Performances
We host live music from top artists, including internationally-renowned musicians. Concerts cover a wide range of genres, including jazz, blues, folk, classical, pop and rock music. We also put on plays, talks and more! There's something for everyone.
You can buy tickets online or call 01460 54973. Performances start at 7.30pm, unless otherwise stated. Doors open at 6.30pm with a bar.
*Please note that tickets for performances and workshops are not refundable unless we are fully booked and have a waiting list. Refunds are subject to a £5 admin charge.
E-Gift Vouchers are available to buy online. Click below to buy e-vouchers.
Sophie Rosa & Ian Buckle
Sophie Rosa is in demand as a soloist, director and chamber musician. Ian Buckle maintains a varied freelance career as solo pianist, chamber musician, orchestral pianist and teacher. He is the artistic director of Pixels Ensemble, which he formed in 2016
Promoted by Concerts in the West
Tickets £20
Eden Lafone Duo
Joanna Eden returns to Ilminster Arts Centre by popular demand bringing with her Memories of Montevideo tour alongside Uruguayan co-writer and husband, bassist Andrés Lafone.
Tickets: £20
Phil Beer
Phil Beer is the multi-instrumental half of the west country’s award-winning acoustic duo, Show of Hands. With a professional career of over 36 years, Phil has a great deal of material to draw on for his solo appearances, which are an eclectic mix of traditional tunes, covers of Springsteen or The Hollies, together with his own compositions and songs from his contemporaries.
Tickets: £20
The Making of the Map
The world’s largest* 100% hand-crafted fused glass map was created near Ilminster in 2025.
It was then carried 100s of miles to its remote island destination across treacherous waters.
Find out why, how and where in an illustrated talk by the map artist, Malcolm Hastings.
(*probably)
Free - Donations in aid of Arts Centre
The Big Yellow Tambourine Man Band
Join the Big Yellow Tambourine Man Band on a radical tour of some of the most iconic songs from our generation’s greatest singer-songwriters, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan.
With stops in Greenwich Village, Laurel Canyon and the Isle of Wight, this enigmatic, multi-instrumentalist five-piece will make you feel like you’re really there, man…
Tickets: £22
Lise Vandersmissen & Gabriela Opacka-Boccadoro
Belgian harpist Lise Vandersmissen has won many prizes including the Guildhall Harp Prize. Gabriela Opacka-Boccadoro is a Polish-British musician who has built a career as a violinist, conductor, and recording artist across classical performance, theatre, and film. She holds a PhD in violin from the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw.
Promoted by Concerts in the West
Tickets £20
Blues: Johnny Mars + The Craig Milverton Quartet
Join us for an evening with legendary US blues harmonica player, Johnny Mars
Tickets:
Standard adult: £22
Somer Singers -Under a Harvest Moon
The Somer Singers are a mixed-voice, four-part vocal harmony group drawn from the Somerton, Langport and Ilminster areas. Our repertoire includes songs from the 60’s through to the noughties, ranging from pop classics to mighty ballads, along with a smattering of blues, gospel and show tunes.
Tickets: £10
Fenella Humphreys & Friends
Fenella Humphreys, winner of BBC Music Magazine Awards in 2025, 2023 and 2018, has attracted critical admiration and audience acclaim with the grace and intensity of her remarkable performances.
Promoted by Concerts in the West
Tickets £20
Murder at The Meeting House
Step back into 1934 and join Detective Chief Inspector Appleby at Ilminster’s historic Meeting House, where the Minister has been found dead in the pulpit. Was it a tragic accident, a supernatural curse, or something far more sinister? With four key suspects under suspicion, secrets begin to unravel and tensions rise as Appleby races to uncover the truth. Can you help solve the mystery before the evening is over?
Enjoy an atmospheric evening of 1930s glamour, a welcome drink on arrival and a delicious two-course meal. Dressing in 1930s style is encouraged but entirely optional.
Tickets are £39.50 per person.
To Book: 01460 54973
Mike Denham and Julia Titus
Top jazz pianist Mike Denham is joined by Julia Titus - an actress, poet, singer and songwriter. Among her assets are the voice and verve to put over convincingly the songs of the great blues & vaudeville singer, Bessie Smith.
The phenomenal Ma Bessie hit the big time a century ago. She sang about the things her audiences were living and feeling, decades before hip-hop artists rapped about black working-class life. With uplifting lyrics, sometimes dark, often humorous, Smith and her sister blues women advanced the revolutionary idea that black women's lives mattered.
Tickets: £20
Students £10 (with a valid student ID)
Ilminster's Great Foundress
This special event features a talk by Dr Matthew Spring exploring the early life, musical connections and legacy of Dorothy Petre Wadham, foundress of Wadham College Oxford, followed by a concert by Sirinu featuring Elizabethan and Stuart domestic music from Dorothy’s childhood home, Ingatestone.
