What’s on in Oxford and across Oxfordshire this March
Hello and welcome to your invaluable guide to the best events, exhibitions and things to do throughout March in Oxford and across Oxfordshire.
Welcome to spring and the end of a self-imposed Netflix hibernation! The darkness and freezing temperatures are (mostly) behind us, and there’s a diverse range of fantastic events – from exhibitions to musicals, shows and attractions right on our doorstep to keep us entertained!
As you may very well know, this is a curated list of the top things to do in Oxford and across Oxfordshire. Do take a look at the What’s on section of the website, where you’ll find a full list of events in Oxford and across Oxfordshire, as well as unmissable events 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 and reach an engaged 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 March.
CHICAGO The Musical
Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, CHICAGO is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. With 6 Tony Awards, 2 Olivier Awards, a Grammy® and thousands of standing ovations, CHICAGO “remains a phenomenon” (Sunday Express)
Keble Early Music Festival 2025
The Keble Early Music Festival at Keble College, Oxford, celebrates medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music with world-class performances, masterclasses, and talks. Held in the stunning Keble College Chapel, it showcases historically informed interpretations, bringing early music to life. A highlight of Oxford’s musical calendar, it attracts enthusiasts of both music and history.
The Torpids 2025
One of two bumping boat races in Oxford’s rowing calendar, the Torpids takes place annually around the 7th week of Hilary Term (towards the start of March) on four successive days from Wednesday to Saturday, on The Isis, a length of the River Thames in Oxford, which is generally too narrow for side-by-side racing.
The Bracknall
Romford-based rock group The Bracknall returns with their second album Falling Out Of View, taking influences from the likes of the Verve and Oasis to create indie rock songs that radiate big energy.
Diana and Lionel – Endless Love The Show
Starring a sensational cast, incredible vocals, and a stellar live band, Endless Love is the ultimate feel-good night out and it celebrates the two legendary artistes Diana Ross and Lionel Richie. The show is packed with Motown classics and timeless smash hits such as I’m Coming Out, Dancing On The Ceiling, Upside Down, Say You Say Me, Chain Reaction, All Night Long, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Hello, Can’t Hurry Love and of course the Number one duet of all time – Endless Love plus many more.
Tess
Following the hugely successful sold-out tour in 2024, Ockham’s Razor, return to Oxford with Tess, a groundbreaking, circus adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s classic novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles. An ensemble of performers weave together Hardy’s words and the extreme physicality of circus to tell this tale of power, loss and endurance.
Nina Conti: Whose Face Is It Anyway?
Nina Conti (and Monkey) has regularly sold out shows worldwide, and the virtuoso ventriloquist, BAFTA nominee, and British Comedy Award winner is back on tour! Nina presents an unparalleled, unscripted brand new show that delves deep into who we are, hijacking faces to spark a bold, hysterical reality warp.
Blossoms
Blossoms are back due to popular demand after their sell-out Ribbon Around the Bomb show in November 2022. Blossoms will play their only UK date in the first three months of 2025 in Aylesbury as a special one-off warm-up date for their Australian tour with Kasabian. Book now and bring your own brothers to see this amazing new gig.
A Country Night in Nashville
Direct from The Royal Albert Hall, A Country Night In Nashville recreates the scene of a buzzing honky tonk in downtown Nashville, perfectly capturing the energy and atmosphere of an evening in the home of country music. Prepare to be transported on a musical journey through the history of Country, featuring songs from its biggest stars, both past and present.
The Darkness 2025 – Dreams on Toast
Legends of rock, The Darkness, have returned to bedazzle and amaze once more as they serve up their eighth studio album Dreams On Toast via Cooking Vinyl in March 2025. A lavish display of sonic delicacies, Dreams On Toast is a dynamic dish packed full of sure-to-be hits. Support comes from Northern Irish indie-rock heroes Ash, who first supported The Darkness on their legendary Permission To Land Tour over 20 years ago.
Ed Sheeran Songbook Featuring Jack Bowater
Totally interactive with his audience and using the Ed Sheeran limited edition guitar with his now world-famous loop station, Jack Bowater live on stage builds, produces, and performs, with unerring accuracy, the hits that have placed Ed Sheeran as one of the most relevant songwriters of our time.
