Entertainment in Cirencester

Theatregoers have two choices in Cirencester. Barn Theatre on Beeches Road is the town’s leading theatre space, with a modern 200-capacity auditorium which plays host to professional plays, musicals, comedy and magic shows. There’s also a great restaurant and piano bar next door called Téatro.

The Sundial Theatre is a college theatre that can host up to 275 people at their variety of professional shows including theatre, live music and comedy as well as student productions. Michael McIntyre and Shappi Korsandi have both previously played here, as well as touring productions of shows like We Will Rock You and Vertigo. There’s also a bar on-site for pre- and post-show drinks.

Cirencester isn’t a town known for its sports teams – you’d have to travel to nearby towns like Cheltenham, Oxford and Swindon for professional football clubs. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a great day out at the football (or even polo).

Cirencester Town F.C. are the local football club who play at the 4,500 capacity Corinium Stadium. They’re currently plying their trade in the Southern Football League Division One South and West. The club is made up of a friendly bunch of passionate locals who keep it running. Matches are usually played on Saturday at 3pm, with tickets costing £10 for adults and less for juniors and concessions. There’s a great little clubhouse where you can buy food and drinks and keep up-to-date with the rest of the scores from the bigger leagues.

Alternatively, why not try something different and head to the oldest polo club in the UK? Cirencester Park Polo Club is located in the grounds of Cirencester Park and hosts games on most days between April and September, with Sunday being the most popular day to visit. Admission for the day costs as little as £5 and there’s plenty of bars and food to enjoy whilst you’re there.

If you’re looking to see some live music while you’re in Cirencester, then you have a few options. One of the most popular spots is The Vaults with The Golden Farm pub. They book some impressive up-and-coming bands and musicians to play their stage in the dedicated gig room, as well as some local legends who know how to put on a show. One of the best bits about this place is that you can enjoy a drink or two in the cosy bar next door before and after the gig.

Next up is another popular pub with a penchant for live music. The Marlborough Arms on Sheep Street near Home Park was voted Cirencester CAMRA Pub of the Year, and it’s no wonder when you discover its selection of eight great beers, characterful decor and regular live music sessions. Saturday is the most popular day for gigs here and the genre is usually rock.

If you happen to be visiting Cirencester on the last weekend in August, then make sure you head down to the Abbey Grounds for the free-to-enter Phoenix Festival. It’s a community-led event held over two days and features around 40 acts playing on three big stages for over 15,000 people.

Alternatively, on the same weekend is The Big Festival in Kingham, approximately 25 miles from our Cirencester hotel. The line-up here gets better every year, with acts like Elbow, Jess Glynne and Lewis Capaldi gracing the stage in recent times. The festival isn’t limited to great music, though. They book celebrity chefs like Raymond Blanc and Prue Leith to perform cooking sessions, invite some of the best street food and artisan food producers to put up food-stalls, offer loads of funfairs and activities for kids and much more. Visit their website to see everything that’s going on and book tickets.