Norfolk half term is 23 to 30 October. The cathedral light show, the Book Festival, Fireman Sam and seven more, with dates and prices from the organisers.
Norfolk’s October half term runs from Friday 23 to Friday 30 October 2026. The big new thing in Norwich that week is a light show inside the cathedral, and the Norwich Book Festival runs almost the whole week. Here is what is confirmed, with dates and prices taken from the organisers’ own listings on 25 September.
The quick answer
- Half term dates: Friday 23 to Friday 30 October 2026 on the Norfolk model. Some Norwich schools start on Monday 19 October; see Norfolk school term dates.
- The headline event: Time by Luxmuralis at Norwich Cathedral, Tuesday 27 to Saturday 31 October, family ticket £25.
- The Norwich Science Festival is not in October this year. Its next festival is in February half term, 13 to 20 February 2027.
The week at a glance
| Date | Event | Where | Ages | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 24 to Fri 30 Oct | Norwich Book Festival | The Forum and venues across the city | All | Mix of free and ticketed |
| Sat 24 Oct, 11.30am and 2.30pm | The Selfish Giant | Norwich Theatre Stage Two | 4+ | From £12.72 |
| Sat 24 Oct, 12.30pm and 3.30pm | Fireman Sam Live: The Lost Pirate Treasure | Norwich Theatre | 2+ | From £15.90 |
| Mon 26 Oct, 7.30pm | Kevin Quantum: Anti-Gravity | Norwich Theatre | 8+ | From £26.50 |
| Tue 27 Oct, 11am | Rob Biddulph: Draw with Rob | Norwich Theatre | 5+ | From £10.50 |
| Tue 27 Oct, 11am and 2pm | Red Robin's Winter Song | Norwich Theatre Stage Two | 3+ | From £14.84 |
| Tue 27 to Sat 31 Oct, 5.15pm to 8pm | Time by Luxmuralis | Norwich Cathedral | All | £10 adult, £5 child, £25 family |
| Wed 28 Oct, 11am and 2pm | Flotsam | Norwich Theatre | 2 to 5 | From £12.72 |
| Thu 29 Oct, 11am | Jacqueline Wilson | Norwich Theatre Playhouse | 8+ | From £12.50 |
| Mon 26 to Sat 31 Oct | Norwich Beer Festival | The Halls | Over 18s only | £3 to £8 entry |
Theatre prices are the “from” price shown for each performance on Norwich Theatre’s booking pages. Booking fees may apply.
Time by Luxmuralis at Norwich Cathedral
The artists Peter Walker and David Harper, who work as Luxmuralis, are bringing their first show to Norwich Cathedral. It fills the building with projected artwork and sound on the theme of time, drawing on H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, and finishes in the nave (Norwich Cathedral).
- When: Tuesday 27 to Saturday 31 October, entry slots every 15 minutes from 5.15pm to 8pm. You can stay as long as you like once inside.
- Tickets: £10 adults (16+), £5 children (4 to 15), £25 family (two adults and up to three children), plus a booking fee. Under-4s are free.
- Getting in: through the Cloister. The cathedral asks visitors to arrive no more than 15 minutes before their slot.
On the last night, Saturday 31 October, the cathedral also has a talk, God, Time and Stephen Hawking, from 5pm to 6pm (Norwich Cathedral events).
Norwich Book Festival, 24 to 30 October
The Forum’s book festival is back in half term with talks, workshops, signings and a family programme. It is run by The Forum with the National Centre for Writing, Norfolk Libraries and the University of East Anglia (The Forum).
The best-known family name is Jacqueline Wilson, at Norwich Theatre Playhouse on Thursday 29 October at 11am. It runs for an hour and is recommended for ages 8+. She will not be signing books afterwards (Norwich Theatre).
Shows for younger children
Norwich Theatre has five family shows in the week. Details are from each show’s page:
- The Selfish Giant, Saturday 24 October, 50 minutes, ages 4+, at Stage Two (Norwich Theatre). Stage Two is running a £10 ticket offer for its tenth anniversary.
- Fireman Sam Live: The Lost Pirate Treasure, Saturday 24 October, one hour, ages 2+ (Norwich Theatre).
- Rob Biddulph: Draw with Rob, Tuesday 27 October at 11am, about an hour, ages 5+. It showed limited availability when we checked (Norwich Theatre).
- Red Robin’s Winter Song by Manjeet Mann, Tuesday 27 October, about an hour, ages 3+, at Stage Two (Norwich Theatre).
- Flotsam, from David Wiesner’s picture book, Wednesday 28 October, about 35 minutes, for ages 2 to 5 (Norwich Theatre).
For older children, Kevin Quantum’s magic and levitation show is on Monday 26 October at 7.30pm, about two hours with an interval, ages 8+ (Norwich Theatre).
For the adults
The 47th Norwich Beer Festival returns to The Halls from Monday 26 to Saturday 31 October, after two years away while the building was repaired. It is strictly over-18s, babies included. Session prices and times are on our Norwich Beer Festival page.
Everyday options
Day-to-day visiting at Norwich Cathedral and Norwich Castle’s reopened keep, with prices and hours, is on our things to do in Norwich page. Norfolk Museums Service had not yet listed its half-term family activities at the Castle or Strangers’ Hall when we checked.
Not on this year
The Norwich Science Festival is not in October. Its 2027 festival is from Saturday 13 to Saturday 20 February 2027, in February half term. The full programme goes on sale on Thursday 26 November 2026 (Norwich Science Festival).
Still to be confirmed
Norfolk Museums Service’s half-term activities, and the full Norwich Book Festival programme of free family events at The Forum. We will add them when they are published. Parking for the week: parking in Norwich.
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