The Michaelmas Fair fills the town from 14 October, two pumpkin farms open at £6, then half term crafts, Kidlington's fireworks and Remembrance Sunday.

The Canal Festival runs along the canal and through the town centre today and tomorrow, 11am to 5pm, and is free. Next up is the Michaelmas Fair, which takes over the town centre for four evenings from Wednesday 14 to Saturday 17 October, with roads shut from 6am on the 13th. Two pumpkin farms are open this month at £6 a head, half term runs from 26 October, and Remembrance Sunday is on 8 November.

Everything below was read from the organisers’ own pages on 3 October 2026, and each entry links back to its source. Dates and prices can change, so check the link before you set off. For places that are open whatever the month, see things to do in Banbury.

This week

  • Pumpkin picking at Perry Tree Farm, from today, weekends and then every day of half term to Friday 30 October, 10am to 4pm (last entry 2.30pm), plus 10am to noon on Halloween. Milton Road, Adderbury, OX17 3HN. £6 a person, under-2s free, pumpkins extra. No dogs (Perry Tree Farm). More in our Banbury Halloween page.
  • Banbury Canal Festival, Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October, 11am to 5pm, canal side and town centre. Free. Boat tours, craft stalls, live music, funfair rides and food stalls, with Tooley’s Boatyard open (Banbury Town Council). The Mill runs a free dance stage on both days from 11.05am (The Mill). Our Canal Festival page has parking and what happens in bad weather.
  • Banbury Canal Chronicles book launch, Saturday 3 October, 11am to 3pm, Castle Quay. Free family activities for the launch of the community-created book about the canal, Tooley’s Boatyard and the Dancing Duck (Castle Quay).
  • Kidlington Community Connections Fair, Saturday 3 October, 2pm to 5pm, Exeter Hall, Kidlington, OX5 1AB. Stalls from local groups and charities (Kidlington Town Council).
  • In the Land of Eagles, Wednesday 7 October, 7.30pm, The Mill Arts Centre, Spiceball Park Road, OX16 5QE. £18.50. A play about a granddaughter, her grandfather and a journey to Albania (The Mill).
  • Rave On, Thursday 8 October, 7.30pm, The Mill. £29.50. Rock and roll from the 1950s and 1960s (The Mill).
  • The Sounds of Simon, Friday 9 October, 7.30pm, The Mill. £20. The Simon and Garfunkel tribute (The Mill).

Next week

  • Banbury United v Stamford, Saturday 10 October, 3pm, Station Approach, OX16 5AB. Southern League Premier Central (Banbury United).
  • Banbury Michaelmas Fair, Wednesday 14 to Saturday 17 October, town centre. Bob Wilson’s funfair, on four evenings. The golden key ceremony is at around 4pm on the Wednesday, when the Town Mayor tours the fair and each ride touched with the key gives a free go (Banbury Town Council). Nightly hours are not published yet. Bridge Street, Market Place Road, Cornhill and parts of High Street and Broad Street shut from 6am on Tuesday 13 October to 6am on Sunday 18 October (Oxfordshire County Council). Diversions and parking are on our Michaelmas Fair page.
  • Sister Queens, Wednesday 14 October, 7.30pm, The Mill. £19.50. Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots (The Mill).
  • One Foot in the Dark, Thursday 15 October, 7.30pm, The Mill. £18.50. Dance and spoken word (The Mill).
  • Sonic Time Machine, Friday 16 October, 7.30pm, The Mill. £28. A live band plays 1970s and 1980s pop and rock (The Mill).

Later in October

  • Hadsham Farm Pumpkin Festival, Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October, then every day from 24 to 31 October, Horley, OX15 6BN. £6, under-2s free, every ticket pre-booked. Pumpkins £1 to £10, a goblin hunt, a trebuchet and a sensory trail. Dogs on leads welcome (Hadsham Farm).
  • Fairport Convention, Sunday 18 October, 7.30pm, The Mill. £34. Forty-six tickets were left on 3 October (The Mill).
  • Banbury United v Leighton Town, Tuesday 20 October, 7.45pm, Station Approach (Banbury United).
  • Cally Beaton: Namaste Motherf*ckers, Friday 23 October, 7.30pm, The Mill. £23.50. Stand-up on midlife (The Mill).
  • Scarily Ever After at Fairytale Farm, Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, Southcombe, Chipping Norton, OX7 5QH. A Halloween puzzle trail and a pumpkin for every child, included in a standard day ticket (Fairytale Farm).
  • Magic and Marvels, Saturday 24 October, 2.30pm, The Mill. £16. A one-man magic show (The Mill).
  • Baga Chipz: Bagz to Riches Tour, Sunday 25 October, 7.30pm, The Mill. £25 (The Mill).
  • Half term crafts at Banbury Museum, Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, 10.30am and 1.30pm each day. £4 a child, ages 3 and up, booking essential. Halloween Lanterns on Monday, Autumn Owls on Tuesday, Rocking Witches on Wednesday, Autumn Suncatcher on Thursday and Halloween Monsters on Friday (Banbury Museum). More in our October half term guide.
  • Banbury United v Worcester City, Tuesday 27 October, 7.45pm, Station Approach (Banbury United).
  • An Evening with Ma Bessie, Thursday 29 October, 7.30pm, The Mill. £21. The music of Bessie Smith (The Mill).
  • Hocus Pocus: Live Experience, Friday 30 October, 2.30pm, The Mill. £16, ages 6 and up. The Mill warns of haze, flashing lights and some spooky elements (The Mill).
  • Potions and Spells Halloween party at Fairytale Farm, Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October, admission from 3pm, party 5pm to 7pm. £17.99 an adult, £16.99 a child, with a hot meal and drink (Fairytale Farm).
  • Halloween Twilight Tour at Sulgrave Manor, Friday 30 October, 5pm to 7pm, Sulgrave. A Halloween-themed tour of the manor, with refreshments. Pre-book through the online shop (Sulgrave Manor).
  • Alice in Wonderland, Saturday 31 October, 11am and 1pm, The Mill. £14. A 40-minute family ballet, all ages (The Mill).

