Summer fêtes, 50 years of the raft race, holiday clubs galore
It's the July 2025 issue of the Lewes List
Food
News: Blend Coffee Co has opened a new shop at 37 Cliffe High Street. This independent coffee outfit — which has stores in Portslade and Worthing — held a soft launch on 5 June. More here.
Every Saturday: Dalliance at Depot continues throughout July, including on 12 July when six-piece funk band Supernatural Things will bring their blend of Stax/Motown soul, blues, jazz and funk. Music starts at 6pm, with Middle Eastern street food courtesy of Kabak. More here.
19 July: Seasons is celebrating its collaboration with Seven Sisters’ Spices with a Meet the Maker session from 11am–4pm at its Cliffe High Street shop. Also look out for Taster Days, which include Pop Cultures Kombucha and Wilding Water Kefir. More here.
9–10 August: These Hills Beer Festival from Beak Brewery returns – this year at Glynde Place. Expect over 40 international breweries pouring alongside live music, DJs and street food. Your ticket includes a festival glass, a welcome pour, and 10% off at Beak’s taproom during the weekend. More here.
Culture
Until 24 August: The Glyndebourne Festival continues with performances of The Marriage of Figaro, Parsifal, Káťa Kabanová and more. A few tickets remain. More here.
Until 9 July: Depot’s Climate Action! Film Festival returns with this year’s theme: Women in Activism. A week of screenings that ‘shine a spotlight on the powerful role women play in defending our planet’. More here.
4–5 July: Ouse Valley Folk Festival brings two days of live folk music to The Sidings, Newhave, with Kate Daisy Grant, Nick Pynn, Sairie, Duck Soup, Ouse Valley Morris and a ceilidh. Free entry, good beer and dancing. More here.
12 July: Lewes Drama Collective presents three one-act plays at All Saints: Carpe Diem, Aesop’s Fables and Dexter and Winter’s Detective Agency. More here.
19 July: Just outside Lewes on Streat Lane, So Far Sounds x Artelium is a secret concert featuring three yet-to-be-announced acts playing on the vineyard terrace, from 6.30pm. More here.
17–19 July: Lewes Baroquefest returns with five early-music concerts in historic venues across town, from Bach’s Double Violin Concerto to Handel’s Dixit Dominus. More here.
30 July: Mix Colour Not Mud is a one-day colour workshop with Kirsten Norbury at Star Brewery, featuring hands-on exercises to create a deeper understanding of colour relationships and practical mixing techniques. More here.
Until 21 September: Charleston in Lewes is now running the largest-ever exhibition of Vanessa Bell’s work (and why not hop on the art bus to the Towner to see Sussex Modernism after?) More here.
Sport & Community
6 July: There’s a Leisure Leagues 6-a-side football league kicking off at the Rookery 3G pitch. Sunday evenings, 7:30–9pm. More here.
6 July: Plumpton Music Festival at Plumpton Racecourse promises a full day of live music, food and fun – organised by local music school Rok Skool. More here.
12 July: Lewes Climate Hub marks Plastic-Free July with a talk by Lisa Thomson from the Greenpeace Speakers Network at 1pm. She’ll discuss international progress on the UN Global Plastics Treaty – part of the Hub’s “Fight for your Right to Refill” campaign. More here.
13 July: Waterloo Bonfire Society Summer Fête returns to the Paddock with food, drink, music and family activities from 12-5pm. The Night Before also returns – taking place 3-10pm on 12 July – with live music and bar. More here.
13 July: Newick Bonfire Society Summer Fête takes place at Newick Recreation Ground with children’s funfair, tug of war, vintage tractors and BBQ. More here.
17–20 July: Explore the garden as a ‘radical, resilient and restorative space’ at Charleston’s Festival of the Garden, featuring talks from some of the most interesting voices in the field, plus children’s workshops, storytelling and garden exploration in Firle. More here.
19 July: A two-hour guided tour of Lewes Priory explores 450 years of monastic life and includes rare access to the Gundrada Chapel at Southover Church. Starts at 2:30pm, booking essential. More — including dates for later in the summer — here.
27 July: The Lewes to Newhaven Raft Race celebrates 50 years of homemade chaos on the Ouse. Starts midday at Malling Rec. This year’s theme: “50”. More here.
Family
News: Clayful Hands, just outside Lewes in Offham, has a raft of classes for children and adults coming up. They include a Minecraft Clay Workshop for kids, a Teen Summer course and much more. Visit its website here and book tickets here.
News: May Everett is running a three-day summer art school, offering an introduction to multidisciplinary art making for 16–19 year olds, taking places at the Paddock Art Studio. More here.
4 July: The Patina Moving On Parade takes to the streets of Lewes with 14 local primary schools, themed this year on A Night in the Museum. Starts 12:30pm from the Paddock. More here.
5 & 6 July: Cinemini Toddlers Workshop at Depot – short films, free play and hands-on film-themed activities for children aged 3–5. Tickets £3. More here.
14 July–2 September: Nature Kids Holiday Club offers indoor and outdoor activities for children aged 6-12 with drop offs and pickups in Lewes. More here.
23 July–28 August: The Outdoors Project runs holiday clubs at Southover and Western Road school, for children in Years 1 to 6. Activities include bushcraft, games, and creative projects. Sessions run from 9am-3pm. More here.
23–25 July, 28–30 July & 11–13 August: Lewes Athletic Club hosts three-day athletic camps for children in school years 3-6. Activities include running, jumping, and throwing events. Sessions run from 10am-3pm at Lewes Athletic Track. More here.
28–31 July & 4–7 August: Railway Land Wildlife Trust offers outdoor adventure clubs for children aged 6–12 at the Railway Land Nature Reserve in Lewes. Activities include den building, pond dipping, and wildlife exploration. Sessions run from 9am-3pm. More here.
23 July–29 August: East Sussex Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) provides free holiday clubs with meals for eligible children across East Sussex, including Lewes. Activities vary by location. More here.