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Ipswich prepares for its biggest-ever Christmas programme

Theatres, museums, archives and arts venues across Ipswich have joined forces to deliver the town's largest-ever festive entertainment programme, featuring 237 performances and 77 exhibition days across eight venues.

The big picture: The 'We Are Ipswich' collective is launching a new campaign called 'Ipswich Entertains for Christmas', bringing together "a spectacular line-up of premier league art and culture that promises thrilling, high-quality entertainment for all ages."

Ipswich Entertains for Christmas
Ipswich Entertains for Christmas poster(We Are Ipswich)

Why it matters: The initiative aims to position Ipswich as Suffolk's cultural hub and forms a key part of Ipswich Central 's wider 'Your Very Suffolk Christmas' campaign.

The programme includes:

What they're saying: "This is a great moment for Ipswich's cultural organisations," says Douglas Rintoul, Chair of 'We Are Ipswich'. "For the first time, we are coming together to celebrate not just the festive season, but the creativity, energy, and passion that makes Ipswich the cultural capital of Suffolk."

Lee Walker, CEO of Ipswich Central, the organisation behind All About Ipswich, added: “From small independent producers to nationally recognised theatres, Ipswich has a cultural offering any town would be proud of. By coming together to showcase everything in one place, residents and visitors alike can see that whatever entertainment they want this Christmas, Ipswich has something for them.”

The bottom line: The programme runs from now through to mid-January, with events suitable for all ages and accessibility requirements including audio description, BSL interpretation, and dementia-friendly performances.

Events can be found on our What's on in Ipswich section and will be covered throughout the festive period.

You can read it for free thanks to the generous support of Kingsfleet and David Button Funeral Directors

Despite a lack of promotion, the big reveal drew a good crowd of passersby

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