What’s on in Stroud this week: 5 – 11 October 2026
It’s another busy week of music, theatre, art and community events in Stroud. New theatre festival Play On takes to the stages at Lansdown Hall and Cotswold Playhouse, Brimscombe Mill hosts its first Kids Book Festival and the team at Day’s Cottage in Brookthorpe throw their annual Apple Day celebration.
Plus, the Cotswold Voluntary Wardens host a local history walk, local artist Stu McLellan exhibits his water-inspired ink drawings at the Lansdown Gallery and DJ collective Los Domingos host a laid back Sunday afternoon event at the Prince Albert.
Find out more in our regular look at things coming up in Stroud and the wider district.
Regular and one off events
- Explore the Industrial Revolution in Stroud– Tue 6 Oct, 10am
Join the Cotswold Voluntary Wardens on Tuesday morning for a deep dive into the impact of the Industrial Revolution in the Stroud valleys. Their guided walk follows parts of the Thames & Severn Canal and River Frome, but also climbs to Lypiatt Manor and St Michael & All Angels Church in Bussage.
- Pick a show at Play On Stroud– Fri 9 – Sun 11 Oct
A new theatre festival organised by a talented trio of performers and producers, Play On Stroud seeks to create an annual weekend of professional theatre for the town. This week’s inaugural event takes place at Lansdown Hall and the Cotswold Playhouse, and includes a reimagining of Pinocchio, a piece inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s works told from the point of view of Dr Watson and an in-conversation between actor Niamh Cusack and playwright Rachel Joyce.
- Meet the authors at Brimscombe Mill Kids Book Fest– Fri 9 – Sat 10 Oct
Brimscombe Mill is the venue for two days of family friendly book-focussed talks and activities this week. Local authors Jess Butterworth and Andy Hussey will be joined by a range of literary talent including poet John Dougherty, illustrators Martha Lightfoot and Hannah Shaw and storytellers Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre.
- See Nubiyan Twist at the Sub Rooms– Sat 10 Oct, 8pm
Critically-acclaimed genre-spanning 9-piece musical collective Nubiyan Twist take to the stage at the Sub Rooms on Saturday night, for a show that blends jazz, afrobeat, soul, hip-hop and dance music. Support from Cornish multi-instrumentalist, Webmoms.
- Eat apples at Day’s Cottage– Sun 11 Oct, 1 – 4pm
Stroud Farmers Market stalwarts and local apple enthusiasts Day’s Cottage host their annual autumnal open day in Brookthorpe this Sunday, promising for a special celebration of apples and their trees. Expect heritage apple varieties, juice, cider, apple cake and live music. Plus enjoy a wander through their oldest orchard, planted by Great Aunt Lucy in 1912.
- Spend Sunday afternoon with Los Domingos– Sun 11 Oct, 1 – 6pm
Stroud DJ collective Los Domingos returns to the Prince Albert for a Sunday afternoon session playing upbeat global grooves from founding members and special guests. Families and friends are welcome and the organisers are even laying on activity sheets for children.
Showing this week
- Experience Stu McLellan’s Conversations With Water – Tue 6 – Sun 11 Oct, 10am – 5pm
Local artist Stu McLellan’s three year focus on water emerges from his studio in Thrupp, close to the River Frome, and onto the walls of the Lansdown Gallery for a six day residency. The exhibition majors on the ink-works McLellan has produced during this time, including water-meditations and gestural drawings made beside the Frome and other bodies of water.
Further afield
- Attend the National Ploughing Championship– Sat 10 – Sun 11 Oct
A highlight of the calendar for a particular subset of agricultural folk, this year’s British National Ploughing Championships is set to be a special one, as the event celebrates its 75th anniversary. The 2026 ploughing – and the accompanying country festival – is to be held at Austrey, near Atherstone in Warwickshire, with the organisers promising it will be one of the biggest and most memorable in its history.
For details of how to suggest community events for inclusion in our weekly guide to things to see and do in the Stroud area, see here.
