Hello and welcome to your invaluable guide to the best events, exhibitions and things to do throughout June 2023 in Oxford and across Oxfordshire.
June. Summer festivals, outdoor entertainment, theatrical delights, sporting spectacles, Royal events, and more, June is one of the most lively and exciting months to be in Oxfordshire.
There is a lot to do across Oxfordshire, and it goes without saying that we’ve put in the legwork and pulled together a list of brilliant things to do in Oxford and across Oxfordshire.
As the month progresses, be sure to fit in a festival or two. From music to Shakespeare, food and drink to flowers, and contemporary art, be warned, there’s something or the other happening nearby this month.
Make time for brunch at one of the many local restaurants with outdoor seating, or pack a picnic basket and find yourself a coveted spot at any of our numerous parks, open spaces and nature reserves and other lovely places to enjoy the sun in Oxfordshire.
And if you fancy venturing further afield, consider taking a cultural day trip to London’s west end on a Sunday (the capital city is relatively calmer then) for a matinee in one of London’s theatres.
Need we say again that this is a curated list of things to do in Oxford and across Oxfordshire this June. Take a look at the “What’s on” section, where you’ll find a growing array of events in Oxford and across Oxfordshire, plus unmissable ones beyond the county that would make for a great day out.
Got an event that should be on the list? List your event on The Oxford Magazine website and reach our growing audience of people who live, work or place in Oxfordshire. Once again, welcome to your invaluable guide to what’s on in Oxford and across Oxfordshire this June.
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Six the Musical
When: 30 May to 04 JuneWhere: New Theatre OxfordView event Buy ticketsFrom Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st-century girl power. These Queens may have green sleeves, but their lipstick is rebellious red.
Women and War: From the Fringes to the Front Line
When: 03 June to 10 SeptemberWhere: Soldiers of Oxfordshire MuseumView eventWomen & War: From the Fringes to the Front Line is a new exhibition opening at Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock to tell the stories of women in the armed forces. The exhibition will explore the diverse experiences of women who have been involved with all aspects of military life.
Blenheim Palace Triathlon 2023
When: 03 & 04 JuneWhere: Blenheim PalaceView eventEvery year, competitors and spectators are welcomed to the stunning surroundings of Blenheim Palace to take part in one of the most spectacular triathlons in Europe, set against the backdrop of a World Heritage Site. With loads of on-the-day activities in the race village, Blenheim Palace Triathlon is a great event for a full family day out.
Discover more: Blenheim Palace, Woodstock
Oxford Pride Day 2023
When: 03 JuneWhere: Oxford University ParksView event Event websiteOxford Pride is an important event celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community and bringing people together for an annual parade through the city centre on Pride Day. The 20th Anniversary Pride Day event on 03 June is moving to University Parks. The Pride Parade will still go through the city centre, ensuring it receives the same high visibility as in previous years.
Discover more: Community Events
Enigma Variations with Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra
When: 03 JuneWhere: Sheldonian TheatreView event Book ticketsThe ‘Enigma’ variations are uplifting and resigned, humorous and profound. Elgar’s dazzling, virtuosic orchestral showpiece comes after his acerbic, embittered and sorrowful Cello Concerto written in less happy times and the rediscovered gem that is Morfydd Llwyn Owen’s sumptuous Nocturne.
Catherine Goodman: Do you remember me…
When: 07 June to 29 OctoberWhere: Waddesdon ManorView event Buy ticketsDo you remember me… is a major new exhibition at Waddesdon, showcasing never before seen works by Catherine Goodman. Displayed in the Coach House Gallery and the Drawings Room of the Manor, the exhibition focuses on a new body of work, including a selection of her new paintings, drawings, collages and works on paper which capture the landscape of Corfu and its rugged, vibrant beauty.
