What’s On at The Sherborne
The Sherborne’s calendar brings together art, food, conversation, and community. You might arrive to find an exhibition opening, a tasting supper, or musicians playing in the gardens. Every visit offers something new to discover.
Our What’s On listings are updated regularly, featuring exhibitions, talks, performances, and workshops. Many events are free or ticketed at accessible prices — part of our commitment to making culture open to all. If you’re able, please consider making a donation to support our work; your voluntary contribution, however big or small, helps keep our doors open and our programmes running.
Upcoming events.
Zak Ové: Invisible Man and the Masque of Blackness
Discover Zak Ové’s The Invisible Man and the Masque of Blackness: thirteen monumental figures gathered in The Sherborne’s historic garden from September 2026.
Exhibition Changeover Notice
From 28 September to Saturday 24 October, our team will be carefully taking down and installing artworks as we prepare for the next chapter in our cultural programme.
Turing Before Bletchley
Drawing upon school photographs, reports, correspondence and rarely seen manuscripts, Turing Before Bletchley explores Turing’s formative years in Sherborne and the experiences and relationships that helped shape one of the most influential minds of the twentieth century.
ART BUFFET: Crack the Code
This October half term, our Art Buffet takes inspiration from Alan Turing.
Drop in, pick a challenge and explore codes, patterns, puzzles and creative problem-solving through drawing, making and play. There’s no single right answer, just plenty of room for curious minds and unexpected ideas.
ENIGMA: The Machine. The Code. The Codebreakers.
Join Dr Mark Baldwin, ‘Doctor Enigma’, for a fascinating evening exploring the extraordinary story of the Enigma machine, Bletchley Park and the wartime codebreakers who worked to unravel its secrets.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed | Cinema at The Sherborne
An extraordinary documentary following acclaimed photographer Nan Goldin as she takes on the Sackler family and challenges the art world's relationship with wealth and power. Intimate, fearless and deeply moving, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed reveals the extraordinary power of art and activism to bring about change.
Christmas Lights at The Sherborne
Celebrate the start of the festive season at The Sherborne with our Christmas lights switch-on at 6pm, festive food from the terrace hatch and an evening of beautiful live cello music from Emily Burridge in the Restaurant. Join us from 5pm for a little Christmas magic. Free entry, with restaurant reservations recommended.
The Double Life of Véronique | Cinema at The Sherborne
A hauntingly beautiful masterpiece from acclaimed director Krzysztof Kieślowski. Following two women living separate yet mysteriously connected lives in France and Poland, The Double Life of Véronique is an enchanting exploration of identity, intuition and the invisible threads that connect us.
Christmas & Boxing Day Closure
The Sherborne will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, giving our team time to enjoy the festivities. We wish you a wonderful Christmas and look forward to welcoming you back soon!
Summer Hours | Cinema at The Sherborne
Olivier Assayas’ beautifully observed French drama Summer Hours follows three siblings brought together at their family’s country house to celebrate the 75th birthday of their mother, Hélène.
Paul Mason in Conversation with Richard Hopton: REDS
Join acclaimed writer, broadcaster and political commentator Paul Mason as he discusses his bold new book, REDS: A Global History of Communism, in conversation with journalist and historian Richard Hopton.
Could Your Garden Be Paying Its Way?
To celebrate the publication of her new book, The Flower Farmer’s Year, Georgie joins us at The Sherborne to explore how even a modest garden can become a thriving small cut-flower business.
Finding Our Way Through a Changing World. Arthur Snell in conversation with Hugh Davies CMG.
In his groundbreaking new book, Elemental: The New Geography of Climate Change and How We Survive It, Arthur Snell explores how a warming planet is already transforming conflict, migration, trade, energy and the balance of power between nations.
The Mastermind | Cinemathèque at The Sherborne
Kelly Reichardt quietly turns the traditional heist film inside out in this thoughtful and wonderfully unconventional crime story, starring Josh O’Connor as an amateur art thief whose seemingly perfect plan begins to unravel.
Closure notice: Saturday 5 September
The Sherborne will be closed to the public on Saturday 5 September while we host a wedding across the whole house.
Charlie Waite: The Art of Seeing
Join internationally acclaimed landscape photographer Charlie Waite for an inspiring evening exploring light, composition, travel and the creative decisions behind unforgettable images.
Illyria presents, The Pirates of Penzance
Performed by a six-strong cast of actor-singers with fully orchestrated accompaniment, The Pirates of Penzance is packed with some of the most beloved songs in comic opera, including I Am a Pirate King. Full of satire, silliness and melodic brilliance, it remains every bit as buoyant, sharp and entertaining today.
Special Rhyme Time at The Sherborne
Join Sherborne Library for a special garden Rhyme Time at The Sherborne, with songs, stories and rhymes for children under five and their grown-ups.
Illyria presents, The Pirates of Penzance
Performed by a six-strong cast of actor-singers with fully orchestrated accompaniment, The Pirates of Penzance is packed with some of the most beloved songs in comic opera, including I Am a Pirate King. Full of satire, silliness and melodic brilliance, it remains every bit as buoyant, sharp and entertaining today.
