01202 887247 info@theallendale.org
Welcome to Wimborne's best and busiest venue for theatre,
music, activities, room hires and more -
we have something for everyone!
Keep up to date with events & news - join Allendale Newsletter here
What's on at the Allendale, Wimborne?
Discover a variety of live entertainment, films, markets, fairs and more on this page.
See Live Shows only. See Regular Activities for weekly and monthly activities.
Wimborne Minster Market
Fridays 8am - 2pm
Wimborne Minster Market offers stalls throughout two Halls, plus outdoor areas. You're likely to find fruit and veg, plants and flowers, local meat, eggs, cheese, olives, cakes, pies, wholefoods, antiques, Indian textiles, vintage and retro items, jewellery, homewares and so much more!
Sarah Bolter & 'Not Just Sax'
with special guest Derek Nash
Saturday 25th July, 6.30pm
‘Not Just Sax' are a group of local musicians from the south led by Sarah Bolter on saxes, flute, clarinet and vocals. The band was formed in 2001 and are bound together by a love of melodic, rhythmic jazz.
Derek Nash is probably the UK’s busiest and most versatile saxophonist, who has been part of Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra since 2004, is a member of Ronnie Scott’s Blues Explosion and tours extensively with his stage celebration show of Stevie Wonder, ‘The Wonder of Stevie.’ Read more
Raising funds for Allendale Community Centre.
The Wimborne Bump to Baby Show
Sunday 26th July, 10am - 1pm
The Wimborne Bump to Baby Show is a one day event showcasing a wide range of pregnancy, baby and toddler and family services and products available in the local area. With live talks and demonstrations on stage, the event has something for everyone. Entry costs £1 and includes a free goodie bag. (Under 18 free)
Summer Jazz at the Allendale -
Bob Barter Quintet with Jenny Howe
Sunday 26th July, 1pm
Join us for a great afternoon of jazz and swing courtesy of the Bob Barter Quintet with vocalist Jenny Howe. Superb musicianship and a great atmosphere guaranteed in The Allendale Studio. Limited tickets available and often sells to capacity - advance booking recommended!
Kevin Harding: Here Comes The Sun Tour
(supported by Bob Carter)
Saturday 15th August, 6pm
Kevin is a highly talented fingerstyle guitarist who performs in local and UK venues and at International Guitar Festivals. He's also a composer for guitar, piano, strings and orchestra. This year he's embarking on a UK tour, Here Comes The Sun, performing his fingerstyle guitar arrangements of popular Beatles songs, plus some of his own compositions featured on The Wine List & Folklore albums, together with tunes from a new album he's currently recording (The Balladeer) and other popular fingerstyle guitar pieces. Watch video
Kevin is supported by Bob Carter, a locally-based guitarist of outstanding skill himself. Two superb musicians on one evening in The Allendale Café - limited seating available so advance booking strongly recommended! Raising funds for Allendale Community Centre.
Grandma's Attic Antiques & Collectors Fairs
Sunday 30th August, 10am - 4pm
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Ever-popular event returns to the Allendale, admission just £2
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Around 50 traders, in two halls
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Plenty of parking in adjacent pay and display car park
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The Allendale Café open all day
Strictly Murder:
A Funny Thing Happened...
Sunday 6th September, 2pm
The Allendale Café
Join us again for a fun, challenging interactive murder mystery, this time set in the mid-60s. Ticket price includes delicious two course meal. Period costume welcomed.
Meat and vegetarian meal options available.
Changing Colours Jazz Orchestra -
Music from Broadway to Hollywood
Sunday 6th September, 6pm
It’s Showtime! We welcome Changing Colours Jazz Orchestra, playing the ultimate celebration of your favourite songs from Broadway Musicals & Hollywood Films.
This 17 piece orchestra has been created from a select group of musicians, many of them professional, who will be performing a varied and exciting programme of music to get your toes tapping and be both memorable and nostalgic. Watch video
This highly acclaimed orchestra, based in Ferndown, has been performing over the past five years and will feature vocalists & soloists throughout the programme to add to your emotional musical experience. Raising funds for Allendale Community Centre.
Thought Control - A Tribute to Pink Floyd
Saturday 12th September, doors 6.45pm, show 7.15pm
Thought Control are pleased to bring their Tribute to Pink Floyd to the Allendale. Watch video
More info from Thought Control:
We present well over two hours of classic songs with an unforgettable spectacle of sound and light. On stage, we will carefully recreate all-time classics such as "Another Brick In The Wall", “Money”, "Comfortably Numb" and "Wish You Were Here", along with epics such as "Echoes" and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". The lighting, projection and laser effects create the perfect backdrop, and have been further enhanced for 2026. Whether a die-hard fan or new to Pink Floyd, let Thought Control immerse you in the magic of one of the greatest bands of all time.
