The Oxford Magazine

Wonder of Birds Exhibition
2026-05-02 00:00 - 2027-01-03 23:59 (Europe/London) | Bodleian Library – Old Library, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BG, United Kingdom
Wonder of Birds Exhibition

About Wonder of Birds Exhibition

A major new exhibition at the Bodleian Libraries invites visitors to step into the remarkable world of birds, exploring their beauty, symbolism and fragility through art, literature and science.

Wonder of Birds draws inspiration from The Book of Birds, created by artist Jackie Morris and writer Robert Macfarlane. Both the exhibition and the book reflect on the decline of bird populations while celebrating their cultural and natural significance.

Curated by Antonia Harrison, the exhibition unfolds through seven themed sections – from nest and egg to feather, flight and migration – combining original artwork and writing with treasures from the Bodleian’s extensive collections.

Visitors can explore rare and historic material, including previously unseen glass plate negatives by pioneering wildlife photographer Emma Louisa Turner, alongside early nature photography from Richard Kearton and his brother Cherry.

Also on display are striking life-size illustrations from Birds of America by John James Audubon, as well as a rare Great Auk egg on loan from Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

The exhibition also highlights birds’ enduring influence on culture, featuring works such as Maya Angelou’s ‘Caged Bird’ and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s handwritten notes on ‘To a Skylark’. Global perspectives include imagery from The Book of the Fixed Stars and the poetic journey of The Conference of the Birds.

Enhancing the experience, a specially commissioned soundscape by sound artist Jason Singh immerses visitors in birdsong and natural environments, while artist duo Daniel & Clara present an interactive ‘Rewilding Imagination field guide’.

Wonder of Birds poster

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Ticket prices:

Free admission, no ticket required

Dates & times:

Saturday 02 May 2026 to Sunday 03 January 2027

Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pmSaturday from 10.00am to 5.00pmSunday from 11.00am to 4.00pm

Location:

The Treasury, Weston Library

34: The critical raw materials shaping our future
2026-06-17 00:00 - 2027-04-13 23:59 | Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire
34: The critical raw materials shaping our future

About Breaking Ground

34: The Critical Raw Materials Shaping Our Future is a major new exhibition at Oxford University Museum of Natural History explores the hidden materials that power modern life — from smartphones and batteries to medical equipment and jet engines.

The exhibition examines the 34 raw materials considered essential to the UK’s future, revealing the global supply chains, ethical challenges and scientific innovations behind the minerals that underpin everyday technology.

Developed in collaboration with researchers from the University of Oxford’s Oxford EARTH Programme and departments across the physical, life and social sciences, the exhibition explores how increasing demand for green energy and digital technology is transforming the global race for critical materials.

Visitors can discover why substances such as lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements are so important to modern society, why supply chains are becoming increasingly fragile, and how scientists and industry are searching for more sustainable and ethical ways to source, use and recycle these materials.

Through interactive displays, scientific research, historic objects and contemporary technologies, the exhibition examines the future of extraction, sustainability and resource security, while highlighting the environmental and geopolitical challenges linked to critical raw materials.

Designed for audiences of all ages, the exhibition is accompanied by a programme of talks, workshops, tours and family activities exploring the science, ethics and global impact of the materials shaping our future.

What are critical raw materials?

Critical raw materials are those essential to key technologies but their supply may be limited, unsustainable or unethical. Critical raw materials tend to have unique chemical properties which make them difficult to replace in technology. The UK government includes 34 raw materials on its designated critical list, but lists vary from country to country.

aluminium

antimony

bismuth

borates

cobalt

gallium

germanium

hafnium

helium

indium

iridium

iron

lithium

magnesite

magnesium

manganese

natural graphite

nickel

niobium

phosphorus

platinum

rare earth elements (REEs)

rhenium

rhodium

ruthenium

silicon

sodium

tantalum

tellurium

tin

titanium

tungsten

vanadium

zinc

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Prices:

Entry to the Museum is FREE and not ticketed.

No booking required.

Booking is required for organisations/groups of more than ten people visiting on the same day.

Opening hours:

Monday to Sunday from 10.00am to 5.00pm

Last entry at 4.45pm

Closed on 24, 25, & 26 December

Accessibility:

Please contact the friendly team at the museum by telephone (01865 272 950) or email (foh@oum.ox.ac.uk)

Gallery

Click images to expand

Battery Ores

Bismuth

Cobalt

Dysprosium

Halite

REEs

Image credit: Sarah Bell

Pip & Posy's Treehouse Trail at Blenheim Palace
2026-07-21 00:00 - 2027-05-21 23:59 | Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Blenheim Park, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1PP
Pip & Posy’s Treehouse Trail

About Pip & Posy’s Treehouse Trail at Blenheim Palace

Follow the brand new Treehouse Trail in Adventure Play

Join Pip and Posy in Adventure Play on an adventure to solve the mystery of the missing toy Piggy!

