Oxfordshire has plenty to tempt you out this April 2026, with venues across the county hosting everything from big-name stand-up and nostalgic music tributes to genre-bending brass, world-class jazz and intimate folk gigs. Whether you fancy a night of West End-tyle spectacle, a thought-provoking evening of stories and song or a loud, lively gig in a packed venue, there is no shortage of ways to fill the longer spring evenings.
A small selection of what’s on in Oxfordshire this April 2026:
Suntou Susso
Thursday 02 April 2026
The Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon, OX14 3HZ
Audiences in Abingdon can look forward to an intimate and mesmerising night of music when Suntou Susso appears at The Unicorn Theatre on Thursday 2 April 2026. A master of the kora – the 22-string West African harp and a charismatic singer and performer, Suntou comes from a long line of Gambian Griots: traditional custodians of history, storytelling and peace-making. His playing combines centuries-old Mandinka musical traditions with a fresh, contemporary sensibility, creating sounds that are both spiritually rooted and strikingly modern.
Following three years of intensive touring and experimentation after his debut release, Suntou unveiled his second album, Jaliya Silokang – The Path of a Griot, in November 2025. His solo shows now draw heavily on this new work, blending original compositions with reimagined traditional pieces that explore themes of heritage, belonging, ecology and shared humanity. Critics have praised the album’s ambition and emotional depth, and live audiences speak of evenings that feel transformative as well as entertaining. Expect virtuosic kora playing, rich storytelling and a performance that radiates warmth, generosity and artistic mastery.
The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight
Monday 06 April 2026
New Theatre Oxford, 24-26 George St, Oxford, OX1 2AG
Rock and metal fans can experience their favourite anthems in a completely new light when The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight comes to New Theatre Oxford on Monday 6 April 2026. Following shows to more than 700,000 guests across the UK, USA and Europe, this spectacular production returns with a brand-new setlist and a hauntingly atmospheric 90-minute show.
Performing in a stunning candlelit setting, a 14-piece collective of world-class classical musicians and vocalists blend sweeping strings, powerful percussion and soaring arrangements with the raw energy of rock and metal. Expect unexpected twists on iconic tracks as classical elegance collides with heavy riffs, creating an immersive, spine-tingling live experience that feels both familiar and completely transformed.
Queen of the Night – A Tribute to Whitney Houston
Friday 10 April 2026
New Theatre Oxford, 24-26 George St, Oxford, OX1 2AG
Whitney Houston fans can look forward to a night of powerhouse vocals and big emotions when Queen of the Night – A Tribute to Whitney Houston comes to New Theatre Oxford on Friday 10 April 2026. Following sold-out tours across the UK, including arena dates and appearances at the Royal Albert Hall and The London Palladium, this acclaimed production returns to celebrate the music and legacy of one of pop’s greatest voices. With a stunning lead vocalist, impressive backing singers and a full live band, it recreates the drama, glamour and sheer vocal firepower of Whitney’s greatest performances.
The show takes audiences on a journey through more than three decades of hits, from dancefloor-fillers to spine-tingling ballads. Expect to hear favourites such as I Wanna Dance With Somebody, How Will I Know, I’m Every Woman, So Emotional, One Moment in Time, Run to You, Saving All My Love for You, My Love Is Your Love, The Greatest Love of All and, of course, I Will Always Love You. It is an uplifting, nostalgic and emotionally charged tribute to an artist whose songs continue to resonate with fans around the world.
Yourythmics
Friday 10 April 2026
The Kenton Theatre, 19 New Street, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 2BS
Fans of 80s synth-pop are in for a treat when Yourythmics comes to The Kenton Theatre, Henley-on-Thames, on Friday 10 April 2026. This vibrant tribute show celebrates the era-defining sound of Eurythmics, taking audiences on a nostalgic journey through their biggest hits. Expect to hear classics such as Love Is a Stranger, Here Comes the Rain Again, Would I Lie to You?, Right by Your Side and, of course, the iconic Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), all recreated with a full live band and plenty of style.
The show also pays homage to Annie Lennox’s acclaimed solo career, featuring favourites like No More I Love You’s, A Whiter Shade of Pale and Why. Fronting the band is Stacy Green, recognised as the UK’s No. 1 Annie Lennox tribute and lookalike by the National Agents Association and even acknowledged by Annie Lennox herself. With energetic musicianship, striking costumes and chances for the audience to join in, Yourythmics promises an uplifting night of singalong anthems.
Suzi Ruffell: The Juggle
Saturday 11 April 2026
Oxford Playhouse, Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2LW
Suzi Ruffell brings her brand-new show The Juggle to Oxford Playhouse on Saturday 11 April 2026. A night of stand-up that doubles as a kind of unofficial support group for anyone trying (and failing) to keep all the plates spinning. In her typically honest, confessional style, Suzi explores what it means to try to be “good” at everything: a good mum, daughter, partner, friend and human being, all while staying ambitious but not ruthless, successful but not a sell-out, firm but fair as a parent, and somehow making it all look effortless. Spoiler: it does not feel effortless.
A multi-award-winning comedian, Suzi is a familiar face from Live at the Apollo, The Jonathan Ross Show, The Last Leg and QI, and a familiar voice from her hit podcasts Big Kick Energy (with Maisie Adam), Like Minded Friends (with Tom Allen) and her own series OUT with Suzi Ruffell, as well as regular stints on Virgin Radio. With the release of her debut book Am I Having Fun Now? in 2025, she has even more material to draw on as she unpicks the chaos of modern life with warmth, sharp observations and plenty of big laughs. If you have ever felt like everyone else is coping better than you, The Juggle is very much your show.
