Free Old Town Halloween with fireworks on Sunday 25 October, then four fireworks displays from 5 to 7 November, plus shows, matches and markets with every date.

The biggest free date in Hemel Hempstead in the next six weeks is Old Town Halloween on Sunday 25 October, which ends with fireworks at 7.30pm. Tonight, Tuesday 6 October, Jo Brand tries out new material at The Old Town Hall and John Cooper Clarke is at DEMBE Theatre in Tring, which had 11 seats left when we checked. Then come four fireworks displays in three nights, from bonfire night on Thursday 5 November to Saturday the 7th, and Remembrance Sunday on the 8th. Camelot’s early bird fireworks prices end on 9 October.

Everything below comes from the organisers’ own listings, first read on 28 September 2026 and checked again on 6 October, and every entry links to its source so you can check before you set off. We cover Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring. For places that are open whatever the month, see our guide to things to do in Hemel Hempstead.

This week

Tuesday 6 to Sunday 11 October. Saturday the 10th is the busy day, with Tring’s apple parade in the morning and three evening shows to choose from.

  • Jo Brand: Work in Progress, tonight, Tuesday 6 October, 8pm, The Old Town Hall, High Street, HP1 3AE. £23. Jo Brand tries out new material, with Andy Robinson as her special guest. The theatre says demand has been overwhelming: online bookings only, no phone or counter sales, and a limit of four tickets per customer. Strictly 14 and over. (The Old Town Hall)
  • Dr John Cooper Clarke: Have It, tonight, Tuesday 6 October, 8pm, DEMBE Theatre, Penny Royal Court, Station Road, Tring, HP23 5QY. £29.50, with a limited number of £19.50 seats for people on low incomes. The punk poet reads new work from his forthcoming collection and the old favourites, with Luke Wright as special guest. When we checked on 6 October the theatre showed 11 tickets left. Seats are unreserved. (DEMBE Theatre)
  • The (almost) Complete History of Britain, Wednesday 7 October, 8pm, The Old Town Hall, High Street, HP1 3AE. £16, or £13 for under 18s and Dacorum Card holders. The Pantaloons Theatre Company race through the whole story of Britain in under two hours. Age guidance is eight and over. (The Old Town Hall)
  • Duologues, Friday 9 October at 7.30pm, then Saturday 10 October at 2.30pm and 7.30pm, Boxmoor Playhouse, St John’s Road, HP1 1NP. £10, or £9 concessions. New short plays for two actors by local writers, staged by HHTheatreCo. The company’s page gives the prices and the council’s events calendar gives the three performance times. (HHTheatreCo)
  • Rob Rouse: Funny Bones, Friday 9 October, 8pm, The Old Town Hall, High Street, HP1 3AE. £16, or £13 for Dacorum Card holders. New stand-up from the Upstart Crow actor. Age guidance is 16 and over. (The Old Town Hall)
  • Tring’s Own Apple Fayre Parade and Special Farmers’ Market, Saturday 10 October, market 9am to 2pm, procession 10.30am to 11am, Old Market Site, Brook Street, Tring, HP23 5ED. The apple cart procession leaves the King’s Arms at 10.30am for the old market site, with Morris dancing and school scarecrows. This is the one market of the month held in Brook Street instead of Church Square. (Sustainable Tring)
  • The Bubble Show, Saturday 10 October, 2pm, The Old Town Hall, High Street, HP1 3AE. From £10, family ticket £46. An hour of bubble tricks for ages two to 12. Babies of 18 months and under do not need a ticket. (The Old Town Hall)
  • Fibonacci Quartet, Saturday 10 October, 7.30pm, Berkhamsted Civic Centre, 161 High Street, HP4 3HB. Berkhamsted Music’s October concert: string quartets by Mozart, Janáček and Tchaikovsky. (Berkhamsted Music)
  • Ed Patrick: Numb and Number, Saturday 10 October, 8pm, The Old Town Hall, High Street, HP1 3AE. £18, or £14 with a Dacorum Card. Stand-up from the comedian who is also an NHS anaesthetist. Age guidance is 16 and over. (The Old Town Hall)

Next week

Monday 12 to Sunday 18 October.

