80s Live
Date: 19 September
Location: Alban Arena
Put your hands together and get into the groove as live band Electric Dreams perform over two dozen chart-topping anthems from Wham!, The Weather Girls, Culture Club, Rick Astley, Madonna, Duran Duran, Soft Cell, The Human League, A-Ha, Tears for Fears, and more. This is the ultimate 80s night out, so come dressed to impress as they spin you around and around for a night to remember.
Upfest
Date: Until 15 September
Location: Ashridge House
Upfest, the creators of Europe’s largest street art festival, are bringing an extraordinary street art experience to the grounds of Ashridge House. Visitors will witness an artistic transformation, turning the property’s regal gardens into an urban canvas – highlighting the beauty in contrasting old and new. The creatives on show, known for their distinctive styles, will draw inspiration from the rich history and natural beauty of Ashridge House, making unique pieces that harmoniously blend with the estate’s stunning landscapes.
Hitchin’s Toy Story
Date: Until 22 September
Location: North Herts Museum
With 50 exhibitions and nearly 125,000 visitors, North Herts Museum in Hitchin is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month. Looking back on the five years, there’s a large display panel in the museum café showing all the posters of our 50 exhibitions since they opened on 6 July 2019. Exhibitions have ranged from prestigious and valuable loan exhibitions such as Rembrandt in Print in 2020, to popular children’s exhibitions such as Paddington, Peter Rabbit, The BFG, and The Tiger Who Came to Tea. The latest exhibition is Hitchin’s Toy Story about toys designed locally but enjoyed worldwide.
Aled Jones
Date: 13 September
Location: Radlett Centre
He’s been ever-present in our lives for more than 40 years. Aled Jones burst onto the scene and enjoyed remarkable success as a boy singer, finding a permanent place in all our Christmases with his smash hit, “Walking In The Air.” “Full Circle” is the title of both his new book, which came out in March, and his new tour, which will celebrate his life. Fans can enjoy that unmistakable voice, as well as amusingly told stories from the man who’s synonymous with Classic FM, BBC Radio 2, and BBC TV’s Songs of Praise.
Dom Joly: The Conspiracy Tour
Date: 4 October
Location: Alban Arena
Conspiracy theories used to be fun but now they’ve gone mainstream and infected the body politic. “Dom Joly – The Conspiracy Tour” will provide a hilarious, fascinating, and slightly anarchic guide to the wacky world of conspiracies. Having travelled the globe looking into some of the strangest and weirdest conspiracy theories in existence for his new book, Dom is now ready to tell us what he thinks. However, he won’t be alone. In the spirit of balance, Dom has invited an infamous conspiracy theorist, Dr Julian Northcote, to take the stage and defend the alternative view.
DogFest
Date: 21-22 September
Location: Knebworth House
With two days of thrilling dog action, set against the backdrop of some of the UK’s most gorgeous stately homes and gardens, it’s no surprise DogFest is the social highlight of the season. You’ll find world-class displays from top canine athletes, free expert advice and workshops, have-a-go activities to take part in, shopping, treats plus plenty of play.
Ben Elton: Authentic Stupidity
Date: 21 September
Location: Alban Arena
Following the huge success of Ben Elton’s critically acclaimed sold-out UK tour in 2019, which marked his return to stand-up after a 15-year hiatus, the undisputed godfather of modern stand-up is going back on the road with a brand new live show – “Authentic Stupidity.” The world has changed a lot since Ben last toured five years ago – a whole new existential threat has emerged to challenge our very existence: Artificial Intelligence. Apparently, it’s going to render all human life meaningless, but Ben is here to warn you that AI is not the greatest threat that we face: it’s Authentic Stupidity.
