An Insider Norfolk Guide to the Big Events & What's on in 2022

The dawn flight of up to 40,000 pink-footed geese that make their way from Iceland and Greenland to gather on the The Wash in one of the best nature spectacles in Europe..

The arrival of the Pink-footed Geese in Snettisham has come to herald the start of the Autumn and Winter season for many bird-watchers and nature lovers.

Every year this unique bird visits our shores in greater numbers with thousand blackening the winter sky as they head to their night roost.   Their numbers increase steadily throughout October, and by the end of November most of the geese will have arrived. The Pink-footed Goose is not only attracted to Norfolk for the Brancaster mussels or Cromer crabs, but for a rather less well known delicacy - the sugar beet. By February most will be returning home to their breeding ground in Spitsbergen, Iceland and Greenland.  The sight of tens of thousands of geese taking off and landing en-masse at the Snettisham reserve is one of Norfolk's natural wonders.

The Kings Lynn Mart returns after a year's of absence on the 12th February  2022. Traditionally the opening to the travelling season, King's Lynn Mart has a special place in the hearts of the travelling show people.

In 2021 West Norfolk's borough mayor, Geoff Hipperson read out the Royal Charter which traditionally proclaims the opening of the Mart on the Tuesday Market Place  in a  recorded version from his home.

This continued a tradition from  the later half of the nineteenth century when the King's Lynn Mart was a spectacular event in which Frederick Savage of King's Lynn displayed his latest roundabouts and fairground attractions to the showmen. This display of new machines and amusements continues today with the showmen vying to display the latest amusements. Traditionally, this is the first funfair in the Showmen’s calendar where new rides are tried out and old favourites brought out from winter storage.

The 817th Kings Lynn Mart which runs until the 20th February 2022 includes the same traditional rides and stalls as well as new rides called the Tornado, Over the Falls and the Fighter, which is a smaller version of the popular ride, Extreme. The 'Booster' pendulum ride will be back, as will the ride he calls the 'Crazy Shake' after it was introduced 'with success last year'. For two whole weeks from Valentines day, the town will see thousands of people come and experience all the fun of the showman's travelling fair. The mart is still due to be held at the Tuesday Market place.

Children's Day, in which all rides are reduced to £1 except for the Booster, dodgems and cars, will be taking place on Monday, February 14 of half-term.

Queen Visits Kings Lynn Mart in February 1953.

Pensthorpe has for many years been home to the very popular SpringWatch series on the BBC.

The Bird and Wildlife Fair, which will run at Pensthorpe Natural Park, near Fakenham, on May 15 and 16 2022, was previously known as the Norfolk Bird and Wildlife Fair. Pensthorpe Bird & Wildlife Fair will feature guest speakers, demonstrations, walks and talks, and book signings. The event is a celebration of nature-spotting in Norfolk and will bring together experts in the fields of optic equipment, wildlife-inspired art and crafts, books and wildlife and nature holidays.

Historically, it’s been pincers at dawn between neighbouring fishing towns Cromer and Sheringham. For the past eleven years, Cromer and Sheringham Crab and Lobster Festival has brought the two towns together to celebrate the bounty of the North Sea and the world-famous seafood produced by both coastal resorts. Recently hailed by Condé Nast Traveller as one of the best food festivals in the UK, the seafood spectacular stars local delicacies from the deep and attracts more than 20,000 people to north Norfolk every year.

2022 festival runs from May 15 until May 16 2022, starting with the Grand Opening Variety Concert at the Pier Pavilion Theatre in Cromer. There’s a host of events, including heritage demonstrations, a cookery theatre, the “Bootiful” Boat Art Trail and the Scrumptious Seafood Trail which includes more than 35 local restaurants, cafés, pubs and snack bars.

There’s also a street market packed with local produce, live music during the day and at night, street performers, heritage and seafaring crafts and children’s activities.

More than 100 sculptors, painters, printers and other artists have already joined the group called North Norfolk Studios, which aims to host an open studios event from Saturday May 28 to Sunday June 5 2022.

This is the largest collection of studios to open in the county and therefore should be a great show-case of the current arts and crafts offering across Norfolk. Studious will be open from 10am -5pm daily.

