Find all the exciting events happening across the county in February.
February may be one of the colder months, but there is plenty to look forward to. Not only will many be celebrating Valentine's Day, but there is also a wealth of other events and activities taking place. We've highlighted just a few of our favourites, so you can start planning ahead for the month.
You can see all of the amazing festivals happening in Norfolk throughout 2022 here.
Love Light Norwich
February 15th - 17th
Love Light Norwich is back! The festival brings illuminations, installations and projections to Norwich city centre. See landmarks transformed into vibrant artworks, watch sparkling performances and become part of interactive light shows at the free festival of light, themed around love and belonging.
Highlights include:
Norwich Cathedral
Marvel at the outside of the Cathedral transformed by colour and light in Luminous Pareidolia by Nick Azidis. Elemental Marsh Ponies sees life-size horses created in welded steel become fire sculptures, conjuring fiery folk tales as they blaze. Thursday 6.30pm, Friday 7.30pm, Saturday 8.30pm. LightHaus KlangHaus summons the ocean with music, colour, light and projections. Multiple nightly performances by art-rock team Klanghous at the Blake Studio, Norwich School. Booking recommended.
City centre
A fleet of illuminated boats, a giant octupus and jellyfish flow through the city in the River of Love Procession, starting at Tombland at 6pm on Saturday and arriving at Millennium Plain at 7pm. Each evening Cupid comes soaring to the rescue in a short film projected on to Norwich Castle. Or dance with Truth Fairy Disco Diva, who will be cycling through the city centre.
Strictly Night Cycling by The Bicycle Ballet Company brings dance, fun and fire, on bicycles to Chapelfield Gardens and city streets on Friday.
Installations also include a solar-powered sculpture on Gentleman’s Walk, luminous birds soaring over London Street,
The Forum
A video and light installation combines geometric animations, vibrant colours and an upbeat soundtrack and a huge heart-shaped mirror ball is suspended, rotating, throwing dancing lights down to the street and up to the sky. There is also a Wall of Love to share messages of hope and love.
Norwich Theatre Royal
Digital screens become a painting exploring love, light and wisdom in Luminescence, by Kate Munro, inspired by residents and staff from Norwich care homes.
Chapelfield Gardens
The Celestial Sound Cloud is an interactive sound and light sculpture, inspired by galaxies far away. The suspended installation creates a dance space, with unique music and light sequences generated by movement. Another projection uses flowers, seeds, lichen, feathers and leaves, transformed by super bright LEDs.
Tombland
A short film of the Marsh Ponies, accompanied by violin, cello and church organ, will be projected on St George’s church, the church wall.
The Lanes
See bright flowers suspended in heart-shaped patterns in ice by Warm Heart by Hamilton Ice Sculptors at the Garth courtyard of Norwich University of the Arts. On St Andrew's Plain outdoor theatre and light will explore migration in Here is Home, by Sheringham Little Theatre at 7pm on Thursday and Friday and 7.30pm on Saturday. And Mobile Light-Graffiti will light up the walls of the Halls, combining interactive live drawing and projection. A playful audio laser show celebrating peace, love, rave culture and neon signs will light the wall near Tesco loading bay, Pottergate, and a multi-screen projection combines flowers, seeds, lichen, feathers and leaves, scaled to enormous heights at nearby St Gregory’s church.
Museum of Norwich
Visit the Museum of Norwich in Bridewell Alley for The Art of Courtly Love from 5.30-10pm on Friday and Saturday. Sip love potions, dance with Time Machine Disco, enjoy performance poetry, write a letter, or just feel the love.
More Festivals and Fairs
Platinum Anniversary
February 6th
This month, the nation and Commonwealth marks the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II becoming monarch. A weekend of Platinum Jubilee celebrations, including thousands of beacons organised by Norfolk man Bruno Peek, and an extra bank holiday, takes place from June 2nd - 5th.
Antiques
February 5th - 6th
Norfolk Antique and Collectors Fair at the Norfolk Showground will include antiques, furniture, ornaments and vintage and retro products in an exhibition hall, pavilions and outdoor stands.
World Music
From February 28th
Norfolk's new Festival of World Sacred Music begins with Venezuelan singer Luzmira Zerpa at The Halls, Norwich. Her music blends traditional, folkloric sounds from Latin America with Afrobeat, blues and jazz. The festival continues until March 11th with music from Bulgaria, India, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and the Middle East.
Lynn Mart
February 12th - 20th
Kings Lynn Mart brings all the fun of the fair to the town for a whole week. There will be rides and activities for the whole family to enjoy.
Snowdrops
See magnificent snowdrops in grand gardens and country churchyards across the county. Favourite snowdrop spots include the Priory Gardens in Little Walsingham and Raveningham Gardens near Loddon.
