Brewery Arts is preparing for one of its busiest months of the year, with a September 2026 programme spanning live performances, film screenings, exhibitions, creative workshops and social events at its Kendal venue.
The programme, published on 21 August, covers events across the Brewery Arts stages, screens, galleries and creative spaces. It includes tribute concerts, established performers, comedy nights, spoken-word events, film festivals, learning activities and informal gatherings for local makers.
Music and comedy across the Brewery Arts stages
The month’s live music begins with Moving Pictures – Rush Tribute at 7.30pm on 10 September in the Extended Theatre. Tickets cost £28.50, and the show will feature the 2112 suite in full alongside songs from across Rush’s career.
Very Santana follows at 7.30pm on 11 September, with tickets priced at £27.50 or £25 for people under 25. Lindisfarne returns at 7.30pm on 12 September, with tickets costing £36. The band will perform with a classic five-piece line-up of long-time members led by founder-member Rod Clements.
Other music dates include Jazz Club: Harben Kay & Stephen Henderson on 17 September, Total Stone Roses on 18 September, Cara Dillon and The Springsteen Sessions on 19 September, Altered Images on 21 September and Mary Coughlan on 24 September.
These events are scheduled for the Malt Room, Extended Theatre and Theatre. Listed music ticket prices range from £17.50 for the jazz event to £38.50 for Altered Images.
Comedy highlights include Alasdair Beckett-King’s King Of Crumbs at 8pm on 18 September and Seann Walsh’s This is Torture on 23 September. The Seann Walsh show is restricted to people aged 14 and over.
The Brewery Arts Comedy Club returns on 25 September, featuring Alex Hylton, David Hoare and Jacob Nussey, with Dave Twentyman as the headline act.
Films, spoken word and special screenings
The spoken-word programme opens with Poetry Club: Testing 1, 2, 3! at 7pm on 9 September. Ann the Poet, Francis Prendiville and Simon Sylvester are due to appear, and people can register either to perform or attend as audience members.
At No One You Know on 17 September, Blur drummer Dave Rowntree will share stories and photographs from the band’s early years. Verbalise: Louise Exactly follows on 26 September, featuring the Wigan performance poet with support from Caleb Staps.
Cinema highlights include The Terminator Double Bill on 5 September and Raiders of the Lost Ark – 45th Anniversary on 12 September. The BFI’s Rip It Up season will show This Is England on 16 September and Trainspotting on 26 September.
Brewery Arts will also host films linked to environmental and social justice through the Beyond Horizons festival. Our Planet, The People, My Blood will screen on 10 September, followed by a live question-and-answer session with the director. It’ll Never Work and X Trillion will be shown on 30 September, followed by a question-and-answer session with X Trillion director Eleanor Church.
Further screenings include Melt It! The Film of the Iceman on 19 September, followed by a question-and-answer session with Mark Cartwright, Robert Wringham and a mystery guest. The programme also includes Turandot on Sydney Harbour, National Theatre Live: The Misanthrope and David Hockney At The Royal Academy Of Arts.
Courses, exhibitions and new social events
The autumn Creative Learning season starts on Tuesday 15 September, with weekly courses and one-off workshops for different age groups. Adult options include Beginners Guide to Digital Photography and Drawing for Absolute Beginners.
Young people can join Clay Club, for ages seven to 16, or Makers Club, for ages seven to 14. Brewery Arts also plans visual arts and dance taster workshops for local primary schools and playgroups.
The Young Artist Open Exhibition, celebrating local artists aged four to 18, continues in the Sugar Store Gallery until 31 August. The Arts Unleashed Exhibition runs alongside it in the Foyer Gallery, displaying work created during this year’s Arts Unleashed Summer Camp.
A new Stitch Club launches on 22 September, offering a relaxed evening for knitting, crochet and other yarn-based activities. The Brewery Arts Quiz returns on 16 September.
September’s Tuesday Social events include a traditional folk session with Jackie, Andy & Friends on 1 September and an a cappella performance by Close Quarters on 15 September. A Youth Arts Networking Event on 2 September will invite young creatives aged 16 and over to share ideas, collaborate and develop projects, with pizza provided.
Visitors can also use the refreshed Malt Room and Foyer Bars, the Bar & Restaurant and Kendal’s largest beer garden, with local food and drink available throughout September.