Jack Savoretti UK Solo Winter Tour 2025
Following his most recent single ‘l Don’t Understand It’, a sold-out summer tour, the largest ever sold-out shows outside the UK, collaborations with Italian legend Zucchero and Australian pop royalty Natalie Imbruglia, Jack Savoretti releases Bada Bing, Bada Boom featuring the formidable Miles Kane (The Last Shadow Puppets).
Art of Andalucia | Flamenco Dance
‘Art of Andalucia’ by Daniel Martinez is a flamenco concert featuring his music, renowned dancers, and musicians, offering an immersive Andalucian cultural experience. Following the success of his first two productions, which have captivated over 80,000 audience members, Daniel Martinez returns with a new show that places flamenco dance at the forefront.
Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of)
Following its triumphant triumphs in the West End where it won the Olivier Award for Best Comedy and the Evening Standard Award, the critically acclaimed Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) returns with a hilarious, unique, and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story.
Only Fools and Horses The Musical
Based on John Sullivan’s legendary television show, this critically acclaimed home-grown musical spectacular features cherished material from Britain’s best-loved TV series. With a script and original score written by John’s son, Jim Sullivan, and comedy giant Paul Whitehouse, prepare to get reacquainted with Britain’s most lovable rogues and experience the classic comedy brought to life on stage through an ingenious script and 20 hilarious songs.
Cheltenham Festival 2025
Cheltenham Racecourse presents the Cheltenham Festival, four extraordinary days of racing featuring 14 Grade One races as the best horses, trainers and jockeys go head to head. Each of the races at The Cheltenham Festival is a chance to be part of history. It creates memories that last a lifetime. You don’t want to miss it.
Kate Mosse: Labyrinth Live: Unlocking the Secrets of the Labyrinth
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of her global No. 1 bestseller, Kate Mosse is set to thrill audiences anew with her unforgettable one-woman show, Labyrinth Live: Unlocking the Secrets of the Labyrinth. Her characters will spring to life once more, in the light of her captivating inspirations, and the highs and the lows that helped her conjure up this timeless and beloved modern classic.
English Youth Ballet – Cinderella in Hollywood
English Youth Ballet’s newest ballet – Cinderella in Hollywood comes to Aylesbury Waterside Theatre in a glamorous, cinematic style. The acclaimed production will star 8 international principal dancers and showcase the exciting talent of 100 of the region’s top young dancers. Cinderella in Hollywood will take you back to the glamorous era of 1950s Hollywood movies – drawing inspiration from the film star Grace Kelly who met Prince Rainier of Monaco at a press party and later married him.
Scott’s Showcase
Scott’s Showcases gives young performers the spotlight they truly deserve and provides local communities with the opportunity to perform in regional theatres across the country. Do not miss this exciting evening of musical theatre and dance performed by talent from around the UK.
QUEENZ: Drag Me To The Disco!
Queenz is back with a brand new show! After two trailblazing years of touring the country, a run in London’s West End, and accumulating countless 5-star reviews, Queenz has rapidly ascended as one of the world’s most successful drag shows. Join the gals for an electrifying, live vocal, drag-stravaganza, where Dancing Queenz and Disco Dreams collide for the party of a lifetime.
Chris McCausland: Yonks!
Chris McCausland is hitting the road again with another masterclass in stand-up comedy that has literally been yonks in the making, so get your tickets now! You might have seen him on Strictly Come Dancing, Would I Lie to You, Have I Got News for You, The Royal Variety, QI, Blankety Blank, The Last Leg, and tons more as well.
Doves
English rock band Doves return to the road with their ‘Constellations For The Lonely’ tour, in support of their sixth studio album of the same name. This tour marks a significant moment for fans, as it follows their acclaimed 2020 comeback album The Universal Want – their first release after an 11-year hiatus. Audiences can expect a mix of new material and classic favourites as they embark on this exciting new chapter.
David Gray
David Gray brings a brand new 2025 Past & Present World Tour to Oxford on Tuesday 18 March 2025! Gray is a songwriter’s songwriter, one of those rare artists who can express themselves as fully through lyrics as through melody, a richly poetic wordsmith with vast musical flair. Dear Life is a big statement, the work of a driven man obsessively focused on a personal artistic journey.
