Photo Credit: Will Green Photography
New Wolsey Theatre‘s free annual community event, The Big Afternoon, is back on Saturday 30 May 2026 from 2pm. This year’s theme is ‘joy’, with entertainment and activities for the whole family to enjoy – including live music and DJing, roaming cosplay characters, a fire performance from New Wolsey Theatre Associate Artist Josh Overton, T-shirt printing, arts and crafts, face painting, carnival games and more.
As part of the event, New Wolsey Theatre Associate Artist Amy Wragg, a poet, zine maker, producer and director of SoapBox Spoken Word CIC, is writing a spoken word piece celebrating Ipswich, which will form an installation in the theatre auditorium. Amy is currently collecting ideas from local people about their perfect day in Ipswich – from favourite places and memories to the sounds and sights of the town. To add your ideas, visit: https://tinyurl.com/BigAfternoon.
Chloe Davis, New Wolsey Theatre’s Creative Communities Producer, said: “Each year, our Big Afternoon brings together the local community to experience a free afternoon of arts and culture, because access to arts and culture should never be a privilege – it’s something everyone deserves. This year, at a time when the world around us can feel quite overwhelming and dark, we are creating a special afternoon of joy for all – with a packed programme of family friendly fun, creative activities, live music and performances.”
Although The Big Afternoon is a free event, New Wolsey Theatre asks that people book a ticket through their website so that they can get a rough estimate of the numbers expected to attend.
Book online for The Big Afternoon here. You can also book a ticket in-person at the theatre or by calling the Box Office team on 01473 295900.
Age suitability: family event, suitable for all ages.
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