Biff To The Future
Tuesday 14 April 2026
The Theatre Chipping Norton, 2 Spring Street, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, OX7 5NL
Fans of Back to the Future can enjoy a hilariously sideways look at the classic trilogy when Biff to the Future lands at The Theatre Chipping Norton on Tuesday 14 April 2026. Written by and starring Joseph Maudsley and presented by James Seabright, this sharp parody has already made waves with an acclaimed, award-winning run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This time, it is the franchise’s notorious bully Biff who steps into the spotlight, with the story retold from his point of view as he grapples with Marty McFly, Doc Brown and the strange twists of time travel.
Blending big laughs with surprising heart, the show charts Biff’s lifelong pursuit of power, fame and fortune, revisiting his run-ins with Marty and Doc across different eras. Whether you know every line of the films or are coming to the story fresh, this 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Theatre Award winner offers a fast-paced, affectionate and delightfully offbeat tribute to one of cinema’s most beloved trilogies.
Sounds Of The 60s Live – Hosted By Tony Blackburn OBE
Wednesday 15 April 2026
New Theatre Oxford, 24-26 George St, Oxford, OX1 2AG
Fans of 1960s music can step back in time when Sounds of the 60s Live Hosted by Tony Blackburn OBE comes to New Theatre Oxford on Wednesday 15 April 2026. Based on his hugely popular BBC Radio 2 show, the tour brings the soundtrack of the decade to the stage with a live band, classic hits and stories from one of broadcasting’s most recognisable voices. Following a run of sold-out dates and standing ovations in 2025, the 2026 tour promises another feel-good night packed with favourites from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder, The Walker Brothers and many more. Expect singalong medleys, floor-filling soul and plenty of nostalgia.
Tony Blackburn, who first took to the airwaves on pirate station Radio Caroline in 1964 and became the very first voice heard on BBC Radio 1 in 1967, is widely regarded as a pioneer of British broadcasting. Over a career spanning more than six decades he has picked up multiple industry awards, fronted radio and TV shows, and even been crowned the first winner of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!. On this tour he shares his passion for the music that defined the 60s, along with warm anecdotes and memories from a lifetime in radio. It is an uplifting celebration of an era that changed pop culture forever.
Alan Johnson: The Beatles, Harold Wilson and Me
Thursday 16 April 2026
The Kenton Theatre, 19 New Street, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 2BS
Former Cabinet minister Alan Johnson swaps the dispatch box for the stage when he brings The Beatles, Harold Wilson and Me to The Kenton Theatre on Thursday 16 April 2026. One of the most respected figures of the Blair and Brown years, Johnson served as Health Secretary, Education Secretary and Home Secretary – but long before Westminster, his dream was not politics, but pop stardom. In this candid and often funny evening, he traces his journey from a tough childhood as an orphan in a West London slum to the heart of government and reflects on how the rise of The Beatles and the premiership of his political hero Harold Wilson intersected with his own life.
Blending political insight with pop culture nostalgia, the show offers a richly textured portrait of post-war Britain and the personalities who helped shape it. Baby Boomers and music lovers in particular will enjoy Johnson’s reflections on how the optimism, upheaval and cultural shifts of the 1960s fed into both his personal story and the country’s changing identity. He may never have made it onto Top of the Pops, but his influence on public life has been significant and here he looks back with warmth, wit and a clear-eyed sense of how history, politics and pop music all intertwine.
Seb Lowe
Friday 24 April 2026
O2 Academy Oxford, Cowley Rd, Oxford OX4 1UE
Rising artist Seb Lowe brings his potent mix of indie rock and alt-folk to O2 Academy Oxford on Friday 24 April 2026. Known for his sharp, highly literate lyrics and distinctive songwriting, his recorded work is gripping enough. But it is on stage that everything really catches fire, as he delivers his songs with a fierce, urgent energy.
Live, Seb is joined by violinist and vocalist Kate Couriel, whose playing and harmonies add a striking extra dimension to the sound, all driven by Joel Goodwin’s powerful drumming. Together they create a performance that is intense, dynamic and impossible to ignore.
Hackney Colliery Band
Tuesday 28 April 2026
The Theatre Chipping Norton, 2 Spring Street, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, OX7 5NL
Hackney Colliery Band bring their high-energy, genre-blurring brass to The Theatre Chipping Norton on Tuesday 28 April 2026. Since 2009, this nine-piece East London outfit have been cheerfully ripping up brass band conventions, winning a loyal following with their inventive arrangements, original material and joyful live shows. From playing to 80,000 people at the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony to releasing a string of critically praised albums, they have built a reputation as one of the most exciting and unpredictable live bands on the circuit.
Now, fifteen years in, they arrive on the back of their sixth album, Collaborations: Volume Two, which sees them team up with a wide range of vocalists and instrumentalists, expanding their sound with harp, guitar, cello and even conch shells. Refusing to be pinned down to any single genre, Hackney Colliery Band fold jazz, funk, global influences and pop sensibilities into a brass-driven sound that feels fresh, playful and constantly evolving. Expect tight musicianship, big grooves and a party atmosphere from a group who clearly love pushing each other and their audience to new musical places.
With so much happening on stage, it is the perfect excuse to make a break of it and stay a little longer in Oxfordshire. Turn your night out into a mini holiday with a stay in a city hotel, a cosy B&B, a characterful guest house or a self-catering cottage in one of the county’s market towns and villages. In between shows you can enjoy a meal at one of Oxfordshire’s many excellent pubs, cafés and restaurants, sampling everything from comforting pub classics to more refined dining. However you plan your visit, you will find plenty of great places to stay, eat and unwind while you enjoy what’s on this April.