Nick Mohammed is Mr Swallow – Work in Progress
Taskmaster loser & Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed (and his critically acclaimed alter-ego Mr. Swallow) works up his brand new show ahead of a national tour. Expect magic, music, and a whole load of brand-new mistakes. Nick is one of the UK’s most celebrated comedians, actors, and writers, and has received feverish critical acclaim for his previous Mr. Swallow shows Dracula, Houdini, and A Christmas Carol (ish) alongside his first UK tour The Very Best & Worst of Mr. Swallow.
Public Service Broadcasting
Following their sell-out Friars Aylesbury Bright Magic concert in 2021, Public Service Broadcasting returns to New Theatre Oxford for the final leg of their UK tour celebrating the launch of their new album titled The Last Flight which was released on Friday 04 October.
Our Country’s Good
The Playhouse Young Company, a collective of 17 to 25-year-olds, returns to the main stage. They explore Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Olivier Award-winning play, a set text for many A-level drama students. This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. Seating will be situated on the Playhouse stage.
Phil Campbell and The Bastard Sons: 50 Years Of Motorhead
Rock outfit Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, founded by Motorhead legend Phil Campbell, head out on tour to celebrate 50 years of Motorhead. With new frontman Joel Peters, they recorded Kings of the Asylum (2023), delivering high-energy hard rock anthems like Strike The Match. The band has further perfected its timeless yet invigorating in-your-face hard rock and they are looking forward to presenting their explosive new material live.
Ed Byrne: Tragedy Plus Time
From the quote attributed to Mark Twain, humour is defined as Tragedy Plus Time. Come and join Ed as he tests that formula by mining the most tragic event in his life for laughs. As seen as Hosting Live At The Apollo and regular appearances on QI and Mock The Week (BBC).
Sue, Matt & Phil Live! The Reunion Tour
The gang are back together. Sue, Matt & Phil live! The Reunion Tour – A Quiz with Sporting Legends. Sue Barker, Matt Dawson, and Phil Tufnell are back in this exciting and hilarious live show. Expect fun and games and see who will be crowned champion in this incredible live show. Please note: This show is not affiliated with the BBC or A Question Of Sport.
Opus 48: Mendelssohn Elijah
Join Opus 48 for Mendelssohn’s dramatic oratorio Elijah. They are joined by some of the country’s best up and coming soloists and the historically-informed players of the Musical and Amicable Society for a performance that will awaken you to every detail of this incredible score.
Karen Hauer & Gorka Marquez – SPEAKEASY
SPEAKEASY: Karen Hauer & Gorka Marquez are back with their biggest-ever tour for 2025! Strictly Come Dancing professionals Karen Hauer and Gorka Marquez are thrilled to bring their all-new show SPEAKEASY to theatres in 2025. Expect exhilarating live music and breath-taking choreography with Karen and Gorka’s newest offering, which follows their debut tour FIREDANCE, which toured the UK in 2020, 2022, and 2023.
Paddy McGuinness: Nearly There…
Paddy McGuinness, one of the country’s best-loved and most popular comedians, has announced a major UK tour. Paddy is a much-loved presence on British TV, from his legendary acting roles in Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy and The Keith and Paddy Picture Show to presenting primetime TV shows such as Take Me Out and BBC’s Top Gear, as well as having sold out hundreds of venues across the country on his stand-up tours.
OX5 Run
Join the OX5 RUN for a day of fun, making memories and fundraising for our amazing Oxford Children’s Hospitals. They welcome runners and teams of all abilities (aged 10 and over) who can run, jog or walk the stunning Blenheim Palace course. The OX5 RUN has become a highlight in the annual event calendar, and they need your support to make it an unforgettable day!
Lou Sanders: No Kissing in the Bingo Hall
Lou Sanders, star of Dancing On Ice (ITV), champion of Taskmaster (Channel 4), co-host of Mel Giedroyc’s Unforgivable (Dave), regular on QI (BBC), and as seen on The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS) and Would I Lie To You? (BBC), brings you a show about being human. Can you relate?
