Co-funded by the University of Southampton, the Nuffield Theatre has been entertaining the city's culture vultures for more than 40 years. A fully independent producing theatre, the Nuffield has also produced award-winning plays that have toured across the UK.
Available :
Daily
The Common is an enormous park located conveniently close to Southampton city centre. Home to the Hawthorns Urban Wildlife Centre, the town's old gallows and a lake, the area is listed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Available :
Daily
The Southampton Kite Festival is held at Lordshill Recreation Grounds. Bring your own kite and head to the single and multi-line flying arenas, watch the experts compete in National Sport Kite Competitions or treat your teddy to a parachute trip.
Available :
Jun 2013 (annual)
Welsh National Opera take three operas on tour this autumn, stopping here at Southampton's Mayflower. Five nights will see two performances of Mozart's Don Giovanni and Rossini's Barber of Seville as well as Janacek's Katya Kabanova.
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Nov - Dec 2013 (annual)
Plots and convoluted intrigue typify Welsh National Opera's two spring productions at Southampton's Mayflower. Comedy first, in John Copley's new production of Johann Strauss' effervescent Die Fledermaus, while darker forces are at work in Verdi's Il Trovatore.
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Mar 2013 (annual)
The Edge is an easy-going gay venue in Southampton which offers a range of weekly activities, from pole dancing on Mondays and karaoke on Tuesdays to party night on Saturday, when dance and chart music fill the floor. There are also frequent cabaret shows and a loft restaurant to relax in with friends.
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Daily
Mayflower Park hosts the annual Southampton Boat Show, which has been going strong since 1969. It's a showcase for watersports lovers featuring marine activities, unrivalled shopping opportunities and some of the world's most luxurious yachts.
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Sep 2013 (annual)
WestQuay is Southampton's multi-million pound leisure development, with around 100 shops and outlet stores selling everything from lifestyle, sport and fashion to toys and games, electrical and media. There are plenty of eateries and cafés on the WestQuay Food Terrace.
Available :
Daily
Art Asia brings Southampton Mela Festival to Hoglands Park. A colourful event with music, arts, dance and crafts activities, there's also a funfair, clothes stalls and great food to tuck into. More than 20,000 people come to enjoy the fun.
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Jul 2013 (annual)
Southampton's artists' market, held at the marketplace next to Bargate Monument on the first and third Saturday of the month, provides an opportunity to view and buy a wide range of original artwork direct from talented local artists.
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Feb 2013 (various dates)
Southampton's Medieval Merchant's House offers the opportunity to see how a trader would have lived and worked 700 years ago. Built in 1290 by John Fortin, a merchant who traded with others in Bordeaux, it was located on one of the busiest streets in the town back then. Today it has been renovated by English Heritage to reflect its mid-14th-century appearance, removing any additional building after this period.
Available :
Weekends only
Southampton's Maritime Museum tells the story of the city's nautical history since the first docks were built in the early-19th century. There's a special exhibition on the Titanic, which set sail on its fateful maiden voyage from Southampton in 1912.
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Daily; not Mon
Discover Southampton's rich history of aviation at Solent Sky. The vintage aircraft on display encompass Flying Boats, jet fighters, helicopters and the famous S6 racing seaplane. Taking pride of place is the legendary Supermarine Spitfire, designed by RJ Mitchell.
Available :
Daily
Southampton's Museum of Archaeology gives a historical tour of the city from Prehistoric times to Roman occupation and the reign of Queen Victoria. It is housed in God's House Tower at the south-east corner of the old city walls.
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Daily; not Mon
The Friends Life T20 begins with a group format in June, before quarter finals in July and Finals Day in August. This year Finals Day takes place at Southampton's Rose Bowl where Hampshire Hawks play their home games.
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Jun - Aug 2013 (annual)
Founded in 1382, Winchester College maintains some original medieval construction, including the cloisters and Chamber Court. The walking tours are the best way to take in the grounds' charming features, including a 14th-century wooden-ceilinged Gothic chapel and red-brick classroom.
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Daily
Celebrate Guy Fawkes Night at the Winchester Round Table Bonfire & Fireworks Display - events start with a torchlit procession from Broadway through the medieval centre of the town to River Park.
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Nov 2013 (annual)
The Winchester Festival brings together a richly varied group of performers and artists in venues across the city. The musical offerings range from jazz to classical and an open-air fireworks concert. A rich literary and children's programme also feature.
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Jul 2013 (annual)
Britain's longest-running festival of street theatre, held in Winchester city centre, is outlandish, entertaining and innovative. Spectators are asked to delve into their pockets to fill the eponymous hats that are passed around by the performers at Winchester Hat Fair.
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Jul 2013 (annual)
The 13th-century Great Hall is all that remains of Winchester Castle. The Purbeck stone columns, pointed arches and plate tracery windows reflect King Henry III's sophisticated tastes. Also inside is a grand symbol of medieval mythology, King Arthur's Round Table.