Five Norfolk gardens are part of the Snowdrop Festival in aid of National Garden Scheme charities. Lexham Hall gardens, near King’s Lynn, will be open on February 13th, with snowdrops carpeting its woodland. The Lexham Hall gardens will also be open in aid of St Andrew's Church, East Lexham on February 6th. Horstead House gardens are open on February 19th with snowdrops and winter-flowering shrubs in its woodland garden on dogwoods on its small island in the Bure. Pre booking essential. Bagthorpe Hall gardens, near King’s Lynn, will be open on February 20th for its circular walk through its snowdrop woods. Hindringham Hall, near Fakenham, is open on February 26th and Chestnut Farm, West Beckham, with its huge collection of snowdrops and unusual trees and shrubs, opens on February 27th.
Exhibitions
Textile Treasures
Until February 20th
Textile Treasures, at Norwich Castle, includes a series of quilts with fascinating back-stories including Coronaquilt, made up of individual squares embroidered in isolation by members of Norfolk’s Costume and Textile Association and the exuberant Bellamy Quilt, made by Charlotte Springall and Herbert of Great Yarmouth during their engagement in 1890-91.
Thetford Treasure
All month
The chance to see the Roman Thetford Treasure back on home turf has been extended until the end of April. Part of the internationally important hoard, found close to the town in 1979, are on loan from the British Museum. They are some of the most impressive Roman objects ever unearthed in Britain. The exhibition at the Ancient House, Thetford, also features more recent finds from a temple site in nearby Hockwold-cum-Wilton.
Find the best restaurants for Valentine's Day in Norfolk here.
Theatre
fEAST
In 1912 a group of workers at Colman’s mustard factory were given the chance to start a new life in Canada. The Canada Boys, by Norfolk's fEAST Theatre tells the story of two brothers who had never ventured further west than Wymondham. By turns comic and sad the play about ambition, love, duty, family and mustard explores the relationship between a progressive company and its workers. Performances include Wells Maltings February 3rd - 4th, St George’s Theatre Yarmouth February 5th, Aylsham Town Hall February 10th - 11th, Sedgefield Village Hall February 12th, The Seagull Lowestoft February 17th, The Garage Norwich February 18th - 19th, Beccles Public Hall February 23rd, Diss Corn Hall February 24th, Old Buckenham Village Hall February 25th, Southwold Arts Centre February 26th, The Cut Halesworth March 4th, and Sheringham Little Theatre March 5th.
Nish Kumar brings is new political comedy tour Your Power, Your Control to King’s Lynn Corn Exchange on February 3rd.
The Pirates of Penzance, staged by West Norfolk Gilbert and Sullivan, is at St George’s Theatre, King’s Lynn from February 3rd - 5th.
The Book of Mormon is at Norwich Theatre Royal until February 5th. The outrageous musical comedy from creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Bobby Lopez co-writer of Avenue Q and Frozen, follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries.
Cluedo is a comedy-thriller based on the hit 1985 film Clue. Starring Michelle Collins at Miss Scarlett, it runs at Norwich Theatre Royal from February 7th - 12th.
Shlomo's Beatbox Adventure for Kids is at Norwich Playhouse on February 16th. World record-breaking beatboxer SK Shlomo makes mad music with his mouth - and his audience become his sidekicks in a world of funny sounds, brilliant noises and cool music.
True Stories Live: My Guiding Light is at the National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall, on February 18th. Hear stories told by Norwich people, celebrating community, empathy and the transformative power of truth.
Frankenstein is at Norwich Playhouse on February 21st. The adaptation of Mary Shelley's Gothic horror masterpiece promises live music, puppetry and stunning theatricality.
Music
The Stranglers are at the University of East Anglia on February 1st. Their latest album includes the single And If You Should See Dave, a tribute to keyboard player Dave Greenfield who died of Covid in May 2020.
Find out how to get more from listening to music with Music for Body Mind and Soul, a series of four half-hour video broadcasts via Norfolk-based Home Stage by Norfolk classical clarinettist Geraldine Allen and composer Sarah Rodgers. They have worked together for more than 30 years and explore the art of listening deeply to music, with an episode each Friday in February.
The King’s Lynn Festival launches its 2022 programme with a morning coffee concert on February 11th at Lynn Town Hall presented by pianist Patrick Hemmerle.
Diss Corn Hall See Coldplay tribute band Coldplace at Diss Corn Hall on February 19th. They bringing their UK tour of a show focused on the latest Coldplay album Music of the Spheres and including the famous Coldplay live show light bands.
Dance to Northern Soul, Motown and Classic R&B at Keep the Faith dance night at Cromer Pier Pavilion Bar with Cromer Soul Club on February 26th.
