What’s on in Oxford and across Oxfordshire this September

Hello and welcome to your invaluable guide to the best events, exhibitions and things to do in Oxford and across Oxfordshire throughout September.

September in Oxfordshire may be ‘back to school’ time, but it’s also when the county comes alive with a lot of the cultural scene that goes into semi-hibernation mode over the summer, coming back to life in the autumn.

From comedy to concerts, funfairs to country fairs, there’s something in stock for everyone in Oxfordshire this September. And if you fancy venturing further afield, consider a cultural day trip to London’s west end for a weekend matinee in one of London’s theatres (the capital city is relatively calmer then).

And while it may officially be the end of summer, the British Autumn may yet surprise us with some spectacular sunny spells. If that be the case, make the best of it with brunch at one of Oxfordshire’s best restaurants with outdoor seating or afternoon tea in a country house within easy reach.

Needless to say, this is a curated list of things to do in Oxford and across Oxfordshire this September. Take a look at the “What’s on” section, where you’ll find a growing array of events in Oxford and across Oxfordshire, plus unmissable ones beyond the county that would make for a great day out.

Got an event that should be on the list? List your event on The Oxford Magazine website and reach our growing audience of people who live, work or place in Oxfordshire. Once again, welcome to your invaluable guide to what’s on in Oxford and across Oxfordshire this September.

Salon Privé 2023 at Blenheim Palace

When: 30 August to 02 September

Where: Blenheim Palace

Salon Privé returns to Blenheim Palace with their most sensational line-up to date. For four days, the South Lawn will be overcome with the finest super and classic cars in the world, accompanied by luxury brands and exquisite hospitality to form the UK’s Most Exclusive Motor Show.

Buy tickets View event: Salon Privé 2023 at Blenheim Palace
BunkFest 2023

When: 01 to 03 September

Where: Kinecroft, Wallingford

On the banks of the Thames in South Oxfordshire, Wallingford BunkFest is a free-access community festival providing a unique, family-friendly celebration with something for everyone. In 2023, BunkFest celebrates its 21st year of life – from a small marquee in a pub car park to filling the KineCroft and providing entertainment throughout Wallingford, on the River Thames and the Bunk Railway line.

Line-up
Friday: Molotov Jukebox / Split The Dealer
Saturday: Laurence Jones / Tom Seth Johnson / Brook Ellingworth / Dolly Mavies / Cabana Soul / Swanvesta Social Club / RSVP Bhangra / Baskery
Sunday: Fleetwood Bac / Jody Wyatt / Box Set / Sax Bandits / Young Person Set / Alphabet Backwards / Doris Brendel

View event: BunkFest 2023
Paddington Lo-commotion

When: Until 03 September

Where: Blenheim Palace

This summer, join Paddington in an immersive outdoor adventure across the grounds of Blenheim Palace. Paddington Lo-commotion takes audiences on a journey to meet their favourite characters from the Paddington stories, search for a ‘buried treasure’, and have the opportunity to hop on board a real locomotive subject to availability on the day.

Buy tickets View event: Paddington Lo-commotion
St Giles’ Fair 2023

When: 04 & 05 September

Where: St Giles’, Oxford

St Giles’ Fair is one of the greatest and most prestigious in the country. The fair dates back to 1625 when it was a parish festival to celebrate the feast of the patron saint, St Giles, and is held on the Monday and Tuesday following the first Sunday after St Giles’ Day (01 September).

Discover more: All the fun of the fairs

View event: St Giles’ Fair 2023
Cornbury House Horse Trials

When: 06 to 10 September

Where: Cornbury Park

Cornbury House Horse Trials is a new original eventing experience that promises to be a stylish, fun, and innovative experience for competitors and spectators from all around the world. Enjoy locally sourced and sustainable food and drink, retail with luxurious local brands, plus access to the otherwise private Deer Park and the wider historic parkland.

Buy tickets View event: Cornbury House Horse Trials
Oxford Open Doors 2023

When: 9 & 10 September

Where: Venues across Oxford

Oxford Open Doors is a weekend that celebrates Oxford’s heritage and culture by giving everyone the chance to explore the colleges, university buildings and green spaces together with a range of heritage sites across the city – many of which are not usually open to members of the public.

Read more: Oxford Open Doors: nine properties to see inside

View event: Oxford Open Doors 2023
Henley Farm & Country Show 2023

When: 09 September

Since 1891 the Henley Farm & Country Show has been one of the largest events in the area and is the best one-day agricultural show in Oxfordshire. A fun family day visited by thousands every year, many of whom return annually because they have enjoyed it so much.