Labradors Rock 2026
Friday 18th September, doors 7.15pm, music from 8.15pm
Spinal Taff are back again at the Allendale for ‘Labradors Rock 2026’, a benefit concert in aid of The Labrador Rescue Trust; a night of big hair and even bigger riffs, as the band deliver their unique take on rock and heavy metal classics from AC/DC, Judas Priest, Van Halen etc. They’re joined this year by special guests, ‘Vesper’, a young 6-piece rock band whose influences include Royal Blood, The Killers and Paramore; a band who were finalists at last year's 'Battle of The Bands' contest organised by Poole & Parkstone Grammar Schools.
MC for the evening is Radio Wimborne’s very own Matt Fleming.
Silent Movie with Piano Accompaniment:
The General (Buster Keaton)
Friday 25th September,7.30pm
Buster Keaton's most famous film (the one in which an entire train was sacrificed just for a stunt), is now a hundred years old. Watch a silent movie without music and it's a curiously dull affair - but watch one with live music and it becomes magical!
Pianist Mike Hatchard has a rare ability to pick up on the audience's reactions, and The General is as entertaining now as it was a century ago. Join us for this event!
Allendale Theatre Company presents
Round The Horne
Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th September, 2.30pm both days
Join us for an afternoon of bona comedy as we recreate the much-loved BBC radio show, Round The Horne! Our talented cast portray Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, Kenneth Horne, Betty Marsden and Douglas Smith through four sparkling episodes, script-in-hand at the mics, as it would have been on the original recordings.
Not suitable for young children. Very suitable for anyone with a good old-fashioned (and slightly naughty) sense of humour!
We'll bring back the glory days of the 1960s and warmly invite you to join us on Saturday 26th or Sunday 27th September!
DanceAway Social Dance Evening
Saturday 26th September, 7.30pm
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Ballroom/Latin American
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Popular Sequence
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All abilities welcome
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Bar open
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Admission £8 per person, on the door
High Contrast Cinema
BOGART: Crime, Chaos & Casablanca Season Ticket
Valid for three films, from Friday 2nd October
High Contrast Cinema close out 2026 by stepping into the smoke‑filled bars, back‑alley deals and fractured romances of Hollywood’s most magnetic icon. The spotlight falls on Humphrey Bogart — the hard‑boiled outsider and reluctant hero, whose mix of vulnerability and menace reshaped the language of American cinema.
The new season - Bogart: Crime, Chaos & Casablanca - opens on Friday 2nd October 2026 with Bogart caught in the brutal churn of Prohibition‑era America opposite James Cagney in Raoul Walsh’s electrifying gangster saga The Roaring Twenties (1939). Read more
Dorset Team Autumn Fair
Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th October, 10am - 4pm
Join the Dorset Team Autumn Fair, a two-day celebration of independent makers, artists and creative small businesses. This event brings together a carefully curated mix of traders; you'll find a wide range of crafts including jewellery, ceramics, art, illustration, homewares and gifts.
Come down to support and shop small. FREE ENTRY.
Accessible Venue. Wonderful Café serving hot and cold food and drinks all day. Dogs on leads are welcome. Set over two rooms.
Follow Dorset Team for trader previews and event updates Enquiries: dorsetteam@outlook.com
Quo Connection
Friday 23rd October, doors 7.30pm, music from 8.15pm
The authentic and approved sound of classic 70s QUO! Watch video
Formed by ex-Status Quo drummer John Coghlan, the band has existed for twenty-five years in various forms. Mick Hughes, Rick Chase and Pete Mace have reformed John Coghlan’s Quo under the name of QUO CONNECTION.
Playing many of Status Quo’s hits plus some incredible album tracks, Quo Connection are eager to bring their high-octane show to you. The band proved very popular when they played here previously and are very welcome to return in 2026! Raising funds for Allendale Community Centre.
20 To 1 Big Band presents
Dance The Night Away
Saturday 24th October, 7.30pm
20 To 1 Big Band return to the Allendale with their ever-popular Dance The Night Away - an evening of LIVE music for you to get up and dance to!
Music styles include Swing, Jive, Latin, Waltz and Rock & Pop. Also featuring live vocalists.
Dorset Team October Makers Market
Saturday 31st October, 10am - 4pm
Join the Dorset Team for the October Makers Market, showcasing independent makers, artists and creatives from right across Dorset. You will find high quality stalls set across two rooms of the Allendale Centre, with over 60 stalls in total. Expect a carefully curated mix of crafts and stalls with something for everyone and every budget. FREE ENTRY.