Bonnie Raitt
When: 07 JuneWhere: New Theatre OxfordView event Buy ticketsBonnie Raitt is returning to the live stage with Just Like That… a tour launching in April 2022, which includes music from her forthcoming, long-awaited studio album, Just Like That…, her twenty-first album and her first new release in more than six years
Joana Vasconcelos: Wedding Cake tours
When: 08 June to 26 OctoberWhere: Waddesdon ManorView event Book ticketsOpening this summer, Wedding Cake is a 12-metre-tall ceramic sculptural pavilion in the form of a three-tiered cake. This major new Rothschild Foundation commission from celebrated Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos will stand within a grove of trees at Waddesdon beside the 19th-century Dairy.
KITE Festival 2023
When: 09 to 11 JuneWhere: Kirtlington ParkView event Buy ticketsKITE is a new festival of music and ideas taking place at Kirtlington Park in Kidlington, just north of Oxford city. Think era-defining icons, contemporary stars and emerging talent driving the music scene forward. Think concepts big and small and the spaces to explore them. Follow your nose and treat yourself to some delicious street food. Kirtlington Park is KITE’s home, and it’ll become yours too for the weekend.
Festival lineup includes: Hot Chip / Suede / Candi Staton / Baxter Dury / Sofia Kourtesis / Sarathy Korwar / Mauskovic Dance Band / Decius / Lynks / Raw Silk / David Holmes / Dylan Jones / Max Porter / Miki Berenyi / Alistair Green / Toussaint Douglass / Josh Berry / Shazia Mirza/ Kiri Pritchard McLean
Witney Music Festival 2023 (TBC)
When: 09 & 10 JuneWhere: The Leys, WitneyView eventWitney Music Festival 2023 is a fantastic two-day open-air music festival for all the family in Witney, Oxfordshire. It is the biggest music event in the Witney calendar, drawing in a record-breaking crowd of more than 15,000 in 2019.
Festival lineup includes: TBC
‘Build It Live’ 2023 at Bicester Heritage
When: 10 & 11 JuneWhere: Bicester HeritageView event Buy ticketsVisit Build It Live to access a weekend of inspiration, top tips, and expert self-build property advice all under one roof, making it easier to build your own home, renovate a property or undertake an extension or conversion project. Build It Live brings together leading suppliers showcasing the latest innovations to make your home or renovation the best it can be.
Dia al-Azzawi – Painting Poetry
When: Until 11 JuneWhere: Ashmolean MuseumView event Book ticketsThis free exhibition presents artworks and ‘dafatir’ from Dia al-Azzawi, an internationally recognised Iraqi painter and sculptor who has been living and working in London since the late 1970s. Dia al-Azzawi is best known for monumental and colourful canvasses, and his work spans many genres, including a type of artist book known in Arabic as ‘dafatir’.
Discover more: Exhibitions & Displays
Dave Gorman: Powerpoint to the People
When: 11 JuneWhere: New Theatre OxfordView event Buy ticketsThe “high priest of the comedy PowerPoint talk” (The Times) is touring again, as much as anything, to demonstrate that a PowerPoint presentation doesn’t have to involve a man in a grey suit standing behind a lectern saying ‘next slide please’.
Nocturne Live 2023 at Blenheim Palace
When: 14 to 18 JuneWhere: Blenheim PalaceView event Buy ticketsNocturne Live turns The Great Court at Blenheim Palace into a grand arena with world-class acts and 7,000 seats. It can be an all-day affair with VIP dining in the famous State Rooms, a stroll in the palace’s vast grounds, or a waterside picnic. It can also be an evening gig for those who just want to hear their favourite live music.
Festival lineup includes: Lionel Richie / DJ Pete Tong
Swan Lake by English Youth Ballet
When: 16 & 17 JuneWhere: New Theatre OxfordView event Buy ticketsEnglish Youth Ballet’s powerful new adaptation of one of the world’s most cherished classical ballets follows the traditional storyline but with a particular emphasis on the rivalry between the seductive, evil Black Swan and the beautiful but vulnerable White Swan as they compete for the affection of the Prince.