The Norfolk Superhero Challenge will now not take place on the 26th June 2021, The event is a unique quadrathlon event that has raised huge sums for local charities. The Norfolk Superhero Challenge combined courses across land and sea, centred around the coastal village of Burnham Overy Staithe. More than 130 resilient racers take on the best of Norfolk’s scenery – and the worst of its weather – before crossing the line in a gruelling quadrathlon

The quadrathlon consists of swimming 1 mile from Gun Hill to the quay at Burnham Overy Staithe with the incoming tide. Kayak a 4 mile course through the creeks of Burnham Overy Staithe. Cycle a 45 mile circular route on North Norfolk’s most scenic roads. Finally run -8 miles across tracks, sand, mud and marsh. Come and cheer on the returners from around 2 hours after the start. It restores your faith in the human spirit!

Check back here for the 2022 dates.

The 139th Sandringham Flower Show will be held on Wednesday 27th July 2022. The Sandringham Flower Show is one of the most prestigious horticultural events in the East of England and sadly cancelled in 2020 and 2021. The show attracts around 20,000 visitors each year including a visit from the royals, so if you’re lucky you might catch a glimpse of HRH Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. The attendance of royalty at the Sandringham Flower Show is definitely one of the main draws for this event, but the origins of the show go right back to 1881. The display gardens are always a very popular attraction, built as they are to a standard which can rival any of the major horticultural shows. There is a large catering marquee with seating, and in addition there are numerous catering stands on the showground providing a wide range of hot and cold food and drinks.

The show has around 200 trade stands around the grounds or in marquees, along with some of the leading nurseries and horticulture specialists exhibiting their plants. You can also see steam engines, displays of old farm machinery, dog displays and much, much more. A wonder around the grounds of Sandringham House, gardens and church is also a must and is included in the entrance fee.

Parking is free of charge and dogs are welcome. Entry is £12 for adults and children under 16 are free. Entrance is on the gate and is cash only.

Wells-next-the-Sea in the heart of North Norfolk has for over a 100 years enjoyed a traditional summer Carnival for residents and visitors. A week of family fun and events including a Carnival Day procession around the town featuring floats, fancy-dress, pull-and push-along vehicles and much more. The carnival will next run from the Friday 29 July through to Sunday  7th August 2022. Traditional seaside activities include a sand-castle competition, town crier competition, gillying on the Wells-next-sea quay and the crowning of the Carnival Royals. In addition you will find stalls selling everything from local delicacies to exotic street food.

The Urban Soul Orchestra conducted by Stephen Hussey in 2022 return for another sell-out performance of classic Ibiza anthems has been postponed to Saturday 6th August 2022. The event will once again take place under the stars, with live DJ and vocalists.

​​This will be Norfolk’s biggest dance party of the Summer full of iconic Ibiza anthems. A chill-out set in the first half will be followed by a half hour interval with the DJ playing the latest Ibiza tunes.

​​As dusk falls, the lasers will hit the Blickling skyline as the Urban Soul Orchestra return to bring some of the best of the White Island’s dance tunes to orchestral life. The track-list packed full of some of dance music’s most iconic anthems. Performed by The Urban Soul Orchestra, DJ Goldierocks and a host of live vocalists, the gig is split into two halves - starting with a chill-out set followed by a series of dance-floor fillers. The first set starts at 8pm followed by an interval with DJ Goldierocks at 9pm before the second set at 9.30pm. The concert is expected to finish at around 10.45pm.

Classic Ibiza is a heady mix of iconic dance tunes, a classical orchestra and a music festival in a stunning setting. Whether you want to sit back and relax with a glass of bubbly over a picnic in the evening sun, or get up and dance the night away, everyone is guaranteed a great time.

After Houghton  made the sad announcement that it was impossible for the festival to go ahead in 2021, new dates of the 11th-14th August 2022 have been announced.

This will be the first time this great event will be restaged since since 2018. Despite this Houghton Music & Arts Festival has gained a reputation as one of the must-go-to  electronic festivals. Curated by British electronic wizard Craig Richards who also  produces the much loved Gottwood, Houghton has won praise on basically all counts – lineup, scheduling, sound quality, location, atmosphere.

With extended set times and an enthusiastic crowd, artists  can dare to be different  and this is where  some very special sets can be created.

Craig Richards created this utopic festival in 2017 and it's been all the rage every since. This festival is unique in that the venue has a 24 hour license so the party truly never stops and the sets are extremely long. In conjunction with the wild energy of the festival, there are also sculptures and art to look through in the gardens of the estate that the festival takes place. Gates open at midday on Thursday, August 6, and music begins at 5pm. Entry on the first night stops at 1am, and the music ends at 2am, and gates open on Friday at 9am. After music begins at 10am, it continues to 3am on Monday morning, with all campsites finally closing at 2pm the same day.