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Daily
The City Museum in Winchester traces the story of the city through extensive archaeological exhibits and a fine local history collection.
Available :
Daily
Winchester's Westgate Museum is a former city gateway, complete with portcullis and gunports, that was built and altered between the 12th and 14th centuries. Spot prisoners' graffiti on the walls from the days when it was used as a jail.
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Feb - Mar 2013; not Mon (various dates)
The Winchester Chamber Music Festival features a series of concerts and masterclass at the Winchester Discovery Centre. The programme is presented by the London Bridge Ensemble and other highlights include performances by emerging talents and group workshops.
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Apr 2013 (annual)
Have fun with science and technology at the INTECH family museum in Winchester. Engaging hands-on displays explore everything from tornados to recycling, while more than 100 interactive exhibits bring tricky concepts to light.
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Daily
The beautiful Abbey of Beaulieu is situated at the heart of the New Forest and was founded back in 1204 by a grant from King John to an Order of Cistercian monks. It grew to wield huge power and influence until Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538. Today, it is open to the public, along with Beaulieu's Palace House and Gardens and the renowned National Motor Museum.
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Daily
One of the Southeast's biggest displays, Beaulieu's Fright Night Fireworks is an explosive night's entertainment. It's set to a spine-chilling theme, but you may feel equally terrified by the performance of the opening tribute act...
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Oct 2013 (annual)
Thousands of visitors head to the popular Beaulieu International Autojumble each year. The two-day event claims to be the biggest outdoor sale of European car and motorcycle items in the country, and attracts the sort of people who take cars very seriously.
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Sep 2013 (annual)
Scores of fit people descend on New Milton for this annual marathon and half-marathon, which follows a course through the stunning New Forest. The organisers claim it is one of the most beautiful runs in the UK.
Available :
Sep 2008 (annual)
The brainchild of Lionel Nathan de Rothschild, Exbury Estate was bought in 1919 from the Mitford family and transformed into an idyllic garden with ornamental pools and paths. It is particularly famous for Rothschilds' collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias.
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Mar - Nov 2013 (annual)
The long-standing New Forest and Hampshire County Show, held at the showground in Brockenhurst, showcases traditional country pursuits, new agricultural innovations and demonstrations. Spectators can enjoy a range of equestrian classes and livestock competitions.
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Jul 2013 (annual)
The Glade Festival outdoor dance party, from the organisers of the Glade Stage at Glastonbury, aims to return to the spirit of Glasto 1972 - with funky techno. The event again takes place at the Matterley Basin near Winchester.
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Jun 2013 (annual)
Built in 1701 for Charles Mompesson, Mompesson House is an architectural gem near Salisbury's cathedral. A splendid example of Queen Anne architecture, it contains exquisite plasterwork, an original oak staircase and a collection of Turnbull 18th-century drinking glasses.
Available :
Mar - Oct 2013; not Thu or Fri (annual)
The Mid Hants Railway, also known as the Watercress Line, is a preserved steam railway line that runs between Alresford and Alton. Operated by a team of volunteers, the line is open to passengers who want to take a trip back in time.
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Daily
Held in beautiful Tichborne Park, the Alresford Agricultural Show prides itself on remaining traditional. It featuring livestock competitions, trade stands, horticultural displays, rural crafts and a dog show.
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Sep 2013 (annual)
Around 40 boats leave from the Cowes Yacht Haven for the annual Classic Powerboat Race. Spectators can see them as they muster at the Royal Yacht Squadron from The Parade, Cowes and as they go down the Western Solent.
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Aug 2013 (annual)
St Barbe Museum in Lymington tells the special story of the coastal strip between the New Forest and The Solent, with its fascinating past and present. The area has seen a thriving salt industry as well as smugglers landing their illegal cargos and has a long tradition of innovative boat building. The museum's aim is to capture the unique flavour of life in the district and to bring first-class art exhibitions into the town.
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Daily; not Sun
Osborne House, former country retreat of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, is an English Heritage property on the Isle of Wight. See exotic influences from the Queen's eastern territories in the ornate Durbar Room and stroll around the Walled Garden.
Available :
Daily
This museum in Gosport traces the history of naval firepower. It's not the best place for pacifists or those of a nervous disposition, as visitors come face to face with the atom bomb, the Gatling Gun and the Exocet missile.
Available :
Weekends only
Salisbury Cathedral is one of the finest in England. Started in 1220, it was completed by 1258, with its famous spire, the tallest in England at 123 metres (404 feet), added a generation later.
Available :
Daily
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard houses some of the city's principal attractions, including HMS Victory, HMS Warrior 1860, the Royal Naval Museum, Action Stations, the Mary Rose and Dockyard Apprentice. Visit individual attractions or take a guided tour round the harbour.
Available :
Daily
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