Colchester Arts Centre

Church Street, Colchester, CO1 1NF


Never knowingly understood.

How do you describe a venue that can put children's entertainer Palfi the Clown on, on the same day as Cradle of Filth?

Where a vinyl listening session in the morning becomes a comedy club in the evening. Where folk enthusiasts can sit happily knitting (and they do!) in the exact same spot a ferocious mosh pit of teenage dancing takes place the following night?

And where the beautiful historic architecture of St Mary's Church - dating back over a thousand years - plays host to some of the newest comics, most modern choreographers, some of the coolest DJs and some of the freshest talent in Britain.

Over the years we've promoted Coldplay, Eddie Izzard, Graham Norton, Harry Hill, Catherine Tate, Jo Brand, The Libertines, Ash, The Killers, The Strokes, Phill Jupitus, Mick Jones, Bill Bailey, Jack Dee, Count Arthur Strong - all before anyone had ever heard of them of course - plus the likes of jazz legend Ronnie Scott and even the late lamented and much loved Brian Johnston the cricket commentator.

Our passion to present new work bringing great bands and comics to Colchester burns more brightly than ever. Our business is all about fresh ideas, new acts, new art forms and vibrant new ways of working. We can't stand still. We embrace the new, the quirky the original - and yes, the surreal!

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Coming soon to Colchester Arts Centre


A journey into the musical life of saxophonist/flautist David ‘Fathead’ Newman
A mind-bending metal bill for the serious connoisseur of extreme/progressive music
19 Jun 2026
Back in Colchester for the first time since 2016
20 Jun 2026
CANCELLED
A selection of Colchester’s up and coming bands
24 Jun 2026
Globally-minded music artist based in Colchester
04 Jul 2026
Rad Pitt + Butterfly Handshake + Filiprodak + Disjunction + KinoZolte + Henry Bowen
05 Jul 2026
Trevor Watts, Veryan Weston and Jamie Harris
Scintillating experimental guitar duo from France
Dismanibus + Olympus + By Virtue Fall + Killerkorp + Draugrheim

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