The Coventry Pulse
Your week ahead · Thu 22 Oct to Wed 28 Oct
Thursday 22 October 2026 · lands 8.30am
Hello, Coventry! Half-term's nearly here, and Halloween is getting closer. Dress your dog up for Dogoween at FarGo Village on Sat 24 Oct, laugh along with Phil Wang that night, or catch Little Shop of Horrors at the Belgrade from Tue 27 Oct. Tags: gig, theatre, comedy, family, free, food and markets, film, talk.
Thursday 22 October
comedy
The Tin Comedy Club
The Tin at the Coal Vaults · 6.30pm to 9.30pm · £8.86 early bird or £13.30 (inc. fees)
Stand-up by the canal to start your weekend early. Early-bird tickets are limited, so be quick if you're counting the pennies. Details →
gig
Anything For Love
Belgrade Theatre · 7.30pm · From £20 inc. booking fee
Steve Steinman's touring rock show, built around the Meat Loaf songbook. If you know every word of the big ballads, this one's yours. Details →
gig
Halloween In Concert
Albany Theatre · 7.30pm · £26 to £34
A Halloween-themed concert to get you in the spooky mood nine days early. Seats come in three price bands. Details →
comedy
Michael Spicer: Hope All's Well
Warwick Arts Centre · 7.30pm · £28.50 (£26.50 conc.)
Stand-up from Michael Spicer, running about an hour and a half with an interval. Details →
theatre
Pieces of My Life by Kirris Riviere (Ad Infinitum)
Warwick Arts Centre · 7.45pm · £19.50 (£17.50 conc.)
A short theatre piece, about 55 minutes with no interval, so you're home at a sensible hour. Students pay £9.50. Details →
talk
Paula Rego: Printmaker – a talk with Paul Coldwell
Rugby Art Gallery & Museum · 6.30pm to 8pm · £5
Over in Rugby, an evening talk on Paula Rego's printmaking, for anyone who likes the story behind the art. Details →
Friday 23 October
free
Friday Social @ The Caribbean Centre
The Caribbean Centre, 159 Spon Street · 10.30am to 1.30pm · Free (suggested donation £3)
A friendly weekly get-together with games and a community blanket-knitting project. Bring yourself, and a few stitches if you fancy. Details →
gig
Jazz Fridays
Warwick Arts Centre · 5.30pm to 7.15pm · Free (donations welcome)
Free early-evening jazz to ease you into the weekend. It's on every Friday in term time. Details →
gig
Satoshi (pre-club show)
Kasbah Nightclub · Doors 7pm, show 8pm
Kasbah is a stop on Satoshi's European tour, with the gig before the club night. The price isn't on the venue page. Details →
theatre
Emerald Storm
Albany Theatre · 7.30pm · £33 to £38
Adam Garcia's dance show comes to the Albany. Expect fancy footwork if you like your Friday nights with some rhythm. Details →
theatre
It Walks Around the House at Night
Belgrade Theatre (B2) · Fri 7.45pm, Sat 2.15pm and 7.45pm · Sold out
A darkly comic horror play for ages 14+. All three performances are sold out, so this one's for ticket holders only. Details →
talk
Rugby Literary Festival
Various venues, Rugby town centre · Fri 23 to Sun 25 Oct
Three days of talks, workshops and walks in Rugby, plus a family day at the Benn Hall on Sunday. Times vary by session. Details →
family
Runaway Mop Fair 2026
Stratford-upon-Avon town centre · 11am to 9pm
A short hop to Stratford-upon-Avon for the traditional travelling funfair known as the Runaway Mop. It's on until 9pm, so evenings work too. Details →
family
Spooky Tours
Lord Leycester Hospital, Warwick · Fri 23, Sat 24, Tue 27, Wed 28, Thu 29 and Fri 30 Oct, 6.30pm to 7.15pm · £15 adults, £10 children
After-hours ghost stories inside one of Warwick's historic buildings. Each tour runs for 45 minutes. Details →
Saturday 24 October
family
Tinker | Make | Play: Weird & Wonderful Engineers