Accessible Venue. Café overlooking the river serving hot and cold food and drink all day. Dogs on leads are welcome. Set over two rooms
Follow Dorset Team for trader previews and event updates. Enquiries dorsetteam@outlook.com
DanceAway Social Dance Evening
Saturday 31st October, 7.30pm
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Ballroom/Latin American
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Popular Sequence
-
All abilities welcome
-
Bar open
-
Admission £8 per person, on the door
The Bossa Definitiva Trio
Sunday 1st November, 1pm
Paris-born vocalist Véronique Joly, together with Canadian saxophonist Terry Quinney and guitarist Rob Palmer, present BOSSA DEFINITIVA, a trio celebrating the cool Bossa Nova sounds of Stan Getz and Astrud & João Gilberto. Drawing inspiration from the classic Getz/Gilberto recordings, the trio's repertoire also includes songs by artists such as James Taylor and Sting, as featured on their recently released eponymous debut album.
Together, the trio brings warmth, lyricism and understated virtuosity. Their repertoire moves effortlessly between classic Bossa Nova and contemporary song, capturing the intimate, timeless appeal of Brazil's most enduring musical style. Watch video
Raising funds for Allendale Community Centre.
Evening with Dan Clarke
Tuesday 3rd November, 7pm
The incredible Spiritual medium Dan Clarke presents an evening of readings from spirit delivered in the compassionate and yet entertaining way that only he can. Join us and see why Dan Clarke is known for being the most accurate medium touring the UK today.
Over 16s please.
Richard Smith UK Tour 2026
(supported by Bob Carter)
Friday 13th November, 7.30pm
We welcome Richard Smith back to the Allendale this November! If you've seen Richard here before, you'll know he's one of the world's top guitar players. Born in the UK, now resident in the US, he's back in this country for an autumn tour. If you appreciate top-level musicianship and great entertainment, don't miss this date! Watch video
Richard is very ably supported by the more-local Bob Carter, himself a consummate musician. Two excellent guitarists at a very reasonable ticket price - limited tickets available.
Raising funds for Allendale Community Centre.
Allendale Christmas Craft Fair
Saturday 21st November, 10am - 4pm
The ever-popular Allendale Christmas Craft Fair returns for 2026. Quality craft items and gift ideas galore! Free entry for customers.
Stallholders - stalls can now be booked at £25 for a 6ft. table and chair (supplied) or equivalent space, if you have your own stall. Spaces in Minster Hall, Quarter Jack Hall and Canford Room currently available. All spaces usually sell out for this event, so book early!
DanceAway Social Dance Evening
Saturday 28th November, 7.30pm
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Ballroom/Latin American
-
Popular Sequence
-
All abilities welcome
-
Bar open
-
Admission £8 per person, on the door
Dorset Team Christmas Fair
Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th December, 10am - 4pm both days
The Dorset Team Christmas Fair brings together a curated mix of independent makers and small businesses for a festive weekend of Christmas shopping in Wimborne. The event brings 60 stalls by local makers each day set across two rooms of the Allendale Community Centre.
Expect a wide range of handmade products and different crafts including jewellery, ceramics, textiles, art, illustrations, Christmas cards and decorations and much more! FREE ENTRY.
Accessible Venue. Onsite Café overlooking the river serving hot and cold food and drink all day. Dogs on leads are welcome. Set over two rooms.
Follow Dorset Team for updates. Enquiries dorsetteam@outlook.com
Chris Hill's Dirty DC
Sunday 27th December, doors open 7pm
This isn’t just another tribute band - this is a full-throttle AC/DC experience!
Chris Hill’s Dirty DC deliver the raw power, attitude, and unmistakable sound of one of the greatest rock bands in history, with relentless precision and energy. Engineered for serious fans and live music audiences alike, this is high-voltage rock ‘n’ roll done properly.
Fronted by Chris Hill, a performer who has spent over 26 years mastering the voice, presence and grit of Brian Johnson, the band recreates both the Bon Scott swagger and the Johnson-era stadium dominance with spine-tingling accuracy. Raising funds for Allendale Community Centre.
Kate Garner's Vintage Songbook
Sunday 30th May 2027, 2pm
Songs & stories at the piano with the daughter of Chas from 'Chas & Dave'.
Music Hall, 1920s & 30s, Parlour Songs & Wartime Singalong!
StevieMac
Saturday 18th September 2027, 7.30pm
Fronted by vocalist Fi Channon, StevieMac is more than a Fleetwood Mac tribute. Backed by a talented live band, the show combines the biggest Fleetwood Mac hits with songs from Stevie Nicks' remarkable solo career and celebrated collaborations, offering audiences a deeper journey through one of rock music's most enduring legacies.
From Fleetwood Mac classics such as Dreams, Rhiannon and The Chain to Stevie Nicks' solo hits including Rooms on Fire and Stand Back, plus iconic collaborations such as Stop Draggin' My Heart Around, StevieMac delivers a show that celebrates the full musical journey of one of rock's most distinctive and influential artists. Watch video