Following cancellation in 2020 and 2021 the 100th week-long Hunstanton Lawn Tennis Tournament commences on the 14th August 2022 and is said to be Britain's largest event of its kind after Wimbledon, taking place on 38 grass courts. Starting at the Hunstanton Recreation Ground on Sunday, play will continue each day, through to all the finals on Saturday.

The competition has attracted just short of 1,000 individual players, competing in 40 different events.This will be boosted by around another 150 juniors with the mini Gresham’s round-robin event for under-12s and under-10s commencing on the Wednesday. Hunstanton's tournament has attracted players from eight-years-old through to some senior veterans, with some competitors in their 80s, from all over the country and also from abroad. The standard ranges from those entering their first competition to very good county players. South Wales-based Three Castles Cover has signed a three-year deal to support the tournament.

Established in 1920, the tournament takes place on 38 tennis courts on the towns recreation ground, over seven days from Sunday 15^th to Saturday 21st August. The tennis tournament is open to players of all ages and ability from six-year olds to sixty-year olds. It is second only to Wimbledon in size, attracting thousands of competitors every August. The tournament will be celebrating its centenary in 2022, a year after the actual date due to the Coronavirus epidemic.

Entries for the 2021 Hunstanton Lawn Tennis Tournament open on March 1st 2022.

The Proms in the Garden will be held at  Sandringham House on the 28th August 2022 The atmosphere is usually  one of an enormous party, with many of the audience in evening dress. Music is performed by the English Symphony Orchestra with compere Brian Blessed OBE. Expect to hear Wagner's Overture to Die Meistersinger, proceeding through popular classics and show music such as My Fair Lady.  There will also be a Spitfire flypast and the Firework display is often a good time to hear  Land of Hope and Glory and the Dambusters March. Expect to see the night sky explode with a dazzling fireworks display. Undoubtedly the National Anthem will feature somewhere!

The event will take place on the West Lawn and is part of a musical weekend at Sandringham by kind permission of HM The Queen.

The North Norfolk food festival takes place in the spectacular setting of the Walled Garden at Holkham Hall on the 3rd and 4th September 2022. Historically filled with vegetables and flowers grown for the Hall, nestled within huge brick and flint walls that offer protection from the elements, this is an ideal setting to celebrate the abundance of Norfolk produce and culinary skill.

In 2021 the event will take place in the walled gardens at Holkham Hall with pop up street food amongst the 60 stalls and live cooking demonstrations from some of the regions leading chefs.

You will find a lot of local artisan businesses showcasing their products including fresh meat and game, vegetables, cakes, local brewery beer, exotic burgers, international food and local treats including speciality bread, tarts, juices, cakes and bakes, chocolates and much more. This is the place to find all the ingredients for speciality ingredients that you can cook later at home. A dazzling array of concessions also offer delicious food for eating on the day and entertainment ranges from the ever popular cookery theatre to children’s activities and face painting.

Sandringham Game & Country Fair on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th September 2022. The fair showcases a range of crafts and food stalls as well as many outdoor demonstrations of country sports and activities.

Three  main arenas, including the Countryside Arena and  World of Dogs, displaying the best in exciting equine sports, country pursuits and the wonderful world of dogs; a huge steam and vintage area, have a go falconry, fishing, field sports and more. A great countryside day out for the whole family.

The Craft Village is a great place to pick up some unusual and unique gifts that you will not find on the high street. You can also see traditional working crafts and demonstrations such as wood turning, walking stick making, artists and the blacksmiths at work.

The Food Glorious Food section showcases both local and national food and drink producers such as Chesses, meats wines, home-made pies and cakes and a cornucopia of other edibles. .
Here you will find a wide diversity of street foods and concessions for you to eat, drink and unwind.

The Chainsaw area will be full of the noise and smell of freshly cut wood as they demonstrate their skills at producing a masterpiece over the weekend. Don't miss the 30 minute speed carve competition as works of art are created before your eyes followed by an auction of the most desirable pieces that they have created.

PrimEvil, Norfolk's biggest scare experience, returns to the dinosaur park Norwich on the 7th October 2022. with a new format called Route 666 with a host of characters and scares. This is certainly not for the faint of heart!  From clowns to the dark, small spaces to spiders, there is something to spook everyone at Prime Evil and it is no surprise that is attracts tens of thousands of thrill seekers young and old every Halloween. Enjoy a cabaret of forgotten circus and ghost stories, gallows humour and lost souls, set to devastating beats and mesmerising tunes to make you dance till you drop.

