Music
Centenary Celebration
February 6
Join the Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra, under conductor Roderick Dunk, at a special afternoon concert at The Assembly Hall Theatre to mark its 100th birthday. The programme features some of the orchestra’s own principal players as soloists, with classics including Copeland's Fanfare for the Common Man and Johan Strauss II's Romance for Cello and Orchestra. There's also a chance to hear the sombre tones of Elgar’s 2nd Symphony, which the composer dedicated to the memory of King Edward VI. Tickets from £22 assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

Theatre
Hairspray
Feb 7 - 12
Musical theatre star and TV presenter Brenda Edwards from shows to Chicago to Loose Women, stars as Motormouth Maybelle at Bromley's Churchill Theatre, with comedian Norman Pace another familiar name to look out for in this feel-good production. Other shows to look out for at the Churchill this month include musical comedy Waitress (21-26), and acerbic stand-up from Jimmy Carr (27). churchilltheatre.co.uk

Festival
Medway Light Nights
February 11-12
A free spectacular festival of light is set to transform Rochester’s iconic buildings and spaces into works of art this month. Happenings will include If Not Now, a movement-based production exploring poverty, prejudice and the climate crisis. It will feature a professional and volunteer cast of over one hundred performers drawn from the local community, with breath-taking visuals projected onto the ancient walls of Rochester Castle. Sounds unmissable if you're in the area- and all for free. icontheatre.org.uk


Exhibition
Diving Deep
From February 12
Visitors to a new exhibition (on loan from the National Museum of the Royal Navy) at The Historic Dockyard Chatham will be able to tread the seabed virtually and investigate the exciting finds from HMS Invincible. The darling of the Royal Navy, it ran aground on a sand bank over 260 years ago, dramatically sunk beneath the waves and was preserved for over two centuries on the ocean floor. Entry to the exhibition is included in the Dockyard entry ticket, which enables entry for one year from purchase. Tickets £23 adults, £15 child. Family: £67. the dockyard.co.uk


Talk
Spitfire thrills and spills
February 13
The excellent Battle of Britain Memorial Trust at Capel-le-Ferne kicks off its programme of Sunday afternoon events with what sounds like a fascinating talk by former Red Arrow Mike Ling, MBE. Ups and Downs will include fascinating anecdotes covering Mike's time as the longest-serving pilot with the world-famous aerobatic team, plus he'll chat about his new roles with the Blades Aerobatic Team and his experience piloting the Grace Spitfire. All this from a man who was born in Biggin Hill - famously home, of course, to a Battle of Britain airfield. Tickets £12 battleofbritainmemorial.org


Music

Fairport Convention
February 15
Fairport Convention has been entertaining music lovers for over half a century, with 2022 their 55th anniversary. Over that time the band that launched British folk-rock has seen more than a few changes - but the band's remained passion for performance has remained an absolute consistent. Their concert at the Colyer-Fergusson Hall, Canterbury, will see a mix of long-established Fairport favourites and some surprises from albums old and new, including works from their latest album, Shuffle & Go, which was released just before lockdown in 2020. Tickets £30 thegulbenkian.co.uk

Art


Lino Prints and diptychs
Until February 28
Plenty of reasons to pay a visit to the Horsebridge Gallery, Whitstable this month. Until Feb 14, you can catch its Lino Print exhibition, which features boundary-pushing regional, national and international artists, showcasing the diversity and versatility of printmaking as a contemporary art form. From Feb 17 - 28, see the intriguing diptychs of local artist John Butterworth. "My paintings are process driven," he says. "In other words, I develop an image through the process of making the painting." thehorsebridge.org.uk