Tickets: £16
Ilminster Voices Christmas Concert, lead by Kris Emmett
Ilminster Voices – Ilminster’s own community choir - are returning to Ilminster Arts Centre, to present an enlivening Christmas mix of pop, show and traditional songs, along with a few seasonal favourites!
The concert is a fundraiser for the arts centre, so what better way to start this final month of 2026 than joining us for an uplifting evening of glorious harmony singing.
Tickets £8
Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion
POSTPONED - PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR UPATES
Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion refresh the blues genre with eclectic arrangements, virtuosic playing and vocal prowess. With an exciting live set based around rootsy original songs, strong catchy riffs and exciting grooves; they mix old school tradition with contemporary flare and sophistication.
Vibrant, contemporary, original, melodic, funky rocking blues featuring Hammond-organ, drums, guitar and vocals.
Tickets £18
Dave’s Big General Knowledge Quiz
Come and support the Arts Centre with a wonderful evening of quizzing! Fiendish questions, bar and a raffle await.
Tickets: £15 per team of 4.
"Tonight in Dreamland" with the Sunset Cafe Band
Many popular songs of the 1920s and 30s speak of dreams, hallucinations, fantasies, even nightmares! Tonight, the seven members of the Sunset Café band present a carefully-curated selection, in their trademark New Orleans style. The band is one of the most respected traditional jazz ensembles in the country.
Tickets: £20
The Jake Leg Jug Band
The Jake Leg Jug Band bring you the authentic sounds of 1920s and 30s America - jazz, blues, ragtime and gospel. Songs of murder, betrayal, gambling, liquor and redemption.
Tickets: £20
The Beached Boys
Listen in amazement as Dave, Paul, Kevin, George and John recreate the super summer sounds of Brian, Mike, Carl, Al and Dennis, who made up the inspirational and very different California group The Beach Boys. Hits like ‘Little Deuce Coup’, ‘I get Around’, ‘Surfin Safari’ and ‘Help Me Rhonda’ should get you yearning for the sun and surf.
Sponsored by Battens Charitable Trust.
Tickets: £22
Kings of the Blues
Kings of the Blues is a dynamic live show led by guitarist Will Edmunds, tracing the evolution of blues from its raw Delta roots to the modern day. Blending live performance with engaging storytelling, the show journeys through acoustic country blues, Chicago’s electric sound, the “Three Kings,” British blues and blues-rock, right through to contemporary artists. With 30 years of playing experience, Will brings authenticity and insight, joined by top UK musicians for a powerful and entertaining celebration of the music that shaped generations.
Tickets: £18
Ceruleo
Taking communication, collaboration and experimentation as the basis to grow as a group, Ceruleo create dramatic programmes using spoken text alongside music for two sopranos and continuo.
Promoted by Concerts in the West
Tickets £20
Joanna Eden Trio - Sondheim & Me
Regrettably this concert has been cancelled but Joanna Eden will be appearing at Ilminster Arts Centre on Saturday 19th September - keep an eye out for further details.
Singer-Pianist Joanna Eden approaches the incredible music of Stephen Sondheim from her own jazz-tingled perspective and brings them to life with her accomplished trio featuring Andres Lafone on bass and George Double on drums.
Tickets: £20
Shiry Rashkovsky & Lana Suran
Lauded by The Strad for her ‘thrilling and exuberant’ Royal Festival Hall debut, Shiry Rashkovsky pursues an international and diverse career.Lana Suran is an internationally acclaimed Swedish pianist praised for her expressive power, refined tone, and deeply personal interpretations.
Promoted by Concerts in the West
Tickets £20
Marvin Muoneké with The Craig Milverton Trio
Marvin Muoneké, one of the UK’s rising jazz artists, is a vocalist, songwriter, trumpeter and performing artist with a voice that has been often referred to as rich, deep and smooth. Bringing the songs and sounds of mid-20th century jazz and popular music to modern listeners of all ages.
Tickets: £20
Alter Eagles
Now in their 23rd anniversary year, the Alter Eagles have established themselves as one of the country's top tribute acts, headlining at theatres all over the country. Playing a mix of old and new Eagles' songs, including classics such as including Hotel California, Take It Easy, Take It To The Limit, and Desperado.
Tickets: £23
Ilminster's Great Foundress
POSTPONED - further details to follow
This special event features a talk by Dr Matthew Spring exploring the early life, musical connections and legacy of Dorothy Petre Wadham, foundress of Wadham College Oxford, followed by a concert by Sirinu featuring Elizabethan and Stuart domestic music from Dorothy’s childhood home, Ingatestone.
Image source: collection of Wadham College, Oxford
Tickets: £16
Greenwich Trio
Described by Bernard Greenhouse as the “New Beaux Arts Trio,” The Greenwich Trio quickly earned major awards including the Solti Foundation and Tunnell Trust Awards and the top prize at the Beethoven Society of Europe Chamber Music Competition.