NOW That’s What I Call A Musical
Get ready to relive the playlist of your life at the brand-new British musical NOW That’s What I Call A Musical. Celebrating 40 years of the iconic and chart-topping compilations brand NOW That’s What I Call Music, which has sold an estimated 200 million copies worldwide. This fun-filled evening is bursting with hits from Whitney Houston, Wham! Blondie, Tears For Fears, Spandau Ballet, and so many more.
Absent Friends
Diana has invited Colin over for a nice cup of tea and to catch up with friends he hasn’t seen in years. The reunion only succeeds in opening old wounds and Colin’s jolly attempts to smooth the waters only make things worse. Set in the 1970s and rooted firmly in that era, Absent Friends is regarded as one of Alan Ayckbourn’s finest plays. He makes this road-crash of a party both sad and touching, but always bitingly funny.
Murder She Didn’t Write
Don your deerstalker, grab your magnifying glass, and get your ‘finger of suspicion’ ready because Edinburgh Fringe favourites, Degrees of Error, are bringing back their multiple sell-out show for your sleuthing pleasure. They’ll create a classic murder mystery on the spot in this ingenious improvised comedy. You, the audience, become the author as the cast acts out your very own Agatha Christie-inspired masterpiece live on stage.
Tosca
The award-winning Oxford Opera Company is back at The Playhouse with Puccini’s iconic Tosca. New Zealand-born Samoan soprano, Marlena Devoe returns following critically acclaimed performances as Mimi in La Bohème and Pamina in The Magic Flute. Be swept away by the majesty of Puccini’s music as Oxford Opera Orchestra brings this epic human story of love, lust, loyalty, corruption, jealousy, and revenge to life.
Sad Book
Adapted from Michael Rosen’s award-winning book, Sad Book is a visually inventive, moving story of navigating complex emotions amid everyday life. In this personal story of loss, a father explores the disconnection between what we feel, and what we show, and the different ways we deal with sadness.
Oxford Literary Festival 2025
The Oxford Literary Festival is a world-class literary event that brings together leading authors and public figures in a magnificent setting in the central university area of Oxford each year.
The festival is a reminder that, in a world of noise and division, words have the power to heal and bring us together. It’s a reminder that, despite our differences, we all have the right to be different and learn from one another.
Festival lineup: TBC
Shaparak Khorsandi: Scatterbrain
Having reassessed her life through the prism of an ADHD diagnosis in last year’s funny and moving memoir, one of Britain’s most beloved and most scatterbrained stand-ups lets you back into her mind. This show will be a love letter to letter-writing, a trip back through her early years as a comic and woman-about-town, and a whirlwind tour of a chaotic, hilarious brain.
Kabuki Legends: Part Two
Japanese artist Takahashi Hiromitsu creates dynamic, colourful prints showing exciting moments in kabuki, a traditional form of dance-drama. This exhibition showcases a second selection of these unusual prints from the Ashmolean’s own extensive collection of Hiromitsu’s work, generously presented by Philip Harris.
Oracles, Omens and Answers
Drawing on material from across time and cultures – from oracle bones from Shang Dynasty China (ca. 1250-1050 B.C.E.) to an autobiography of Ronald Reagan’s White House astrologer – Oracles, Omens and Answers will explore the different techniques humans have used to unveil the past, understand the present and predict the future.
Ashmolean NOW: Bettina von Zwehl
This is the third in the Ashmolean NOW exhibition series, where contemporary artists are invited to create new work inspired by the Ashmolean’s historical collections. This exhibition features photographs by the London-based artist, whose aim is to rekindle wonder and curiosity as critical tools for exploring new ideas and practices.
Breaking Ground
Breaking Ground is a new exhibition at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History that charts these significant developments in palaeontology and geology through a cast of characters – both the celebrated and the unsung – who helped to establish new scientific methods and ideas.
Cheung Yee and his 1960s Hong Kong contemporaries
This exhibition showcases newly-acquired works for the Ashmolean by the Hong Kong artist Cheung Yee (1936–2019) alongside those by Lui Shou-Kwan (1919–75), Wucius Wong (b.1936), Liu Kuo-sung (b.1932) and others from the avant-garde Circle Art Group. It will be the first substantial display of Cheung Yee’s work outside Hong Kong.
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