The Norwich Business Improvement District (Norwich BID) has confirmed that free street performances and live music will return to the city centre in Norwich, Norfolk, on Sundays from August 2 to August 30, 2026. These events will take place every Sunday afternoon to provide free entertainment for local families and to encourage more people to visit the city’s shops and cafés.
Organisers from Norfolk Community Arts (NORCA) will programme the shows across multiple city-centre stages. Norwich BID’s 2026 announcement confirms the series will run on four stages, with performances from 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM; specific 2026 locations are to be confirmed. Historically, stages have included Westlegate, London Street and the area around The Forum (Millennium Plain). The line-up will feature a variety of entertainment such as folk, jazz and street theatre (including circus-style street performance).
The event, now in its 13th season, was originally called “Head Out, Not Home” and was rebranded as “Norwich Summer Sessions” (the rebrand took place in 2023) to modernise and clarify the festival’s branding. Norwich BID reporting on the series’ impact notes that in 2025 about 55% of attendees said they came into the city specifically for the performances and that 84% of attendees spent money while visiting, demonstrating the event’s economic value to local businesses.
“It’s exciting to celebrate another year of putting on such a wide range of free exciting entertainment… that will encourage people into the city this summer,” said Stefan Gurney, Executive Director, Norwich BID. By turning the streets into open-air stages, the project aims to keep the city centre busy and vibrant throughout the summer months.
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