  • Live at The Old Town Hall, Thursday 15 October, 8pm, The Old Town Hall, High Street, HP1 3AE. £7.50 in advance, £10 on the door. Juicebox Live’s monthly night of bands from Dacorum. Standing room only. (The Old Town Hall)
  • Olaf Falafel’s Stupidest Super Stupid Show, Saturday 17 October, 2pm, The Old Town Hall, High Street, HP1 3AE. £15 premium, £13.50 standard, £10 discounted. An hour of children’s comedy with a live drawalong. Age guidance is six and over. (The Old Town Hall)
  • Hemel Hempstead Town v Torquay United, Saturday 17 October, 3pm kick-off, The Focus Community Arena, Vauxhall Road, HP2 4HW. Adults £20, concessions £15, ages 16 to 18 £10, ages 11 to 15 £5, under 10s free with an adult. The Tudors’ first home league game of the month. (Hemel Hempstead Town FC fixture list)

Later in October

Hertfordshire’s half term runs from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, and our half term page has the term dates and more to do with children. Pumpkin patches and the bigger Halloween days out nearby are on our Halloween page.

  • The Threepenny Opera, Wednesday 21 to Saturday 24 October, 7.30pm, DEMBE Theatre, Penny Royal Court, Station Road, Tring, HP23 5QY. From £12. Tring Theatre Company stages Brecht and Weill’s musical about Mack the Knife’s London underworld. Age rating 13 and over. (DEMBE Theatre)
  • Tring Together Quiz Night, Friday 23 October, doors and bar 7.30pm, quiz 8pm, Nora Grace Hall, Faversham Close, Tring, HP23 5BA. Teams of up to six, or come alone and be matched up. Entry fees go towards the Christmas Festival and Summer Carnival. Book single tickets or a table through the organiser. (Tring Together)
  • The Haunted Bride, Friday 23 October, 8pm, The Old Town Hall, High Street, HP1 3AE. £16, or £13 for under 18s and Dacorum Card holders. Rumpus Theatre Company’s play from a Charles Dickens ghost story. Age guidance is 12 and over. (The Old Town Hall)
  • Hemel Hempstead Town v AFC Totton, Saturday 24 October, 3pm kick-off, The Focus Community Arena, Vauxhall Road, HP2 4HW. Same prices as the Torquay game. The second home league game in eight days. (Hemel Hempstead Town FC fixture list)
  • Monstering the Rocketman, Saturday 24 October, 8pm, The Old Town Hall, High Street, HP1 3AE. £17, or £13 for under 18s and Dacorum Card holders. Henry Naylor’s play about Elton John’s libel fight with The Sun. It runs 1 hour 15 minutes, age guidance 14 and over. (The Old Town Hall)
  • Old Town Halloween, Sunday 25 October, 3pm to 7.30pm, fireworks at 7.30pm, Old Town High Street, HP1 3AQ. Free. The council’s big community event on the Old Town High Street, with entertainment, a fancy dress competition for all ages and a fireworks display to finish. The council says more details will follow. (Dacorum Borough Council)
  • Eerie Animal Encounter, Monday 26 October, 10am to 3pm, The Marlowes Shopping Centre, opposite Code Ninjas. Free, drop in, no booking. Snakes, lizards, tarantulas, giant snails, beetles, rats and an owl, with handlers to answer questions. Holding the owl costs £3 a go or two for £5. Children must be with an adult. (The Marlowes)
  • Screaming Blue Murder Comedy Club, Monday 26 October, 8pm, The Old Town Hall, High Street, HP1 3AE. £11.99. The monthly comedy club, this time with Alan Francis and Kate Lucas and compere Bennett Arron. Over 18s only, and acts can change. (The Old Town Hall)
  • Brilliant Bats and Super Spiders, Tuesday 27 to Thursday 29 October, 10.30am to 12pm and 2pm to 3.30pm, Natural History Museum at Tring, Akeman Street, HP23 6AP. Free, drop-in. A half term tabletop activity with handling specimens, recommended for ages five and up. The museum asks visitors to book a free entry ticket in advance at busy times. (Natural History Museum)
  • Museum by Torchlight, Friday 30 October, 5pm to 7.30pm, Natural History Museum at Tring, Akeman Street, HP23 6AP. Free, booking required. Bring a torch and explore the galleries in the dark, for ages five and up. When we checked, the booking page showed no times available, so look again before planning around it. (Natural History Museum)
  • Andrew Ryan: Honest Capacity, Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October, 8pm, The Old Town Hall, High Street, HP1 3AE. £20, or £16 with a Dacorum Card. Stand-up from the Cork comedian, with a second night added. Strictly 16 and over. (The Old Town Hall)
  • Legally Blonde: The Musical, Saturday 31 October, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm, DEMBE Theatre, Penny Royal Court, Station Road, Tring, HP23 5QY. From £17. The junior version of the musical, 70 minutes and suitable for all ages, staged for the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity. On 6 October the 7pm show had six seats left and the 1pm the most room. (DEMBE Theatre)

The Old Town Hall has more plays and films in October than we list here. Its full programme is on its own What’s On page.

