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What's On

What's On in Maidstone

Things to do in and around Maidstone: events, days out and family activities, with the practical details.

Top story Kent Festive Gift & Food Show: 20-22 Nov, Tickets From £9 The Kent Festive Gift & Food Show is at Kent Showground, Detling, 20 to 22 November, 10am to 4pm. Adults £10 online, children £5.50, parking free. · 4 min read

Dates for the diary

  1. On now to 11 Oct Maidstone LitFest 2026 Venues across Maidstone
  2. Fri 2 Oct LitFest: Iain Dale in conversation with Sian Williams 7pm · Maidstone Town Hall
  3. Sat 3 Oct Maidstone Market and boot fair 7.30am · Lockmeadow car park
  4. Sat 3 Oct Mote Park parkrun 9am · Mote Park · Free
  5. Sat 3 Oct Maidstone River Park parkrun 9am · Kent Life · Free
  6. Sun 4 Oct LitFest children's and young adult day 10am · Invicta Grammar School
  7. Sun 4 Oct Seann Walsh: This is Torture 8pm · Hazlitt Theatre
  8. Mon 5 Oct LitFest: Acting Can Be Murder with Linda Regan 6.30pm · Maidstone Museum
  9. Tue 6 Oct LitFest: Dr Sian Williams, The Power of Anxiety 8pm · Hazlitt Theatre
  10. Wed 7 Oct Stories and Rhymes for under fives 10.30am · Maidstone Museum · From £2.50
  11. Thu 8 Oct Remembering Jacquetta: Maidstone's Link to a Dynasty 2pm · Maidstone Museum · From £15
  12. Fri 9 Oct LitFest: Milly Johnson, Let the Bells Ring Out 7pm · Maidstone Town Hall

More stories

Maidstone Maidstone Christmas Market 2026: Museum Fair Sat 5 Dec Maidstone Museum's free Christmas Craft Market is on Saturday 5 December, 10am to 3pm. No Jubilee Square Christmas market has been announced for 2026. · 4 min read Events What's On in Maidstone: LitFest, Then the Half Marathon Maidstone LitFest runs to 11 October and the half marathon is on the 18th. Then half term, four fireworks displays and the lights switch-on, 19 November. · 9 min read Maidstone Remembrance Sunday Maidstone 2026: Sunday 8 November Maidstone's Remembrance parade is on Sunday 8 November. Last year it stepped off at 10.30am, silence at 11am at The Broadway, roads shut 9.45am to 12.30pm. · 3 min read Leeds Castle Leeds Castle Christmas 2026: Wallace & Gromit From 21 Nov Leeds Castle's Christmas runs 20 November to 3 January: a Wallace & Gromit trail, evening lights and Father Christmas. Closed 25 December. Hours and prices. · 5 min read Christmas Santa's Grotto Maidstone 2026: Three to Book, From £15 Meet Father Christmas in Maidstone: the museum from 5 to 19 December at £15, Kent Life from 28 November, Leeds Castle from 21 November. Dates, prices, booking. · 5 min read Maidstone Maidstone Fireworks: 4 Displays on 6 to 8 Nov, From £12 Maidstone Grammar School's display is back on 7 November at £12, joining Kent Life, Leeds Castle and Cornwallis. Times, prices and parking for all four. · 8 min read Maidstone Maidstone Christmas Lights Switch-On: Thursday 19 November One Maidstone has confirmed Thursday 19 November in Jubilee Square, with a KM-hosted stage, the Mayor and Santa. Times are not out yet; 2025 ran 4.30pm to 7pm. · 4 min read Maidstone Maidstone Panto 2026: Beauty and the Beast from £21 Beauty and the Beast runs 54 performances at the Hazlitt from 28 November. Ten of them cost a flat £21, and the theatre's own website prints no prices at all. · 6 min read Maidstone Maidstone Half Marathon: Sunday 18 October, £32 Entry The Maidstone Half Marathon starts at 9.30am on Sunday 18 October in Mote Park. Entry is £32, and the host club's own page still prints last year's £31. · 5 min read Books Maidstone LitFest 2026: On to 11 October, Six Sold Out Maidstone LitFest is under way and runs to Sunday 11 October. Six events have sold out and two are on waiting lists; here is what you can still book. · 6 min read