Tickets are limited for each night and each time slot, anyone aged under 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. A BBQ and bar will be available for you to use up to an hour before your booked time slot.

Also new this year is PrimEvil Extreme, two nights dedicated to those over the age of 18, with a firework display, heightened haunts and an exclusive, exciting, immersive experience.

With online ticket prices ranging from £21.

Norfolk Restaurant Week returns in 2022. This is Norfolk’s largest dining event, a culinary celebration of our vibrant restaurant scene, fine food, and the people who produce it. Provisional dates for 2022 see the event kick off on the 29th October 2022. This is sadly after the events was cancelled in 2020 and 2021.

It is the opportunity to sample those restaurants you have always wanted to try, or revisit existing favourites, all at unmissable prices. Every restaurant who takes part will offer their usual high standard of food but at an incredibly tempting price.

2019 saw hungry diners making the most 40 unmissable priced menus at some of North Norfolk’s best restaurants. “The event has become hugely popular over the last five years, and menus, which are now available to view online, are much anticipated. The most popular places fill up quickly, which is why we always encourage people to book well in advance,” confirms founder and organiser Martin Billing

The Thursford Christmas Spectacular returns on the 5th November 2022 and has become one of the most anticipated festive events in East Anglia, having attracted audiences from across the country since opening on Christmas Eve 1977.  Fantastic sets and colour, the choreography, the singing and dancing, and a very special ‘Christmassy’ atmosphere. The show has a 130-strong cast and has a budget of £1.8m, and there is so much happening on the huge stage that it is  hard to decide what to focus on. The overall effect is quite breath-taking.

The show fell silent in 2020 but the organisers delivered a truly thrilling return for 2021. The Thursford Christmas Spectacular is the most popular Christmas show of all time in England and is a blend of exciting Christmas entertainment, with seasonal songs, carols, dazzling dancers, beautiful costumes, outstanding music and singing from a cast of over one hundred. The show, which takes a year to organise, is a pageant of spectacle and colour - the music a seamless transition from an up-beat dance routine to a choral rendition of a Christmas carol, a show which would not be out of place in any of London's West End theatres. And when the curtain rises in November it will truly be a Spectacular show.

Thursford’s Christmas Spectacular has attracted over 5.8 million visitors to date and is the largest Christmas show in the country.

It is set in the magical surroundings of mechanical organs and fairground carousels, with a cast of 120 professional singers, dancers and musicians – most of whom are straight out the West End. The three hour performance delivers an extravaganza of non-stop singing, dancing, music, humour and variety. It’s a fast moving celebration of the festive season featuring an eclectic mix of both seasonal and year-round favourites, with famous and much-loved chart toppers being performed alongside traditional carols. The finale of the show includes a fly over of white doves across the auditorium.

Word of this amazing show has spread and it is now generally recognised as being the largest show of its kind in the country, if not Europe. Up to fifty coaches per day travel from all over the country and many of our patrons have visited year on year, turning the trip into a mini holiday staying in the county’s hotels and guest houses. Go HERE for places to stay.

Prices start at £41 per ticket weekdays.

TICKETS FOR THIS SELL OUT EVENT ARE AVAILABLE NOW FROM THE BOX OFFICE.

The North Norfolk Railway will be transformed into The Norfolk Lights Express on selected evenings from November right through until January 2023. The railway version of the Northern Lights will see trains decorated with multi-coloured lights gliding through the winter darkness from Monday 14th November 2022.

From the comfort of vintage carriages, passengers will be able to watch a light show of illuminated festive scenes alongside the rails, and at the railway stations at Sheringham, Weybourne and Holt. The trains' external lights create technicolour effects for the passengers as they pass through the cuttings along the route. Sheringham, under the cover of darkness, The Norfolk Lights Express, fully decorated with multi-coloured lights, will steam it’s way through the countryside between Sheringham and Holt.

A complete range of refreshments including a licensed bar will be available on board. The Norfolk Lights Express costs £18 per person with no concessions. For more information, contact enquiries@nnrailway.co.uk. Parties of 10 or more need to book directly with the reservation office.

This popular Christmas Craft Show held on  Friday 18th to Sunday 20th November 2022 at Sandringham, bringing the opportunity to shop in comfort for all your Christmas food and gifts.

Once again featuring a spectrum of colourful stands, it promises to be the Christmas shopping event of the year for visitors looking for unusual gifts and exciting additions to their own festive experience. Now an annual event on the calendars of many visitors to Norfolk, as well as those who live in the area, the show has a rich history in presenting an array of fascinating and intricate craftwork, from jewellery, beadwork and textiles to ceramics, sculptures, wood and pyrography.