Buy tickets View event: Henley Farm & Country Show 2023
Women and War: From the Fringes to the Front Line

When: Until 10 September

Where: Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum

Women & War: From the Fringes to the Front Line is a new exhibition opening at Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock to tell the stories of women in the armed forces. The exhibition will explore the diverse experiences of women who have been involved with all aspects of military life.

View event: Women and War: From the Fringes to the Front Line
Witney Feast 2023

When: 11& 12 September

The Witney Feast will take place on Monday, 11 and Tuesday, 12 September, at its historic home on The Leys in Witney. Star Flyer, Space, Superstar, Extreme, Jumping Frogs, Dominator, Stargate – these are some of the rides you’re likely to encounter at Witney Feast in 2023.

View event: Witney Feast 2023
Kinder

When: 12 & 13 September

Where: Old Fire Station

Joyful, moving and poignant, Kinder is a multi-award-winning show from puppetry and visual theatre company Smoking Apples inviting you to take a seat inside an immersive set as the story unfolds through a series of playful hatches and openings.

Buy tickets View event: Kinder
Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials 2023

When: 14 to 17 September

Where: Blenheim Palace

The Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials is a must for any eventing enthusiast. It’s four days of eventing action, including Dressage, Cross Country and Showjumping, all taking place in the breathtaking grounds of one of Britain’s most beautiful and historic venues – Blenheim Palace, home of the Duke of Marlborough.

Buy tickets View event: Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials 2023
EAGA Gospel Choir Concert

When: 16 September

Where: Holywell Music Room

Experience the soul-stirring music of the EAGA Gospel Choir, recent winners of the prestigious BBC Songs of Praise Gospel Choir of the Year 2023 award, in a concert in aid of The Unicorn School, who provides specialist educational support for neurodiverse children and young people with related learning challenges.

Buy tickets View event: EAGA Gospel Choir Concert
Jack Whitehall: Settle Down

When: 18 September

Where: New Theatre Oxford

Following three complete sell-out arena tours, international comedy superstar Jack Whitehall is back with his highly anticipated new live show. And Jack is eager to get back on the road doing what he does best – delighting audiences.

Buy tickets View event: Jack Whitehall: Settle Down
Shrek The Musical

When: 19 to 24 September

Where: New Theatre Oxford

Featuring a host of loveable fairytale characters and memorable songs, including I’m a Believer, Shrek the Musical is a fun-filled night at the theatre that everyone will enjoy. Join our unlikely hero, Shrek, and his noble steed, Donkey, as they embark on a big, bright musical adventure!

Buy tickets View event: Shrek The Musical
Thame Fun Fair 2023

When: 21 to 23 September

Where: Thame Town Centre

Don’t miss the annual Thame Fun Fair that transforms Thame’s High Street for three days in September into a mini theme park with rides, bumper cars and candyfloss. The fair starts on the third Thursday of September, with the Mayor of Thame officially opening the event at 4.00pm.

View event: Thame Fun Fair 2023
Loose Women Live

When: 25 September

Where: New Theatre Oxford

Swapping the studio for the stage, Loose Women Live will bring its iconic panel directly to a theatre near you this autumn. Audiences can let loose with a great panel for an evening filled with laughter, hot topics, fun and surprises – as they share their stories and secrets live and in person.

Buy tickets View event: Loose Women Live
Slay Queenz

When: 26 September

Join the latest three winners of RuPaul Drag Race UK for an exclusive spectacular of side-splitting laughs, jaw-dropping vocals and eye-popping outfits. Starring Krystal Versace (Series 3 Winner), Danny Beard (Series 4 Winner) and Blu Hydrangea (UK vs The World Winner) as they sashay on down to a theatre near you for One Night Only!

Buy tickets View event: Slay Queenz
The Illegal Eagles

When: 27 September

Where: New Theatre Oxford

Following continued public demand, the World’s Official No.1 tribute to the legendary rock band has returned. This critically acclaimed show will feature the very best from the Eagles’ catalogue of classics, including Hotel California, Desperado, Take It Easy, New Kid In Town, Life In The Fast Lane and many more…

Buy tickets View event: The Illegal Eagles
Dawn French Is A Huge Twat

When: 28 September

This show, Dawn French Is A Huge Twat, is so-named because, unfortunately, it’s horribly accurate. Roll up! With plenty of buttock-clenching embarrassing stories, book early to see the telly vicar lady be a total twat on stage, live in front of your very eyes. And ears.