Coventry Transport Museum · 10.30am to 3.30pm · Included with admission
Drop-in engineering play for kids who love to build and tinker. It's also on Wed 28 and Sat 31 Oct. Details →
food and markets
Halloween Makers Market
FarGo Village · Sat 11am to 5pm, Sun 11am to 4pm · Free entry
A Halloween makers' market across the weekend. Have a browse and come home with something handmade and a bit spooky. Details →
family
Dogoween
FarGo Village · noon to 3pm · Free to take part
Dress up your dog for a costume parade during the market. Sign-up from 1pm, costume parade from 2pm. Details →
film
Beach Inna Bondage
Priory Visitor Centre, 6 Priory Row · 4pm to 6pm · Free, booking needed
A documentary screening, then a panel with contributors from Jamaica, in the room and online. Part of the council's Black History Month programme. Details → · Book a free place →
gig
Brown Horse
The Tin at the Coal Vaults · 7.30pm to 11pm · £15.40 advance (£11 conc.) inc. booking fee
A live band night at The Tin. Book ahead and you're sorted for Saturday night. Details →
comedy
Phil Wang: UH OH
Warwick Arts Centre · 8pm · £30.50 to £40.50
Phil Wang's stand-up tour stops at Warwick Arts Centre. Bring a friend who could do with a laugh. Details →
family
The Haunted Castle
Warwick Castle · Daily Sat 24 Oct to Sun 1 Nov, 10am to 5pm
Halloween takes over Warwick Castle for half-term. It's ticketed, and prices are on the event page. Details →
family
October Half Term at the Shakespeare family homes
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust houses, Stratford-upon-Avon · Daily Sat 24 Oct to Sun 1 Nov, 10am to 5pm · Trails and backpacks included with admission
Half-term performances, dressing up and family trails around the Shakespeare houses in Stratford-upon-Avon. Some activities need booking, so check first. Details →
Sunday 25 October
Heads up: the clocks go back an hour at 2am on Sun 25 Oct, so Sunday gets a bonus hour in bed.
family
Family Singing
Warwick Arts Centre · 11.30am to 12.30pm · Free (donations welcome)
A sing-along hour for the whole family to start your Sunday. If you miss it, the next one is Sun 15 Nov. Details →
family
Ministry of Science LIVE
Albany Theatre · 1.30pm · £17.50 child, £18.50 full price
A family science show at the Albany. One for kids who ask 'why?' every five minutes. Details →
family
Michael Rosen: NICE!
Warwick Arts Centre · 2pm · £21.50
Children's author Michael Rosen brings his show to Warwick Arts Centre. Bring the kids who know his books by heart. Details →
gig
The Hawkesbury Trawlermen
The Triumph Brewhouse, 33 Parkside · About 3pm
Sea shanties and sea songs at The Triumph Brewhouse on a Sunday afternoon. The time is approximate, so get there a little early. Details →
gig
Bollywood Time Machine 2.0
Warwick Arts Centre · 7.30pm · £28.50
A night of Bollywood music to round off the weekend. Dancing in your seat is very much allowed. Details →
gig
Stereotypical + What about Eric? + Crxssed Out
The Tin at the Coal Vaults · 7.30pm to 11pm · £7.76 advance inc. booking fee
Three bands on one bill for £7.76. A cheap way to find your next favourite band. Details →
From our sponsor
Ad · Sponsored by Chill Rooms
Commercial Refrigeration and Air Conditioning in Coventry
Chill Rooms logo
Chill Rooms are Coventry's own commercial refrigeration engineers, keeping pubs, cafés and shops cold for 20+ years. Fridges, freezers, coldrooms, ice machines and cellar cooling, with a 24/7 breakdown line on 02475 420 411.
Monday 26 October
Quiet one
Nothing dated in our listings today, so it's a good day for the exhibitions and shows in On all week, further down.