Ballet Central Tour 2023
When: 17 JuneWhere: Chipping Norton TheatreView event Book ticketsExperience the magic of world-class live ballet right on your doorstep when the Ballet Central Tour performs at Chipping Norton Theatre. Classical ballet, contemporary dance and two brand new pieces of work make up an exciting programme from Ballet Central – each piece specially chosen to celebrate the 40th birthday of the world-renowned Central School of Ballet.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
When: 20 to 24 JuneWhere: New Theatre OxfordView event Buy ticketsThis five-star spectacular from the producers of War Horse and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a thrilling adventure of fantasy, myth and friendship, taking audiences on an epic journey to a childhood once forgotten and the darkness that lurks at the very edge of it.
Oxford Festival of Arts 2023
When: 23 June to 16 JulyWhere: Magdalen College School & venues across OxfordView event Event websiteThe Oxford Festival of Arts 2023 (OFA 2023) will be back in venues across Oxford this year, with events running from 23 June to 16 July. This year’s theme is People. Stories. Histories. with events including the Rosie Holt: The Woman’s Hour, and the BBC Big Band with vocalist Claire Martin in a spectacular evening of jazz in the Festival Marquee.
Sister Act
When: 26 June to 01 JulyWhere: New Theatre OxfordView event Buy ticketsDon’t miss this eagerly anticipated brand new production of the Broadway and UK smash hit musical Sister Act direct from London. Disco diva Deloris’ life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a murder. Placed under protective custody, she is hidden in the one place she shouldn’t be found – a convent!
Henley Royal Regatta 2023
When: 27 June to 02 JulyWhere: Henley-on-ThamesView event Buy ticketsHenley Royal Regatta is undoubtedly one of the best-known regattas in the world; and a highlight of both the summer sporting calendar and the English social season. The Regatta attracts thousands of visitors over the six days of action-packed racing. Spectators are thrilled by over 200 races of an international standard which can include Olympic rowers, as well as crews new to the event.
Elementary Festival 2023
When: 29 June to 03 JulyWhere: Braziers Park, IpsdenView event Buy ticketsThe UK’s friendliest little festival again offers you the very best in world music, workshops, food and drink, sound journeys, yoga, and dance. Immerse yourself in Elementary… a world of sound!, in the wide-open fields of Braziers Park in the heart of England once again this year.
Bruckner Seven with Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra
When: 29 JuneWhere: Sheldonian TheatreView event Book ticketsFor this culmination of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra’s season at the Sheldonian Theatre, Marios Papadopoulos conducts Bruckner’s symphony here after Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 – actually the composer’s first full-length orchestral work, and an imposingly assertive one at that.
Park Fair at Great Tew Park
When: 30 June to 02 JulyWhere: Great Tew EstateView event Buy ticketsThis intimate and expertly curated classic country fair, redesigned for the new generation, will bring together independent artisans, cherished lifestyle brands, and quintessential family entertainment. Expect a shopping experience that is unparalleled outside of the capital with more than 80 inspiring brands, each meticulously selected for their style, quality, and sustainability credentials.
Carey Young
When: Until 02 JulyWhere: Modern Art OxfordView event Event websiteIn this major new exhibition at Modern Art Oxford, Carey Young (b. 1970, lives and works in London) focuses her astute vision on female identity with works depicting women working in law and industry, which invite viewers into new perceptions of systemic power, gender and justice. An associated selection of Young’s compelling text and photographic works will connect law, power and visual culture.
Discover more: Modern Art Oxford
About Labyrinth: Knossos, Myth & Reality
When: From 10 FebruaryWhere: Ashmolean MuseumView event Buy ticketsThe palace of Knossos, discovered and excavated over 100 years ago, was the centre of a Bronze Age civilisation of people we now call the Minoans, named after the legendary King Minos. This will be the first UK exhibition to focus on Knossos and will include over 100 objects that have never left Crete and Greece before, alongside discoveries from the Ashmolean’s Sir Arthur Evans Archive.
Discover more: Ashmolean Museum
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