Buy tickets View event: Dawn French Is A Huge Twat
Victorian Murder Mystery & Dinner at Oxford Castle & Prison

When: 29 September

Where: Oxford Castle & Prison

Join the Warden of Oxford Castle & Prison this September for an exclusive Victorian-themed Murder Mystery & Dinner event at Oxford Castle & Prison. After mingling with fellow guests over a glass of prosecco, you’ll work your way through this historic site, following clues and interrogating suspects, before sitting down to a delicious two-course meal.

Buy tickets View event: Victorian Murder Mystery & Dinner at Oxford Castle & Prison
Miriam Margolyes: Oh Miriam! Live

When: 29 September

Where: New Theatre Oxford

Join New Theatre Oxford on another unforgettable adventure through the extraordinary life and strong opinions of BAFTA-winning actor Miriam Margolyes, live on stage in her biggest tour yet to mark the launch of her new book called Oh Miriam. It promises to be a riotous evening as full of life and surprises as the actor herself.

Buy tickets View event: Miriam Margolyes: Oh Miriam! Live
The Music of Zimmer Vs. Williams

When: 30 September

Where: New Theatre Oxford

The London Concert Orchestra performs the Music of Zimmer Vs. Williams – an epic concert celebrating the very best scores from two of the greatest film music composers of all time. The concert will feature music from Gladiator, Superman, Harry Potter, Inception, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, and many more.

Buy tickets View event: The Music of Zimmer Vs. Williams
Joana Vasconcelos: Wedding Cake tours

When: Until 26 October

Where: Waddesdon Manor

Opening this summer, Wedding Cake is a 12-metre-tall ceramic sculptural pavilion in the form of a three-tiered cake. This major new Rothschild Foundation commission from celebrated Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos will stand within a grove of trees at Waddesdon beside the 19th-century Dairy.

Book tickets View event: Joana Vasconcelos: Wedding Cake tours
Catherine Goodman: Do you remember me…

When: Until 29 October

Where: Waddesdon Manor

Do you remember me… is a major new exhibition at Waddesdon, showcasing never before seen works by Catherine Goodman. Displayed in the Coach House Gallery and the Drawings Room of the Manor, the exhibition focuses on a new body of work, including a selection of her new paintings, drawings, collages and works on paper which capture the landscape of Corfu and its rugged, vibrant beauty.

Buy tickets View event: Catherine Goodman: Do you remember me…
Boundary Encounters

When: Until 29 October

Where: Modern Art Oxford

Boundary Encounters is a summer show of residencies, projects and live events at Modern Art Oxford, including new work from artists Valerie Asiimwe Amani, Julie Freeman and Harold Offeh. The exhibition features an interactive display of projects and events collaboratively selected from Modern Art Oxford’s archives, celebrating social learning experiences with creative communities living in Oxfordshire and beyond.

Discover more: Modern Art Oxford

Event website View event: Boundary Encounters
Gifts and Books

When: Until 29 October

Where: Weston Library

The giving and receiving of gifts is fundamental to human societies.
Drawing on material from ancient Sumerian writing tablets to contemporary fiction for children, Gifts and Books explores the importance of gift-giving through books and across time and how this apparently simple act reveals wider interactions, relationships and belief systems.

Discover more: Weston Library

View event: Gifts and Books
Ashmolean NOW: Flora Yukhnovich x Daniel Crews-Chubb

When: Until 14 January

Where: Ashmolean Museum

Ashmolean NOW is a new exhibition series of contemporary art, which invites contemporary artists to create new work inspired by the Ashmolean’s historical collections. The first exhibition is dedicated to contemporary painting. It juxtaposes the work of two London-based painters, Flora Yukhnovich and Daniel Crews-Chubb.

Event website View event: Ashmolean NOW: Flora Yukhnovich x Daniel Crews-Chubb
Colour Revolution: Victorian Art, Fashion & Design

When: 21 September to 18 February

Where: Ashmolean Museum

Dispelling our monochrome idea of Victorian Britain. Rediscover Victorian society as a vibrant colour-filled era – from dazzling dyes used in chic corsets, bold experiments by avant-garde painters, and the flamboyant use of nature’s beauty in jewellery.

Buy tickets View event: Colour Revolution: Victorian Art, Fashion & Design