2026 Forum Festivals

Join us during February half term, from Saturday 14 to Saturday 21 February 2026, as we bring our city-wide celebration of science back for its milestone 10th-anniversary year.

There are more than 200 events in 20 venues across the city to look forward to - including free performances on the brand-new outdoor Atom Stage, explosive family shows, hands-on workshops, and SEND-Friendly events.

Whether you’ve been with us from the start, or if this is your first time at Norwich Science Festival, we hope you’ll discover something that inspires you in this epic 2026 line-up.

Norwich Games Festival, presented in partnership with Norwich University of the Arts, is back for 8 days in May (Saturday 23 to Saturday 30 May 2026), showcasing the best of video and computer games, tabletop and board games, and even physical gaming and activities.

The programme (coming in March 2026) offers talks and workshops that celebrate the gaming industry and the creativity and skills within the sector.

There’s something for everyone, whether you’re a beginner, expert, competitive player or absolute pro, you can all get involved. Have a go on our retro arcade, show off your skills, discover your new favourite indie game, or explore opportunities and careers in the industry.

We're delighted to announce that Norfolk Deaf Festival is coming back to The Forum on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 June 2026, plus a special event with the Norfolk Deaf Craft Fayre on Sunday 28 June.

Celebrating the world of hearing loss with informative, interactive fun, the Festival encourages visitors to share experiences, meet new people, and provides an opportunity to access support from a wide range of organisations.

Most of all, it brings everyone together - deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing - to connect, learn and celebrate. Whatever your hearing loss, you are not alone.

Norfolk Heritage Open Days returns from Friday 11 to Sunday 20 September 2026, inviting residents and visitors alike to explore the places, people and stories that shape our county. As part of Heritage Open Days – England’s largest community-led festival of history and culture – the festival offers ten days of free events, experiences and discoveries across Norfolk.

The 2026 festival theme, Everyday Histories, shines a spotlight on the ordinary lives, places and moments that make up our shared past.

Norwich Book Festival is for every kind of reader, and brings nationally renowned authors to England's first UNESCO City of Literature for fantastic events, readings, signings, interactive experiences and much more.

This city-wide festival, back for its third year Saturday 24 to Friday 30 October 2026, brings together readers, writers, bookshops, literary organisations, and other key Norwich institutions to celebrate stories of all kinds.

The Festival highlights Norwich’s literary heritage, and contributes to the city's thriving culture of reading and writing.

You can see more events that are taking place at The Forum this year by visiting our What's On, which is updated with new listings all the time! You can also grab a printed What's On guide from the building, which we produce quarterly.