Special Rhyme Time at The Sherborne
Join Sherborne Library for a special garden Rhyme Time at The Sherborne, with songs, stories and rhymes for children under five and their grown-ups.
The Art Buffet: Drop In & Create
Pull up a chair at The Sherborne’s Art Buffet this summer. Drop into the Pavilion anytime between 10am and 3pm to create with a colourful selection of reclaimed and everyday materials, inspired by the art, stories and imagination found throughout the House.
Free, family-friendly and suitable for all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
A Summer Evening with Young Stars of the South West
An atmospheric summer evening of music, myth and storytelling, launching Young Stars of the South West: a new platform for exceptional young musical talent, featuring Grammy Award-winning bass-baritone Neal Davies, baritone and pianist William Drakett, and young musicians from Wells Cathedral School.
Illyria Presents, The Three Musketeers
Renowned for staging some of the finest swordplay on the outdoor theatre stage, Illyria’s The Three Musketeers promises a summer performance full of flair, energy and irresistible adventure.
Illyria Presents, The Three Musketeers
Renowned for staging some of the finest swordplay on the outdoor theatre stage, Illyria’s The Three Musketeers promises a summer performance full of flair, energy and irresistible adventure.
Truth and Bias in the Bayeux Tapestry
A timely evening with historian David Musgrove and novelist Kylie Fitzpatrick, exploring the Bayeux Tapestry as a medieval masterpiece, political propaganda and a story of power, conquest and contested truth.
The Mecca of the Seascapist
Long before St Ives became synonymous with British modernism, it was already a place of artistic pilgrimage. Join art historian David Tovey for a richly illustrated talk exploring the original St Ives School: the remarkable colony of painters drawn to Cornwall’s extraordinary coastal light, working harbour and dramatic seascapes.
Sherborne Library Pop-up at The Sherborne
Sherborne Library joins us as a temporary pop-up this July, bringing books, borrowing, family activity and Summer Reading Challenge support to The Sherborne.
Illyria presents, Pinocchio
Carlo Collodi’s much-loved tale comes vividly to life in this enchanting outdoor musical performance from Illyria.
Illyria presents, Pinocchio
Carlo Collodi’s much-loved tale comes vividly to life in this enchanting outdoor musical performance from Illyria.
Yeovil College Creative Showcase 2026: Celebrating the Next Generation of Creative Talent
Celebrate the next generation of creative talent as Yeovil College brings its Creative End of Year Showcase 2026 to The Sherborne, featuring design, media projects, visual outcomes and film screenings by around 150 students.
Exhibition on Screen: Frida Kahlo
A vivid and intimate film from Exhibition on Screen, exploring the life, art and legacy of Frida Kahlo through her paintings, personal story, home and studio. Directed by Ali Ray. 90 mins, 12A.
Fiona McKenzie Johnston: Roger Fry, Bloomsbury and the Invention of Modern Art
Join Fiona McKenzie Johnston in conversation with Catherine Milner for a lively discussion about Roger Fry, Post-Impressionism, the Bloomsbury group and the radical ideas that changed how art was seen in Britain.
A Fresh Season at the Table
Our new restaurant menu launches on Wednesday 3 June, alongside our new evening opening: Wednesday to Saturday.
Book an evening table during launch week and enjoy a glass of fizz on us with your meal.
Last Meal on Death Row - Mat Collishaw
As part of Of Myths and Murals, Last Meal on Death Row by Mat Collishaw brings a quieter, more unsettling register to the programme. Known for works that pair seductive beauty with darker moral and psychological questions, Collishaw turns here to the final meals requested by condemned prisoners in the United States.
The Sound of the Baroque Returns to The Sherborne
For one week only, composer and pianist Richard Thomas Jones brings the sound of a period-correct harpsichord back to The Sherborne. Performed intermittently during gallery opening hours from 3–8 June, this fleeting musical moment is part of our cultural programme’s commitment to delight, surprise and champion thought leadership through art, history and imagination.
Art Buffet: Myths, Monsters & Marvellous Things
Join us in The Pavilion this May half term for a free drop-in art buffet inspired by The Baron Gilvan.
Free, family-friendly and suitable for all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Drop in anytime between 10am and 3pm.
Lucy Lethbridge: Servants: A Downstairs History of Britain
Join acclaimed author Lucy Lethbridge for an illuminating talk on Servants: A Downstairs History of Britain, a vivid account of the lives, labour and hierarchies behind Britain’s great households. Set within the historic rooms of The Sherborne, this conversation will explore the often-invisible world of domestic service: the kitchens, corridors, back stairs and daily routines that sustained life “upstairs”.
Shirley: Visions of Reality (2013)
Striking, unusual and visually spellbinding, Shirley: Visions of Reality is part film, part artwork, and part meditation on solitude, performance and the American century. A compelling screening for lovers of art on screen, thoughtful cinema, and films that reward close attention.
VE Day at The Sherborne with Ann Knobbs
Join us for a joyful VE Day gathering in The Pavilion with Sherborne’s own Ann Knobbs. Ann will return to the piano for a lunchtime programme of much-loved wartime favourites, including We’ll Meet Again, Underneath the Lamplight, and Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye. Guests are very welcome to sing along, or simply sit back and enjoy the music.
