Daily Info's recommended events for the week ahead, Thursday 5th September - Wednesday 11th September
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September continues with the St Giles' Fair, music festivals & Offbeat, and they're all here in this week's EP!
Back to school is upon us, and with it come a range of fun weekend events for squeezing in some family time. First up, don’t miss the wildly creative and fun Boxville at Cuttleslowe Park. Aimed at kids aged 4-8 and their parents, the show used sustainable cardboard puppets, and encourage the audience to build along with them out of supplied cardboard. A free Arts in the Park event from the director of the I Want My Hat Back trilogy, this isn’t one to miss.
Later on Saturday, Tap Social Movement host their monthly Bring Your Baby Pub Quiz. An afternoon event at a gentle pace to account for infant interruptions, this event offers all the joys of the pub quiz with some parent-friendly particulars.
Finally, the iconic St Giles’ Fair returns on Monday. If you’re a daredevil who wants to be swung around thirty feet in the air, or would prefer a competitively demure spin on the Waltzers, or just want a wand of cotton candy and a round on the coconut shy, the fair is a joyous, sprawling event that is well worth attending. Don’t forget to check out the Museum of Oxford’s current exhibition on its fascinating history, A Way of Life, as well.
Boxville: Cutteslowe Park, Sat 7th Sep, 11am and 2pm, booking required, free!
Bring Your Baby Pub Quiz: Tap Social Movement, Sat 7th Sep, 12 Noon - 2pm, tickets £10/adult (babies go free).
St Giles Fair: St Giles’ Street, Mon 9th - Tue 10th Sep, 11am-11pm. Free entry, rides/amusements priced individually.
A Way of Life: Museum of Oxford, until Sat Sep 28th, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, pay what you like
Autumn is finally upon us, and this weekend presents a uniquely musical chance to ring in the changing seasons with the Septembersong Festival. Settle in for three days of magic melodies from acts like Danny and the Champions of the World, Lunatraktors and Carson Mahone, as well as yoga, meditation, harmony workshops and some very autumnal tipples.
The White Hart’s also in the festival mood, as the pub’s monthly open shanty session gets a visit from three masters of the craft. Monkeyfists, the Seasick Fishermen of Oxford Choral Society and Sloop Groggy Dogs will be bringing their seafaring swagger to Wolvercote for one night only, so if nautical ballads are music to your ears, you shant(y) want to miss it.
Meanwhile the Market Tap is getting fingers snapping with a visit from local jazz ensemble The Chamberries. Grab a cold brew and kick back for a soulful night of homegrown blues.
And at the Handlebar, the Deadbeat Apostles launch their new night of rock and roll revelry into the stratosphere with guest spots from local legends Tiger Mendoza, the Kokroaches and Emma Hunter. It’s a night full to the brim with Oxford’s finest music makers, so book in to be there at the start of a new era!
Septembersong: Braziers Park, Fri 6th - Sun 8th Sept. Tickets £199 adult weekend pass (£44 teens, £19 children).
Mini Sea-Shanty Festival: White Hart, Wolvercote, Sun 8th September, 5-10pm. Free (donations to RNLI).
The Chamberries: The Market Tap, Sat 7th September, 8pm. Free.
DBA Launch Party ft. The Kokroachez, Emma Hunter, Tiger Mendoza: The Handle Bar, Fri 6th Sept, 8pm. Tickets £12.50 (plus booking fee).
The Oxford Playhouse has a pair of events that are sure to bring the laughs to your evenings this week. First up is the stand-up Rachel Parris, who returns to Oxford their fabulous blend of jokes and songs. She’s part of our blog looking at the acts to book ahead for this Autumn.
The next evening there’s An Evening Without Kate Bush, a tribute to the 80s performer (a recent chart phenomenon thanks to a certain Netflix show). The award-winning show featuring Sarah-Louise Young, pays homage to Bush’s music, fans and mythology.
Across town you can take in Bingo Lingo, which takes the beloved game and gives it a twist, with on-stage fun, rave rounds, and prizes that, the organsiers say, will change your life.
And finally, if you’re in the mood for some bops and bangers (and, I’m sure, an Oasis track or two), head down to the Tap Social for the Indie Disco.
Rachel Parris: Oxford Playhouse, Wed 11th Sep, 7.30pm, £25
An Evening Without Kate Bush: Oxford Playhouse, Thu 12th Sep, 7.30pm, £24
Bingo Lingo: O2 Academy, Sat 7th Sep, 6pm, £15.65
The Indie Disco: Fri 6th Sep, 8pm, Free
Any fan of live performance will tell you that some of the most interesting performances you’ll see can be found off the beaten path. That’s exactly the spirit behind the Offbeat Festival, where for one week local indie theatremakers, performers and creatives take over Oxford’s stages. From dial-up Terminators to late-night poetry slams to silent comedy homages, this year’s festival is a truly eclectic cultural pick n mix - take a peek at our blog for more of what’s in store.
Or if you want to participate in the fun and games, head to Wallingford this weekend for a celebration of the mastermind behind murders most foul, Agatha Christie. As well as quizzes, talks and guided walks, you can also look forward to a murder mystery performances from Wallingford School and TWO interactive whodunnits to test your detective skills aboard the Wallingford Express. Good luck and happy sleuthing!
Offbeat Festival: various venues across Oxford, Mon 9th - Sun 15th Sept. Prices vary depending on events.
Agatha Christie’s Murder Mystery Weekend: various locations across Wallingford, Fri 6th - Sun 8th Sept. Prices vary depending on events.
After a near four decade gap Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice returns to the screens with the long-gestating follow-up, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Tapping in to the legacy sequels vibes of late, it brings an all-star cast, including returning stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara, along with new additions Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci and Danny DeVito.
Also making a return is The Third Man, the 40s noir starring Orson Welles as the mysterious Harry Lime, who everyone seems to want to find despite him being apparently dead.
Lime will be found later on at the Ultimate Picture Palace, but Welles can be found in The Lady from Shanghai this week, alongside Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt, for a myriad of thrillers from the decade.
The Ultimate Picture Palace is also one of the venues for Cinema Under the Stairs’ Shocktober. Tickets are on sale now and going quick, so make sure you book ahead for a horror gem or two. We’re particularly excited for a rare screening of the 90s gem Ghostwatch.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: Curzon Oxford, Vue, Odeon George Street
The Third Man: Phoenix Picturehouse, Curzon Oxford
The Lady from Shanghai: Ultimate Picture Palace
Shadow of a Doubt: Ultimate Picture Palace
Shocktober: various venues, Sun 6th to Fri 11th Oct, £10 per film
It’s back! The Daily Info Year Planner is here for 2024-25 and you can have it all for free. Our planner is filled with dates from the Oxford academic year, as well as local, national and global festivals, religious events and hand-drawn dragons.
To request your free A2 Year Planner, email [email protected]. Why not order enough for all your housemates / colleagues / employees?
Image credits: St Giles' Fair, SeptemberSong, Oxford Playhouse, Offbeat Festival