Little ones can follow the trail and complete the playful actions and challenges along the way including puddle-jumping along the path, whizzing down the zip-lines, hunting for Pip and Posy’s mini friends in the Secret Garden and playing the bug-racing board game in the Boathouse.

The adventure ends at the brand new treehouse (inspired by the Magic Light ‘special’ episode, Pip and Posy’s Treehouse Mystery) where mini explorers can enjoy endless imaginative play as well as staff-led storytelling sessions complete with comfy cushions and a storytelling chair.

Don’t forget to snap a photo with the installation of Pip and Posy’s new friend Becca!

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Ticket prices:

Admission is included with a Palace & Play Pass

Palace & Play Pass:

Child – £41.00

Adult – £51.00

Family – £165.00

Single visit ticket:

Child – £7.00

Adult – £5.00

Dates & times:

Open daily, starting Tuesday 21 July 2026

From 10.15am to 5.15pm

Location:

The Adventure Playground

Good to know:

No dogs allowed

On Paradise
2026-10-02 00:00 - 2026-12-06 23:59 | Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG
On Paradise

About On Paradise

Lost Edens, hoped for utopias. The idea that a better place exists haunts the human imagination.

Paradise takes form in the mind: an expression of longing, a vision that sustains, light in the darkness. Oxford-based artist Saad Qureshi invites people to describe what paradise represents or looks like to them, and translates their hopes and dreams into sculptural mindscapes.

On Paradise features recent and newly commissioned works by Qureshi, including pieces inspired by the paradisial imaginings of communities in Oxford. Curated by anthropologist Paul Basu, Qureshi’s remarkable works are juxtaposed with historical objects drawn from the University collections.

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Ticket prices:

Free event. No booking required.

Dates & times:

Friday 02 October 2026 to Sunday 06 December 2026

Running time:

Open daily

Location:

White Box

Age guidance:

12+

Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess
2026-10-08 00:00 - 2027-04-11 23:59 | Ashmolean Museum, 35 Beaumont Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 2PH
Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess exhibition at Ashmolean Museum

About Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess

Discover a major new exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum that invites you to step into the world of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and desire – later worshipped by the Romans as Venus.

Tracing her origins on the island of Cyprus, where she was revered as an all-powerful goddess over 3,000 years ago, the exhibition follows her journey through the Greek and Roman worlds.

Explore how Aphrodite evolved into one of history’s most iconic figures, inspiring art, literature, and imagination from antiquity to the present day.

Featuring more than 200 remarkable objects – from sculpture and bronzes to gems and terracottas from Cyprus, Greece, and Italy, dating from 1400 BCE to the 21st century – the exhibition reveals the making of a goddess whose legacy continues to shape modern ideas of love and beauty.

Tickets

Booking information

Tickets for this major exhibition will be available to book in 2026.

Member can visit for free.

Brian Bilston: How to Lay an Egg with a Horse Inside
2026-10-31 00:00 - 2026-11-18 23:59 | The North Wall Arts Centre, South Parade, Oxford, OX2 7JN
Brian Bilston: How to Lay an Egg with a Horse Inside

About Brian Bilston: How to Lay an Egg with a Horse Inside

With over 500,000 followers on social media and a host of sell-out shows across the country, Brian Bilston is one of the UK’s most popular poets.

He has published several bestselling collections of poetry, including You Took the Last Bus Home, Alexa, what is there to know about love? and Days Like These.

His novel Diary of a Somebody was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, and he has also written collections of poetry for younger readers. In 2025 he released an album of his poetry set to music, Sounds Made by Humans, in collaboration with The Catenary Wires.

Next autumn sees Brian return to the stage with his latest book, How to Lay an Egg with a Horse Inside. Get ready for an evening of comedy and laughter, as he takes us through the hows, whys and whats of reading, writing and enjoying poetry every day.

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Ticket prices:

Standard – £21.50

Pay More – £25.50

Pay Less – £17.00

Dates & times:

Saturday 31 October and Wednesday 18 November 2026 at 7:30 pm

Age guidance:

14+

Content guidance:

This show contains strong language.

About The North Wall Arts Centre

The North Wall Arts Centre is an an award-winning theatre, gallery and performing arts centre located in Summertown, North Oxford. The facility was opened in 2007, and offers a fully flexible 200-seat theatre, a public art gallery, as well as studios for dance and drama.

The centre is owned by St Edward’s School and shared with the city, and it was created for the benefit of emerging artists across a range of disciplines. The programme of events at The North Wall places emphasis on new and innovative work.

Discover more about The North Wall Arts Centre, including travel, access and venue information.

Thame Local Produce Market
2026-11-10 08:30 - 13:30 | Thame Town Centre, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 3DP
Thame Local Produce Market

About Thame Local Produce Market

Thame’s monthly local produce markets at the Upper High Street Car Park runs on the second Tuesday of each month with local farmers and producers selling all they have grown or made.

Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective: Making Chamber Music Part I
2026-11-10 17:00 | Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG
Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective: Making Chamber Music Part I

About Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective: Making Chamber Music Part I

An early evening concert that brings together musicologist Professor Laura Tunbridge and the brilliant Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective.

This special performance invites audiences to explore the intimate side of chamber music, with works written for one to five players.

From the quiet intensity of solo performance to the rich interplay of small ensembles, the programme explores how chamber music thrives in small-scale settings.

Including a solo work from Bach, a Corelli Trio Sonata, and Ligeti’s Six Bagatelles for wind quintet, Professor Tunbridge will introduce each piece, sharing historical and musical insights to reveal how the number of players shapes the music.

This is music at its most personal: no conductor, one player per part, and every voice heard.

Performers:

Adam Walker flute

Armand Djikoloum oboe

Cristina Mateo Sáez clarinet

Amy Harman bassoon

Annemarie Federle horn

Elena Urioste violin

Rosalind Ventris viola

Laura van der Heijden cello

Carina Cosgrave double bass

Tom Poster piano

Reviews

“Fierce and assertive, fragile and ecstatic, all done with textural clarity and exemplary control of pacing.”

The Strad

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Ticket prices:

From £15.40 – £30.80

Tickets are subject to a transaction fee

Dates & times:

Tuesday 10 November 2026 at 5.00pm

Location:

Sohmen Concert Hall

Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective: Making Chamber Music Part II
2026-11-10 19:30 | Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG
Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective: Making Chamber Music Part II

About Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective: Making Chamber Music Part II

Professor Laura Tunbridge and the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective return to the stage for an evening of music that explores larger chamber music ensembles.

This concert continues the journey begun earlier in the evening, gradually expanding the ensemble to include up to nine players. As more musicians join the stage, the music becomes richer and more layered.

Including extracts from Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, Warlock’s The Curlew and Schubert’s Octet, and culminating in a rare performance of Louise Farrenc’s Nonet, Professor Tunbridge will introduce the works and share insights on how ensemble size shapes the character, structure, and emotional impact of the music.

Whether you’re attending both concerts or just the evening performance, this is a chance to experience chamber music in all its depth and diversity and to discover something new along the way.

Performers:

Adam Walker flute

Armand Djikoloum oboe

Cristina Mateo Sáez clarinet

Amy Harman bassoon

Annemarie Federle horn

Elena Urioste violin

Rosalind Ventris viola

Laura van der Heijden cello

Carina Cosgrave double bass

Tom Poster piano

Reviews

“Fierce and assertive, fragile and ecstatic, all done with textural clarity and exemplary control of pacing.”

The Strad

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Ticket prices:

From £15.40 – £30.80

Tickets are subject to a transaction fee

Dates & times:

Tuesday 10 November 2026 at 7.30pm

Location:

Sohmen Concert Hall

Paddy Young: Will Sir Be Laughing Alone?
2026-11-10 19:30 - 21:20 | The North Wall Arts Centre, South Parade, Oxford, OX2 7JN
Paddy Young: Will Sir Be Laughing Alone?

About Paddy Young: Will Sir Be Laughing Alone?

The award-winning stand-up and star of Saturday Night Live UK Paddy Young heads out on tour with a brand new show.

You’re born alone, you die alone. That’s true enough. But what happened to that part in the middle?

Big Year for Pad. SNL (UK, but still a big deal), a bunch of awards (hate bringing them up), and plenty of bit-parts to boot. But what’s it all about?

I’ve fallen in love more times than you’ve had hot dinners and I’ve fumbled every single one of them. If you think I’ve learnt my lesson you couldn’t be wronger. I’m telling you, some of these baddies have got me winning staring competitions with the ceiling.

But I don’t even think about that shit anymore.

Some of my ideas are so funny that they scare me, so GOD knows how you lot are gonna feel!!

As seen on: Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping, Everyone Else Burns, and his own stand-up special Hungry. Horny. Scared.

Reviews

“Young is surely on the road to stardom.” ★★★★★

Rolling Stone

“One of British comedy’s most intriguing new voices.” ★★★★

The Independent

“Bursting with energy and talent, and has the audience screaming with laughter until the end.” ★★★★

The Scotsman

Tickets

Please see important booking information below.

Booking information

Ticket prices:

£22.00

Dates & times:

Tuesday 10 November 2026 at 7:30 pm

Running time:

1 hour 50 minutes

Age guidance:

16+

Good to know:

Please note that tickets purchased for the original date (21 October) are valid for this performance.

About The North Wall Arts Centre

The North Wall Arts Centre is an an award-winning theatre, gallery and performing arts centre located in Summertown, North Oxford. The facility was opened in 2007, and offers a fully flexible 200-seat theatre, a public art gallery, as well as studios for dance and drama.

The centre is owned by St Edward’s School and shared with the city, and it was created for the benefit of emerging artists across a range of disciplines. The programme of events at The North Wall places emphasis on new and innovative work.

Discover more about The North Wall Arts Centre, including travel, access and venue information.
