What's on in Bournemouth this October 2026
What's on in Bournemouth in October 2026: Run Bournemouth, the Arts by the Sea fringe, five Cherries home games, half term, Halloween and the big concerts.
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October in Bournemouth is a month of running, football and theatre rather than beach days. The two dates to plan around are Run Bournemouth on 10 and 11 October, when the seafront fills with runners, and the school half term from 26 to 30 October, when families arrive for a week of Halloween events and the last National Trust days on Brownsea.
This guide is built from the events calendar we keep on the blog and from the organisers' own listings, checked on 24 September 2026. Dates move and shows sell out, so confirm tickets with the venue before you travel. For every dated listing in one place, see what's on in the Bournemouth Guide and our own events calendar.
What are the big events in Bournemouth in October 2026?
The headline events are Run Bournemouth on 10 and 11 October, the closing days of the Arts by the Sea fringe to 11 October, five AFC Bournemouth home games including two Europa League nights, and the half term week from 26 October. Around those sit a full month of concerts and comedy across the town's four main venues.
Run Bournemouth, 10 and 11 October
Run Bournemouth is the town's autumn running festival, and the organisers' site lists the full weekend. Saturday 10 October has the junior races on the promenade in the afternoon and the Supernova 5K at 7pm, run after dark with lights along the route. Sunday 11 October has the Supersonic 10K at 9am and the half marathon at 11am, which starts east of Boscombe and finishes at Pier Approach.
Watching is free, and the prom between the two piers is the best place to stand. If you are driving in that weekend, read our piece on Run Bournemouth road closures first, because parts of the seafront and the roads above it close while the races are on.
The Arts by the Sea fringe, to 11 October
The main Arts by the Sea weekend is 25 and 26 September, but the festival's fringe programme carries on until 11 October, as we reported in our Arts by the Sea 2026 preview. Expect smaller performances, workshops and installations in partner venues around the town centre, some free and some ticketed by the venue.
Which AFC Bournemouth games are at home in October?
AFC Bournemouth have five home games at the Vitality Stadium in October 2026, according to the fixture list on our Cherries desk. The two Thursday European nights against Sturm Graz and AC Milan are the ones that will draw visitors from abroad, and the Premier League games fall on weekends.
- Thursday 15 October, Sturm Graz, Europa League, 8pm
- Sunday 18 October, Sunderland, Premier League
- Thursday 22 October, AC Milan, Europa League, 8pm
- Wednesday 28 October, Aston Villa, EFL Cup fourth round
- Saturday 31 October, Leeds United, Premier League
Premier League kick-off times move for television, so check the club before you book. Our guide to Europa League nights at the Vitality covers the European games, tickets and getting to the ground from the West Cliff.
What concerts and shows are on in October 2026?
Almost every night of October has something on at the Bournemouth Pavilion, the Bournemouth International Centre, the O2 Academy or Lighthouse, Poole's arts centre. The biggest names are Westlife at the BIC on 14 October and Katherine Jenkins at the Pavilion on 9 October, with Brandon Flowers at the O2 Academy the same night as Westlife.
At the Pavilion and the BIC
The Pavilion, the 1929 theatre on Westover Road, has Joe Jackson on 2 October, Steve Hackett playing Genesis and his own songs on 6 October, Jonathan Pie on 7 October and Katherine Jenkins on 9 October. Later in the month come The Legends in Vegas on 20 October, Nigel Havers on 21 October, the improvised Austentatious on 18 October and Ginger Johnson on 24 October. The Bournemouth International Centre on the West Cliff has the Burt Bacharach songbook on 13 October, Westlife 25 on 14 October and Magic Men on 21 October. Our round-up of the BIC and Pavilion autumn season has the rest of the programme to Christmas.
At the O2 Academy and in Poole
The O2 Academy on Boscombe's Christchurch Road is the gig venue: The Hu on 2 October, We Are Scientists on 8 October, The Wonder Stuff with Inspiral Carpets on 9 October, Brandon Flowers on 14 October, Antony Szmierek on 16 October, Transvision Vamp on 21 October and The Beat on 25 October. In Poole, Lighthouse has Dr John Cooper Clarke and Phil Wang on 10 October, Avatar: The Last Airbender with a live orchestra on 16 October, Leo Sayer on 23 October, Boyzlife on 24 October, Flo and Joan on 29 October and Susan Calman at the end of the month.
What is on for families at October half term?
BCP Council's term dates put half term at 26 to 30 October 2026, so the holiday runs from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November. The family highlights are Steve Backshall's Deadly Live at the BIC on the afternoon of 30 October, the half term programme in the Lower Gardens and Halloween events at the Oceanarium and the Russell-Cotes.
The Bournemouth Guide's calendar lists Halloween at the Oceanarium from 25 to 31 October and Halloween activities at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum in the same week. Neither venue had published its full 2026 programme when we checked, so look at their own sites before you promise anything to the children. Our October half term guide has the whole week, wet and dry.
What else changes in Bournemouth in October?
Three seasonal changes are worth knowing. The clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, so dusk comes at about 5pm by the end of the month. Brownsea Island closes for the winter after Sunday 1 November, according to the National Trust. And the Sandbanks chain ferry pauses for a scheduled refit from Monday 2 November, the operator says.
That makes October the last easy month for the harbour trips. Our guide to Brownsea Island from Poole Quay and the one on the chain ferry to Studland cover both. For walks, the autumn page of the Bournemouth Guide and our autumn walks in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole pick the best routes for shorter days.
Where to stay for an October weekend
October weekends with a concert, a race or a home game fill the West Cliff first, because it is a short walk from the BIC, the Pavilion and Pier Approach. Flexiestays' eight aparthotels are mostly on and around the West Cliff, with contactless self check-in and a kitchen in every apartment, and booking a short-term stay direct on flexiestays.com is cheaper than the online travel agents.
If you are coming for the half marathon or a football match, check parking at your building in the Help Centre before you set off, and see when to go to Bournemouth for how October compares with the rest of the year.
Frequently asked questions
BCP Council's published term dates put the autumn half term break at Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, so the holiday runs from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November. Some academies and independent schools set their own dates, so check with the school.
Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 2026. The junior races and the Supernova 5K are on the Saturday, the Supersonic 10K and the half marathon on the Sunday morning, according to the organisers. Parts of the seafront and the roads above it close while the races run.
Yes, for most people. The sea is still near its warmest of the year, the beaches are quiet, prices ease after the summer and the evening programme at the Pavilion, the BIC and Lighthouse is at its fullest. Pack for rain and shorter days: the clocks go back on Sunday 25 October.
