Entertainment in Norwich

Norwich is packed full of great entertainment venues. Nightlife can be as gentle or frenetic as you want it to be. If you’re here with the kids you’ll enjoy child-friendly pubs and pizzerias, ten-pin bowling, cinemas and amusement arcades. Couples can enjoy romantic meals in intimate restaurants after a leisurely day sightseeing and browsing around the shops. Friends may prefer a welcoming Norfolk pub with good home-cooked food and colourful conversation with the locals, while singletons may want to hit the town and party on down at our lively pubs and clubs.

There are some great Theatres such as the Theatre Royal and the Maddermarket, four cinemas, loads of night clubs,and great music venues from the UEA and the Waterfront. One of the major movements in landscape art originated in Norwich, The Norwich School became an international phenomena and people still flock from all over the globe to admire the paintings that originated from that era, and it is in art in all its forms that the strength of the city lies.

Norwich and the surrounding area holds over 15 festivals throughout the year. The festivals range from literature, music and puppetry to animation, food and beer. The Norwich area has always been one of the best places to catch up with the latest in the music scene - The Arts Centre is packed with up and coming bands; there is a thriving jazz scene launching the first Norwich Jazz Party in May 2007 and The Britten Sinfonia perform a season of concerts every year. There are a plethora of theatre groups and lots of interesting venues in the Norwich area. The Theatre Royal hosts major companies from West End Productions to ballet from St Petersburg. The Red Card Club and Comedy Store provide the laughs and both contemporary and classical dance are featured throughout the year.

Galleries and Arts Centres

Norwich is known as the capital of East Anglia, and as a cultural centre it is firmly on the map. According to new research, Norwich has more cultural activity than anywhere else in the UK relative to population size, making it a great place for a city break or day trip.You can also visit one of the many festivals and arts events held in Norwich, with themes as diverse as drama, music, film, animation, comedy, food, beer and the Lord Mayor’s celebrations each July. The Norfolk & Norwich Festival is the oldest, single city festival in the country and a leading international festival which brings some of the world's finest artists and performers to the city for 10 days in May.

The Assembly House in Theatre re Street has two rooms in which local artists and craftsmen display their work. There is also an excellent restaurant that is open all year round.

Castle Museum is home to a collection of the Norwich School of Painters and also some other local artists. There are English watercolours of both the 18th and 19th centuries as well as modern English work. They also have visiting exhibitions, including art work from the Tate.

The King of Hearts on Fye Bridge is situated in part of a Tudor mansion. It is a popular yet intimate place with changing exhibitions of contemporary paintings. It also has a variety of events, which include poetry readings and workshops and concerts.

Norwich Arts Centre at Reeve’s Yard on St Benedict’s Street has photographic exhibitions and is a centre for the performing arts. It hosts a range of entertainment including comedy, drama, folk and blues and workshops.

The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts is at the University of East Anglia (UEA). It displays art from different cultures and ages and the building itself, designed by Sir Norman Foster, has won several awards.

Nightlife

Norwich is considered the clubbing capital of East Anglia attracting people from far afield. Tombland is a busy and popular night time destination. A concentration of medieval buildings, together with the backdrop of the magnificent cathedral, provide it with a chic ambience complemented by the abundance of trendy café bars and stylish restaurants.

In the summer months, several of the venues spill over onto the cobbles creating a laid-back pavement café culture – perfect for watching the world go by. Head to Prince of Wales Road for Norwich’s clubland, with a wide choice of nightspots offering something for every age and musical taste.

Linking the heart of the city centre with Riverside, this bustling street is a hive of activity by night. Riverside is a concentrated entertainment and leisure area with a variety of bars and restaurants, a nightclub, tenpin bowling centre and multiplex cinema. It boasts a permanently lively and vibrant atmosphere. Very close to the railway station and with buses linking it with Prince of Wales Road and Tombland throughout the evening, access couldn’t be easier. A purpose built car park offers convenient 24 hour AA standard secured parking. Norwich City Football Club is a short walk away, where evening matches can be enjoyed throughout the season.

St Benedicts Street provides an altogether different feel from the other city centre areas. The ambience here is more relaxed and Bohemian than elsewhere in the vibrant centre. It is a charming street, packed with intimate restaurants, fine pubs and a great arts centre housed in a former church which provides a diverse range of alternative entertainment.

University of East Anglia (UEA) off Earlham Road provides a range of performances from classical works to rock bands, as well as public lectures by leading writers.