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People and communities

What’s On Walsall – August 2026

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Make the most of the summer holidays with another packed month of events and activities across Walsall this August. From family fun in the pool and creative workshops at The New Art Gallery Walsall to live entertainment at Walsall Arena and exciting Hippo Trail activities across the borough, there's plenty to keep all ages entertained. 

Collage, showcasing the various activities on across Walsall's venues this August
Collage, showcasing the various activities on across Walsall's venues this August

Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

  • Location: Hawbush Road, Leamore, Walsall, WS3 1AG
  • Opening times: Box Office (0300 555 2898). Monday–Friday, 10am–2pm
  • Website: www.walsallarena.com 

Funny Beeseness comedy night with Milton Jones

After a fantastic debut show, Funny Beeseness return to Walsall Arena with another Sunday stonker of a line-up, featuring Milton Jones, Tom Wrigglesworth and Ian Crawford.

Senior Citizens Orchestra Concert

The Senior Citizens Orchestra perform bi-monthly concerts at Walsall Arena and Arts Centre. Their programmes offer a great mix of fabulous music and feature a whole range of popular classics and favourite show tunes.

The Ultimate 70’s Show

A live tribute to the rock and pop idols of the 1970s, featuring the music of Slade, T.Rex, The Sweet, David Bowie, Suzi Quatro, Alice Cooper, Mott the Hoople and Queen.

The New Art Gallery Walsall

  • Location:  Gallery Square, Walsall, WS2 8LG
  • Opening times: Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–4.30pm | Sunday, 11am–4pm | Closed Mondays and Bank Holidays
  • Website: www.thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk

Community Gallery

Mothers without Hands

  • Artist: Tereza Bušková
  • Exhibition open until: 15 November 2026

Mothers without Hands presents outcomes from an international project initiated and developed by Birmingham-based artist Tereza Bušková, which involved diverse communities in Folkestone, Prague, Brno, Erdington and Walsall in creative workshops and public processions to raise awareness of violence against women and girls.

The exhibition takes its title from The Girl Without Hands, a 1200-year-old fairy tale collected and revised by the Brothers Grimm. Featuring a girl whose hands are cut off and magically restored, it is a story not only about patriarchal oppression, persecution, violation and trauma, but also survival, strength and healing.

Collection Exhibitions 

Face Value, Contemporary Portraits from the Collections

  • Artists: Ruth Claxton, Darryl Georgiou, Oliver Jones, Mahtab Hussain, Eugene Palmer, Shanti Panchal, Andrew Tift, Gillian Wearing, Nilupa Yasmin
  • Exhibition open until: 23 May 2027

Inspired by the strong focus on portraits in the Garman Ryan Collection, this temporary exhibition brings together a selection of artworks from the Gallery’s Permanent Collection. These artworks demonstrate how different themes and ideas can be conveyed and presented through portraiture. The works also vary in scale and media.

Contemporary Exhibitions 

What Grows In Between

  • Artists: Dan Booth, Abraham Babajide Cole, Hannah Rollason
  • Exhibition open until: 11 October 2026

A group exhibition of newly commissioned work made during the third iteration of Assembly, a development programme for local artists held in partnership with arts organisation Multistory. Through painting, sculpture and installation, the artists explore connection and transformation as ways of navigating uncertain times. 

Ten.8 afterimage

  • Artists: The exhibition features works by 34 artists including specially commissioned new work by Heather Agyepong. A partnership project between The New Art Gallery Walsall and International Curators Forum.
  • Exhibition open until: 13 September 2026

Ten.8 afterimage explores the legacy and enduring impact of Ten.8 (1979–1992), a photography journal that emerged from the Midlands’ radical cultural and political landscape. Ten.8 played a key role in shaping critical debates about representation and the politics of photography. 

Curated by Pelumi Odubanjo.

Workshops and activities

Sunday Art Club

  • Date: Every Sunday
  • Time: 12pm-3pm
  • Price: Free
  • Booking: Drop-in, no booking required 

Weekly art clubs for children and young people, aged 4+. Meet artists and creatives and learn to paint, print, sculpt, craft and more!

  • Sunday 2 August: Scrap Sketchbooks

Turn a collection of scrap papers into a usable sketchbook.

  • Sunday 9 August: Floral Sun Catchers

Make and take home a colourful summer sun catcher using pva glue.

  • Sunday 16 August: Saltdough Creations 

Roll, plait and make squashy shapes with traditional salt dough. (Allergens: Contains wheat)

  • Sunday 23 August: Paper People

Collage and colour a whole outfit for a paper doll.

  • Sunday 30 August: Reverse Drawing

Create bold still lifes using black paper and white drawing materials

Stitchety Workshops with artist Kate Tilley

Learn techniques in sewing, knitting, crochet and embroidery in this new, informal, monthly workshop for adults. This session’s theme is ‘Crochet flowers’.

Walk and Draw

Make speedy sketches of artworks in the Collections and temporary exhibitions, the Gallery’s architecture, the magnificent views from the Gallery’s windows, and the local area, including the wildlife along the canal, public sculptures and historical buildings along the high street.

Baby & Me

Multi-sensory sessions for parents, carers and their babies, aged 0-2.