The hugely popular Food Hall will also offer a feast of enticing items. Here you may sample the wares, sit and enjoy light refreshment, or a whole meal, and of course take home delicious treats for your own Christmas table or wrap up as gifts. You cannot fail to be impressed by the variety of goodies on offer. The gift & shopping arcades have a wide range of ladies fashions, jewellery and accessories, tweed and waterproof clothing, household goods, furniture, leather and garden items. Some of the exhibitors are from Norfolk and Suffolk, whilst others will have travelled from across the UK to showcase their offerings,

Tickets are now available for each separate day.  Be met at the gate with a warming glass of seasonal punch, and stroll in comfort around the show.

Live music, excellent craft demonstrators, food halls and Christmas presents.  Santa’s owl show, live reindeer and so much more.

Adults £9, Seniors £8, Children £3 and a Family Ticket which includes 2 Adults and  Children under 14 free.

Celebrate the magic of Christmas at Holkham from the end of November in 2022 with a Candlelight Tour of the Hall and Christmas Fair. See each stateroom beautifully adorned with sweet-scented pine trees, greenery, sparkling decorations, and twinkling lights. Each room will have its own theme and your guide will tell you all about the inspiration behind each magical setting.

Make your visit extra special with a Champagne, Candlelight, and Creators of Christmas tour - your unique chance to meet the faces behind Christmas at Holkham. How about extending the Christmas magic by joining us in the beautiful Chapel in Holkham Hall between Christmas and New Year for a Candlelight Experience with ‘Nativity’: a moving-image artwork by Martha Fiennes.

Have they been naughty or nice? Treat the children to our sell-out event, An Audience with Father Christmas, where they will meet our singing band of Ukulele Elves before sitting down for stories and surprises with Father and Mother Christmas.

There is also the annual Holkham Festive Food Fair. The fair showcases the best of local and regional food and drink, and a live cookery theatre will feature demonstrations from renowned local chefs. The Holkham Christmas Food fair also features numerous stalls with great gift ideas from local producers.

The annual Christmas lights switch on is accompanied by a Christmas market with artisan stalls that spread the whole way through the centre of this well-known Norfolk village. Provisional return date is on Saturday the 26th November 2022.

There is live entertainment, food stalls and all the local businesses join in the fun. Opens from 10am with the lights being switched on a couple of hours after dark.

The Burnham Market Christmas Market and Lights as well as a   Christmas Market returns  on Saturday 27th November 2021 The whole of the green and many of the shops and restaurants will be home to hundreds of glittering lights.  Expect to find art and craft stalls  and you should also see Father Christmas amongst the crowds.  The lights will be switched on by Norwich Football Player Darren Huckerby. If you are looking to have a quick bite there will be local and street food stalls of various world cuisines from midday onwards

Entertainment includes a brass band, singing from Burnham Church Choir and School Choir. The Shantymen and a local rock band will also make an appearance along with a children's funfair.

Why not make an evening of it by booking a meal at a great Burnham Market restaurant such as Socius or  the Hoste? Visit our Eat pages for more information.

Wells Christmas Tide Festival is traditionally held over a weekend, the first week in December each year, but depends on the Tides and in 2022 the provisional date is Saturday 3rd December..

Wells Christmas Tide Festival regularly pulls in thousands of families lured by the unique prospect of seeing Santa Claus arrive in Norfolk from the North Pole by sea.

The town’s main shopping street will then remain the focus of the festive fun as a whole host of acts keep visitors entertained from 10.30am to 8pm. A fair will be operating on The Quay from 10am onwards and the annual Christmas Tree Festival will take place in the Congregational Hall in Clubbs Lane from 10am to 4pm.

Christmas lights switch on is at 4.45pm. Santa is due to arrive on the Quay at around 6.15pm before heading for his grotto at Playland amusements to see children from around 7pm onwards.

The crowds will then be further entertained by a spectacular fireworks display over the Wells Marshes. The Quay will be closed to all traffic from 4.30pm to 8pm.

Wrap up warm for this great outdoor event held on the last Sunday before Christmas. The Fakenham Races Christmas meeting on the 18th December is a great day out, and a firm favourite with a local crowd drawn from all corners of the county. the first race kicks off at 12.15pm but you will want to be there well before that. As well as great racing expect to be find a whole host of food trucks as well as independent stalls to pick up a last minute gift.