Tuesday 27 October
family
Creative Kids Holiday Club
Herbert Art Gallery & Museum · Tue 27 and Wed 28 Oct, 9.30am to 3.30pm · £25 per child
A half-term art club at the Herbert. Book online, and note there's a charge for late pick-up. Details →
family
Curious Creatures & Creepy Crafts
Herbert Art Gallery & Museum · Daily Tue 27 to Sat 31 Oct, 10am to 4pm · Included with admission
Drop-in creepy crafts for half-term. Handy for an afternoon when the kids need something to make. Details →
family
Climb Aboard the 1987 Sky Blue Bus
Coventry Transport Museum · 10.30am to 3pm · Suggested donation £5
Hop on board the 1987 Sky Blue bus. Sky Blues fans, this one's for you, and Junior Sky Blue members go free with proof. Details →
gig
Jazz in the Vaults: Celebrating Black History Month
The Tin at the Coal Vaults · 7pm to 10.30pm · £5.54 advance (£2.77 to join the jam) inc. booking fee
A jazz night with a jam session, marking Black History Month. Bring your instrument if you'd like to play. Details →
theatre
Little Shop of Horrors
Belgrade Theatre · Tue 27 to Sat 31 Oct, 7.30pm, plus 2pm Thu 29 and Sat 31 · From £34
The musical comedy starts its run at the Belgrade. Compare dates on the booking page before you pick a night. Details →
family
Trick & Treat Circus Live
Benn Hall, Rugby · 1.30pm · £13
Over in Rugby, a Halloween circus show for families. An easy half-term afternoon out. Details →
Wednesday 28 October
family
Coventry Women Through History: Legacy, Impact and Change
Herbert Art Gallery & Museum and Coventry Transport Museum · 10.30am to 3pm · Included with admission
A drop-in day across both museums, looking at Coventry women through history. Good for curious families and history fans. Details →
family
Creative Roots (Black History Month)
Market Way · noon to 4pm · Free, no need to register
Outdoor family arts and crafts inspired by African and Caribbean culture. Part of the council's Black History Month programme. Details →
gig
Dub Club
FarGo Village · 7pm to 10pm
FarGo's weekly dub night, every Wednesday. A midweek excuse to get out of the house. Details →
talk
The Master Ghost Hunter
Albany Theatre · 7pm · £15
A paranormal-themed evening at the Albany, just in time for Halloween. You might want to leave a light on afterwards. Details →
film
Hadestown: The Musical (screening)
Warwick Arts Centre · 7.15pm · £19.50 (£17.50 conc.)
The filmed West End production on the big screen, just under two and a half hours. Under-26s and students pay £10.50. Details →
theatre
Stratford Youth Theatre: The Snow Queen
Rother Street Arts House, Stratford-upon-Avon · Wed 28 to Sat 31 Oct, 7pm · £15 (£12)
Stratford's youth theatre takes on The Snow Queen. An early taste of winter for families. Details →
theatre
Women of Troy (Loft Theatre Company)
Loft Theatre, Leamington Spa · Wed 28 Oct to Sat 7 Nov, 7.30pm (Sat 31 Oct 8pm, Sun 1 Nov 5pm, no show Mon 2 Nov)
A short hop to Leamington Spa for a community staging of the Euripides tragedy, in a new version. Details →
From our sponsor
Ad · Sponsored by Abode Bathrooms
New Bathroom on the Wish List?
Abode Bathrooms logo
Abode Bathrooms are specialist bathroom fitters based in the Coventry area. Dreaming of a fresh new bathroom? Get in touch for a free quote.
On all week
free
British Art Show 10: A Chorus of Strangers
Herbert Art Gallery & Museum and Warwick Arts Centre (Mead Gallery) · Until Sun 10 Jan 2027 (Mead Gallery Tue to Sun, 11am to 8pm) · Free
The touring national contemporary art show is split between two Coventry venues. It's free, so you can pop back for seconds. Details →
theatre
As You Like It (RSC)
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon · Until Sat 7 Nov
In Stratford-upon-Avon, the RSC's all-male As You Like It, with Jonathan Groff as Rosalind. Times and prices are on the RSC's booking pages. Details →
theatre
Middlemarch Parts 1 and 2 (RSC)
Swan Theatre (RSC), Stratford-upon-Avon · Until Sat 16 Jan 2027
Over in Stratford-upon-Avon, George Eliot's novel told on stage in two parts. Check the RSC's site for times and prices. Details →
 
That's your week planned. Know someone who always asks what's on? Forward this to them, and they can join free on our website.
Got an event or a tip? Email [email protected]. Want to advertise? [email protected].
We checked these listings on the venues' and organisers' own websites on Wed 21 Oct. Times and prices can change, so check the link before you go.
Penny Whitlock, Newsletter Editor and Writer · Part of The Coventry Pulse's AI-assisted newsroom.
Questions, corrections or tips: [email protected] (Jonathan Calloway, Editor-in-Chief)

Keep Reading