From pop superstars Take That heading to Carrow Road to Mamma Mia! taking to the stage at Norwich Theatre Royal, there is lots for audiences to look forward to in Norwich throughout 2017.
Later this month the manipulate festival kicks off at Norwich Puppet Theatre. The annual celebration of visual theatre, from January 28 to February 5, aims to show puppetry is not just for children, and performances include Clementine's Fabulous Roadshow and Cities.
Norwich Cathedral is the stage for Antic Disposition's touring production of Shakespeare's Henry V on February 18, and there is also a chance the historic venue's role in the movie Tulip Fever may finally be revealed in the same month. The film, starring Judi Dench, Alicia Vikander, Christoph Waltz and Dane DeHaan – and which was partly shot at the cathedral and Holkham in 2014 – is due to be released in America on February 24 although no date has yet been given for a UK release.
One of Norwich Theatre Royal's biggest shows of the year – the hit musical Mamma Mia! – will take to the stage from February 28 to March 25, entertaining audiences with the songs of Abba and a tale of love, friendship and identity.
Norwich Fashion Week will celebrate the local fashion scene and all the latest looks with an array of catwalk shows and events from March 9 to 17.
In the same month, Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery will open the first of its special exhibitions for 2017. Small Stories: At Home In A Dolls' House runs from March 4 until June 25 and will give visitors the chance to discover the stories of 12 of the Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood's dolls' houses. Norfolk naval hero Admiral Lord Nelson and Dutch artist Rembrandt are the subjects of exhibitions at the castle later in the year, meanwhile at Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts there is a Paul Nash exhibition from April and a Russian Season from October.
Norfolk and Norwich Festival returns from May 12 to 28 – among the events confirmed so far are Casus Circus's show Driftwood in the Adnams Spiegeltent and the Britten Sinfonia performing Beethoven with Thomas Adès at St Andrew's Hall.
Pop band Take That is heading to Norwich City Football Club on June 15 and 16. More than 50,000 fans are set to watch the Rule the World hitmakers perform the final two dates of their Wonderland Live tour at Carrow Road.
In the same month Let's Rock Norwich will bring stars of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s to Earlham Park. Tony Hadley, Bananarama, Kim Wilde, Nik Kershaw and Chesney Hawkes are among those set to appear at the one-day festival on June 24, which is expected to attract up to 15,000 people.
Meanwhile in July, Norwich-based Outside Live will present two open air concerts at Taverham Hall – Jools Holland will be performing with his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra on July 28 and the following night the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will perform music from James Bond films.
One of the big summer highlights is always the Lord Mayor's Celebration which this year is July 7 to 9 and includes the traditional street procession and an array of other festivities.
Among the many other festivals are the Young Norfolk Arts Festival from June 30 until July 9, Noirwich Crime Writing Festival from September 14 to 17, and the Hostry Festival from October 14 to 29.
One of the final highlights of the year will be Norwich Theatre Royal's 2017/18 pantomime, Sleeping Beauty, which will run from December 13 2017 to January 14 2018.
Have you got a story about the arts to share? Email arts correspondent Emma Knights at emma.knights@archant.co.uk
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