC Julius Caesar launched Romes first assault on Britain. Nearly a century later Emperor Claudius returned with an army determined to conquer.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Who Was to Blame for the War of the Roses?', with Matthew Lewis, Nathen Amin & Nicola Tallis

The Wars of the Roses tore England apart, as cousin fought cousin and rival dynasties battled for the crown.

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Adventures in Glorious Gloucestershire: Myths and Legends'

From Coopers Hill cheese rolling to St Anthonys Well, May Hills morris dancing to Sabrina, Goddess of the Severn, Gloucestershire is a land of myth, legend and…

Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester

Afternoon Tea at the Folk

Every Saturday, The Folk of Gloucesters cosy caf is offering special afternoon teas with a selection of delicious homemade cakes, scones and sandwiches.

The Folk of Gloucester, Gloucester