November

  • Brickworks at Banbury Museum, daily until Sunday 1 November. £4 for everyone aged 1 and over, with under-12-months and carers free. LEGO building stations and challenges in the PYE Gallery (Banbury Museum).
  • Simon Evans: Staring at the Sun, Sunday 1 November, 7.30pm, The Mill. £23.50. One ticket was left on 3 October (The Mill).
  • Kidlington Fireworks Night, Thursday 5 November, Stratfield Brake, 19 Frieze Way, Kidlington, OX5 1UP. Gates 6pm, display 7pm. Ticketed, and on sale (Kidlington Town Council). Banbury has no display of its own: see Banbury fireworks.
  • Elvis: From Memphis to Vegas, Thursday 5 November, 7.30pm, The Mill. £30.50 (The Mill).
  • Lucy Porter: Let Yourself Go, Friday 6 November, 7.30pm, The Mill. £26.50. Stand-up (The Mill).
  • Room on the Broom, Saturday 7 November at 1.30pm and 4.30pm, Sunday 8 November at 2.30pm and 4.30pm, The Mill. £17.50, ages 3 and up. Book now: the Saturday 1.30pm and Sunday 2.30pm shows had six and seven seats left on 3 October (The Mill).
  • Banbury United v Leamington, Saturday 7 November, 3pm, Station Approach (Banbury United).
  • Banbury Remembrance Sunday, Sunday 8 November, 10am to 2pm. Free. The parade leaves the Town Hall, OX16 5QB, at about 10.15am. The service at St Mary’s Church starts at about 10.45am, and wreaths are laid at People’s Park at 12 noon (Banbury Town Council). Our Remembrance Sunday page covers seats in church and parking.
  • Bicester Remembrance Sunday, Sunday 8 November, 11am to 1pm, Market Square, Bicester, OX26 6AJ (Bicester Town Council).
  • An Evening with Sir Geoff Hurst, Wednesday 11 November, 7.30pm, The Mill. From £38.50, VIP up to £83.50 (The Mill).
  • Gracie: The Gracie Fields Story, Thursday 12 November, 7.30pm, The Mill. £26 (The Mill).
  • Swing from Paris, Friday 13 November, 7.30pm, The Mill. £20. An all-string jazz quartet (The Mill).
  • Banbury Comedy Festival, Saturday 14 November, The Mill, four shows at 3pm, 4.30pm, 6pm and 7.30pm, Tony Law and Ingrid Dahle among them. Free, with seats reserved on a pay-what-you-want basis through Rock The Atic (The Mill).
  • Rock for Heroes, Saturday 14 November, 7.30pm, The Mill. £28.50. Classic rock anthems (The Mill).

Further ahead, the Christmas market is on 28 and 29 November and the Christmas lights switch-on is on Sunday 29 November. The Mill’s festive run is in our guide to pantomime and Christmas shows.

Regular events

  • Banbury Charter Market, every Thursday and Saturday, 9am to 4pm, Market Place. The next is today, Saturday 3 October. Fruit and vegetables, bread, cheese, plants and hot food, with extra antiques stalls on the second and fourth Thursday of each month (Cherwell District Council). The council has not said whether the market runs during the Michaelmas Fair.
  • Bicester Friday Market, every Friday, 9am to 4.30pm, Sheep Street, Bicester. The next is Friday 9 October. Run by Bicester Market Association (Cherwell District Council).
  • Banbury parkrun, every Saturday, 9am, Spiceball Park, OX16 2AY. The next is Saturday 10 October. Free. Register once before your first run and bring your barcode (parkrun).

Getting there

The Mill, the museum, Castle Quay and the canal are within a few minutes’ walk of each other. Banbury United’s ground is beside the railway station. Council car parks charge on Sundays, so check parking in Banbury first. Closures for the fair are on our roadworks and travel page.

Send us your event

Running an event in Banbury, Bicester, Kidlington or the villages? Email hello@banburyonline.co.uk with the date, time, venue, price and a photo. Listings are free. Yours will go on this page and in the diary on our What’s On section.

Sources