Promoted by Concerts in the West
Tickets £20
Budapest Café Orchestra
Budapest Café Orchestra play a blistering barrage of traditional folk and gypsy-flavoured music
Tickets: £22
Ruth Notman Trio
CANCELLED
Ruth Notman is a folk singer/songwriter from Nottingham who first rocketed into the music scene in 2007, at 18 years old, with her debut album ‘Threads’ which gained support from luminaries such as BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris and Kate Rusby.
Notman teamed up with BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-winning artist Sam Kelly in 2019 to record their album ‘Changeable Heart’ with Kate Rusby’s label, Pure Records.
Tickets: £18
From Bechet To Bird - Trevor Whiting and Craig Milverton
A Celebration of Clarinet and Saxophone highlights of the classic jazz era from New Oleans through to the Swing Era and beyond performed by Trevor Whiting with the Craig Milverton Trio.
Tickets: £20
Ensemble Augelletti
Founded in 2019, Ensemble Augelletti specialises in creating engaging programmes that tell the everyday stories of people living in the 17th and 18th centuries through baroque chamber music.
Promoted by Concerts in the West
Tickets £20
Into the Shadows
Relive the golden era of British rock ‘n’ roll with Into the Shadows, a tribute to Cliff and the Shadows.
Tickets: £22
Geirþrúður Anna Guðmundsdóttir & Antoine Préat
Praised for her “technical mastery” Icelandic-American cellist Geirþrúður Anna Guðmundsdóttir’s distinctive artistic voice, combines sensitivity with a bold and fiery stage presence. She has performed at venues across the world, including Carnegie Hall, the Southbank Centre. Naïve Records Exclusive Artist and multi-award winner, pianist Antoine Préat is being noticed for his “distinctive voice” and strong musical convictions.
Promoted by Concerts in the West
Tickets £20
La Vie en Rose - Gypsy Jazz
The south-west’s favourite gypsy jazz and hot swing band has a well-earned reputation for its take on the ‘Hot Club’ style. Toe-tapping rhythms and soaring melodies combine in a virtuoso performance of gypsy favourites, jazz standards, soulful ballads and Latin swing, all played with the verve and joy that is the heart of this music.
Tickets
£20
Mike Denham and Emma Fisk
A rare chance to hear one of the UK's top swing violinists, Emma Fisk, with top jazz pianist Mike Denham.
There are few more joyous sounds than that of the sweet jazz violin and Emma Fisk echoes the intricate lines once played by Stephane Grappelli, but with her own musical identity.
Tickets: £20
Daniel Lebhardt
Pianist Daniel Lebhardt has been described by the New York Times as playing with power, poetry and formidable technique.
Promoted by Concerts in the West
Tickets £20
Julian Stringle with the Craig Milverton Trio - From Benny to Buddy
Julian has played concert, club, festivals and broadcasting dates with his own band and with the great’s of jazz like George Chisholm, Don Lusher, Kenny Baker and Cleo & John Dankworth. Sir John Dankworth stated “Julian is the best clarinettist to emerge in British jazz for decades”.
Tickets: £20
Bowie Fashion
Are you ready for a fabulous tribute event, celebrating the unforgettable music of the iconic British superstar, David Bowie? This most authentic live show features Bowie Fashion performing all the best loved hits from Bowie's 45 year reign at the top of the global music industry.
Tickets: £22.
Dave’s Big General Knowledge Quiz
SOLD OUT!
Come and support the Arts Centre with a wonderful evening of quizzing! Fiendish questions, bar and a raffle await.
Tickets: £15 per team of 4.
Tone Big Band
A fabulous jazz event from Tone Big Band and musical director Nick Brace. Covering music from early swing to the modern era.
Free entry - donations in aid of the Arts Centre.
7.30pm
Somer Singers Christmas Concert!
Somer Singers make a welcome return to the Arts Centre, to help us celebrate the festive season, with this fabulous Christmas concert of carols and seasonal songs, and a few pop classics thrown in!
So join us for a wonderful evening of entertainment … and why not sing along to a few Christmas favourites!
Tickets: £5
The Dreamettes
Experience the Timeless Magic of Motown with The Dreamettes: A Tribute to the Soul & Motown Divas
Tickets: £22
An Illustrated Talk “We dine surrounded by LOWRYs”
On the anniversary of his birth, we present the intriguing story of one of L.S Lowry’s most significant and enduring friendships. Gaynor describes her ancestral art adventure as she reveals the little –known tale of her great –uncle and the great artist.
Free - Donations in aid of Arts Centre
Blues: Johnny Mars + The Craig Milverton Quartet
Join us for an evening with legendary US blues harmonica player, Johnny Mars
Tickets:
Standard adult: £22,