Butterflies, Bugs & Moths

  • Date: Tuesday, 21 July – Sunday, 30 August 2026
  • Time: 10am – 4pm
  • Price: Free
  • Booking: Drop-in, no booking required

Get creative making a colourful bug using simple paper craft. All ages welcome.

Art Library

  • Date: Open weekly, Tuesday - Friday
  • Time: 10am – 4pm
  • Price: Free to use
  • Booking: Drop-in, no booking required

Located on the mezzanine of The New Art Gallery Walsall, the Art Library is calm, welcoming space for reading, research and inspiration. The collection includes around 5,000 books, exhibition catalogues and art magazines, alongside the gallery’s own collection of Artists’ Publications.

Stitchers and Skivers with Walsall Leather Museum

  • Date: 11, 18 and 25 August 2026.
  • Time: Session 1: 10.30am – 12.30pm | Session 2: 1.30pm – 3.30pm
  • Price: £6.50
  • Booking: Book at Gallery Reception

Enjoy a relaxing  group craft session and explore a variety of creative techniques. All materials are provided, and refreshments are included.

Walsall Leisure

  • Locations: 
  • Oak Park Active Living Centre: Coppice Road, Walsall Wood, Walsall WS9 9BH
  • Bloxwich Active Living Centre:  High Street, Bloxwich WS3 2DA
  • Darlaston Swimming and Fitness Centre: Victoria Road, Darlaston, Walsall WS10 8AP
  • Walsall Gala Swimming and Fitness Centre: Tower Street, Walsall WS1 1DH
  • Opening times: Varied by centre. Please check the website for the latest opening times.
  • Website: https://go.walsall.gov.uk/sport-and-leisure/centres 

Dive into six weeks of family fun at Walsall's leisure centres this summer. From pool inflatables and family swim sessions to roller skating, football camps, gymnastics and trampolining, there's a packed programme of activities for all ages to enjoy throughout the school holidays.

View the full activity programme here: https://go.walsall.gov.uk/events?category=245&venue=All&search_param=&dates=All 

Full swimming timetables can be found at: https://go.walsall.gov.uk/sport-and-leisure/centres

Hippo Trail activities

Get creative this summer with a series of free, family-friendly Hippo Trail workshops and events delivered by Walsall Council, in partnership with Urban Hax CIC and RicNic. From arts and crafts to storytelling and script writing, these fun, hands-on activities give children and young people the chance to help shape Walsall's exciting Hippo Trail project while developing their creativity and imagination.

Walsall Hippo Trail Family Fun Day

  • Date: Saturday, 8 August 2026
  • Time: 11am – 3pm
  • Location: Walsall Arboretum
  • Price: Free
  • Booking: www.ricnic.org/events  

Join RicNic at the Walsall Hippo Trail Family Fun Day for games, crafts, storytelling and giveaways! A free event for all the family to enjoy.

Hip Hip Hooray – Nature Art

  • East Family Hub: Thursday 13 August, 1.30pm–3pm 
  • South & Central Family Hub: Friday 14 August, 10am–11.30am 
  • North Family Hub: Friday 14 August, 1.30pm–3pm 
  • West Family Hub: Monday 17 August, 10am–11.30am
  • Price: Free
  • Booking: www.ricnic.org/events  

Next summer, Walsall will be filled with giant Hippo statues for the 'Hippo Herd' art trail. This year, we are visiting venues across the borough to gather ideas for designs to go on these statues. Can you help our team create some wild ideas through this fun nature-art workshop? Suitable for ages 2-5 years. Siblings welcome. Parent/Guardian supervision required throughout.

Walsall Hippo Trail Script-writing & Storyboards

  • Date: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
  • Time: 9.30am – 11.30am
  • Location: All Saints Church Hall, Bloxwich
  • Price: Free
  • Booking: www.ricnic.org/events  

Aspiring authors, actors and artists aged 10-16: Walsall needs you! Can you help us create the stories for the Walsall Hippo Trail? Join RicNic for a free script writing and storyboard session.

Walsall Hippo Trail Celebration Event 

  • Date: Saturday, 12 September 2026
  • Location: The New Art Gallery, Walsall

Save the date! The Hippo Trail fun will continue beyond the summer holidays with a special celebration event at The New Art Gallery Walsall on Saturday, 12 September. Further details will be announced soon, so keep an eye on Walsall Council’s social media channels for updates.

‘Ready to Learn; Summer Adventure Passport

The free Ready to Learn Summer Adventure Passport is back for 2026, offering families with children aged two to five a summer of fun activities designed to support learning, development and preparation for starting school.

Families can collect a passport from participating libraries and Family Hubs and take part in a range of indoor and outdoor activities, including story and rhyme sessions, sensory activities, Tiny Rangers and Mini Kickers sessions with Walsall FC Foundation.

Every passport also includes a free swimming pass, a Ready to Learn pack with useful resources, a Best Start in Life Family Hubs Hippo toy, oral health resources and learning activities. Families who collect stamps in their passports can also enter a prize draw.

Parks and outdoor activities

Discover a packed programme of free and low-cost activities taking place in Walsall's parks and green spaces throughout the summer holidays. From nature discovery and family adventures to outdoor fitness and wellbeing sessions, there's something for all ages to enjoy. 

View the full activity programme here: https://go.walsall.gov.uk/parks-and-green-spaces

Activities can be booked for free here: https://www.ticketsource.com/healthyspaces

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