New in Bury St Edmunds For 2026

Bury St Edmunds third Comedy Festival will bring two months of rib-tickling, laugh out loud fun to Suffolk during funny February and March 2026.

For the first time, there will be a competition to find Abbeygate Comedy Club’s Comedian of the Year 2026. The first heat will be held on Sunday, 25th January with further competitions on 8th and 22nd February leading up to the exciting final on Saturday, 28th February, all the heats will be ticketed events held in the Abbeygate Cinema.

Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds comedy season begins on Wednesday evening, 4th February when Luke Wright brings his adoption to life in Later Life Letter and continues through Pauline Eyre’s Anyone for Tennis?

The Apex is joining in the fun on Friday 13th February when Seann Walsh takes to the stage, Friday, 27th February when Daniel O’Reilly returns to the stage with his brand new, in-your-face tour, ‘Let’s Have It’ followed by Jason Manford and comedy award winner John Kearns.

More fun nights are being added as the months gets nearer. To view the full line-up and book tickets priced from £12 per person visit our Comedy Festival 2026 Guide.

Virtuoso violinist Nigel Kennedy is beginning his new UK tour with a world premiere at The Apex on Monday 2nd March. His promotor, Derek Block, has chosen The Apex for this inaugural performance as he loves the venue and working with the team. It will be Nigel’s first, and biggest UK tour in 10 years.

Celebrating his 70th birthday in 2026, Nigel is as fresh and entertaining as ever.  This will be a special evening of classical and jazz combined with a contemporary repertoire. Expect Bach, alongside A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square and Nigel’s own compositions including a moving tribute to Yehudi Menuhin and Stephane Grappelli, who taught, mentored and inspired him during his early years.

Accompanied by Alec Dankworth (son of the late John Dankworth and Cleo Laine) on double bass and Peter Adams on cello, this is a rare opportunity to witness one of the greatest musicians this country has ever produced. To book tickets for ‘A Virtuoso Concert Performance’ priced at £51.50 visit The Apex website.

Set to a soundtrack of iconic hits from the ‘60s, Caroline, a vibrant, heart-warming and rebellious new musical about love, ambition and discovering your own voice, will be performed at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds 16-20 June.

Caroline dreams of something more than stacking shelves at the local greengrocers. Her days are routine, but her nights come alive, walking the pier, sharing laughs with her best friend Mary, and spinning records with Robbie, her music-mad boyfriend who’s big on charm but short on direction. But a music revolution is coming, and Robbie lands a shock gig with Radio Caroline - the pirate radio station blasting pop, soul and rock ’n’ roll from a ship off the Essex coast. She’s not a DJ. She’s not a rock star, but in the middle of Britain’s radio revolution, Caroline might just steal the show.

Written by Vikki Stone. Caroline is brought to the theatre by the East Anglian Touring Consortium which includes Eastern Angles, HighTide, Landmark Theatres (New Theatre Peterborough), Mercury Theatre, Colchester, New Wolsey Theatre, Norwich Theatre Royal, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds. To book tickets priced from £12 visit the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds website.

The ‘Made in East Anglia’ film festival will take place late August (dates to be confirmed) at Abbeygate Cinema featuring movies made in the region including Bury St Edmunds. 

The programme is likely to include The Personal History of David Copperfield starring Dev Patel, when the area was transformed back into the Dickens’ era with sawdust, horse drawn coaches and costumed characters. The nearby village of Lavenham was also used as a filming location for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 serving as the setting for Godric's Hollow, with Lavenham Guildhall becoming Harry's parents' derelict house and De Vere House being featured as a backdrop during the scene where Voldemort murders Harry's parents.

For more information when it is released visit the Abbeygate Cinema website.

Moyse’s Hall Museum is currently curating an exhibition, due to open on Halloween, 31st October 2026, focusing on the witch trials of Bury St Edmunds and East Anglia.

This exhibition will share the victims’ stories, supported by a wider study of the early modern period to explore the reasons why the murderous witch trials may have occurred. Moyse's Hall Museum, run by West Suffolk Council, will be working with academics from across the UK and the exhibition will feature loaned artefacts never seen on public display before.

A new transatlantic partnership with Salem Witch Museum, Massachusetts and Moyse's Hall was recently announced creating a mutual exchange of knowledge and culture, which will be supported by a series of lecture swaps. It is believed that East Anglia’s witch trials influenced those in Salem.

Looking ahead to the 2026-27 festive season, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds panto, Dick Whittington runs from 20th November until 17th January 2027.

Has anyone seen the Queen? Last night she went missing and now the streets of London are filled with rats who want the throne for themselves. The time has come – humanity must find a hero. Join Dick Whittington and the rebel army as they fight for liberty, equality and cheese.

Book your tickets now at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds website.

One of UK’s most dog friendly towns 

Bury St Edmunds has been voted as one of the UK’s most dog friendly towns after reaching the final of the DogFriendly awards for three consecutive years. This year the town was a runner-up to winner Cockermouth while last year it took first place.  The awards   recognise   and  reward   dog   friendly  places   and  pet businesses that go the extra mile for the benefit of the UK’s 13 million dogs and their owners. Winners of the DogFriendly Awards in each of the categories are chosen by public vote. With more pet owners now taking their pooch on holiday with them, Bury St Edmunds has developed its own dog friendly scheme to help visitors and residents easily identify where their four-legged pal is made welcome. Around 140 shops, eateries, places to stay, attractions and more have signed up to the scheme meaning they can display a blue paw print logo sticker and water bowl. For more details visit www.dogfriendlybse.co.uk.

Suffolk’s Foodie Capital

Bury St Edmunds is celebrated as Suffolk's Foodie Capital home to the only Michelin starred restaurant in Suffolk (Pea Porridge). Recently opened Bellota, which serves a tasting menu with contemporary Spanish cuisine, has also received Michelin recognition.

The town has over 80 eateries with a great mix of independents and chains, offering foodies everything from award-winning fine dining to great pub food, family friendly restaurants and pretty cafés. It also hosts weekly food markets, an annual food and drink festival and monthly guided food and drink tours. And it’s not just food - Greene King has been brewing award-winning beers in the town for over 200 years using water from Bury’s chalk wells, which date back to 1086. The surrounding area is also home to producers large and small including four vineyards, which provide restaurants, retailers and direct customers with an abundant supply of food and drink that has been harvested, reared or produced on Suffolk soil.

Bury St Edmunds Food and Drink Tours

Proving very popular on its launch in 2025, Bury St Edmunds Food and Drink Tours will continue throughout 2026.

You’ll pass iconic landmarks including The Angel Hotel, the Abbey Gate, The Nutshell pub, The Corn Exchange and more on this 2.5 hour walking tour of the town. Along the way, enjoy bite-sized samples of delicious food and drink and meet the proud people behind these independent businesses.

If you love history, enjoy food, and like to explore, our tours offer a fun experience.

Find out more and book for 2026 at the Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides website.

Annual Events

Plus there's the town's annual events including Ring Quest, Dragon Fest, Spring Fayre, Bury St Edmunds Food and Drink Festival, Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival, Bury's Hidden Gardens and so much more. Visit our Annual Events Guide.

Visit our Places to Stay Directory and find great deals on our Offers Page.