November

The first half of November, as far as organisers have published. Our fireworks page follows all four displays and our Remembrance Sunday page has the services across the borough.

  • Family Firework Spectacular, Thursday 5 November, gates 5.45pm, display 7pm, Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School playing fields, Peascroft Road, HP3 8ER. Advance £16 a family of four, £5 an adult, £4 a child, plus a small booking fee; £20, £6 and £5 on the night. Every ticket includes a drink and a biscuit. The only display in the district on bonfire night itself, run by 1st Leverstock Green Scouts and the school and fired by Titanium Fireworks. (1st Leverstock Green Scout Group on Ticketebo)
  • Camelot Rugby Club Fireworks Night, Friday 6 November, 6pm to 11.30pm, Camelot Rugby Club, Chaulden Lane, HP1 2BS. Early bird family ticket £30 (up to five people), adult £9, child £7 until 9 October; then £34, £10 and £7.50; £38, £12 and £8 on the night. Under 5s free. Hemel Hempstead’s own display, with food, an outside bar and music; 20 free disabled parking bays must be booked in advance. (Camelot RUFC on Zeffy)
  • That Knave, Raleigh, Friday 6 November, 8pm, The Old Town Hall, High Street, HP1 3AE. £17, or £13 for under 18s and Dacorum Card holders. Dyad Productions’ one-act play about Sir Walter Raleigh. It runs 75 minutes, age guidance 12 and over. (The Old Town Hall)
  • Tring Festival of Fire, Saturday 7 November, Tring Park Cricket Club, London Road, HP23 6HA. The charity bonfire and fireworks night that has run at the cricket club since 1964. Tickets are on sale and the organisers expect to sell out. A family ticket covers two adults and up to three under 16s, and under fives go free. (Tring Festival of Fire)
  • Hemel Hempstead Town v Maidstone United, Saturday 7 November, 3pm kick-off, The Focus Community Arena, Vauxhall Road, HP2 4HW. Adults £20, concessions £15. A home league game on the afternoon of the two Saturday displays. (Hemel Hempstead Town FC fixture list)
  • Berkhamsted Fireworks, Saturday 7 November, gates 5.30pm, display 7pm, Berkhamsted Cricket Club, Castle Hill, HP4 1HE. Advance adult £12, child £8, family £30, plus booking fee; tickets are non-refundable. Berkhamsted Rotary’s charity display at the cricket club. (Berkhamsted Rotary on Ticketebo)
  • Amiri Harewood, piano, Saturday 7 November, 7.30pm, Berkhamsted Civic Centre, 161 High Street, HP4 3HB. Berkhamsted Music’s November recital: Bach, Rachmaninov, Thomas Adès and Beethoven’s Waldstein sonata. (Berkhamsted Music)
  • Remembrance Sunday Parade, Sunday 8 November, gather at 10.40am, Boxmoor War Memorial, St Johns Road, HP1 1JR. The parade and service run by the council and the Royal British Legion. Road closures start at 10am, so allow extra time to reach the memorial. (Dacorum Borough Council)
  • The Elves and the Shoemaker, Saturday 14 November, 11am and 2pm, The Old Town Hall, High Street, HP1 3AE. £15 premium, £13.50 standard, £10 discounted. Theatre of Widdershins’ puppet show based on the Ladybird book, 55 minutes, for ages three and up. (The Old Town Hall)
  • Natalie Cassidy: Live with Nat, Sunday 15 November, 2pm, DEMBE Theatre, Penny Royal Court, Station Road, Tring, HP23 5QY. £17. The actor’s Life With Nat podcast goes on stage, with chat, possible guests and questions from fans. Seats are unreserved. (DEMBE Theatre)

Later in the month come the Berkhamsted Festival of Light on Sunday 22 November and the Tring Christmas Festival on Saturday 28 November. The date of the Hemel Hempstead Christmas lights switch-on had not been announced when we checked. Every Christmas market date in the district, including Hemel Old Town’s on 13 December, is on our Christmas markets page.

Regular events

  • Hemel Hempstead Market, every Thursday and Saturday, 8am to 4pm. Next: Thursday 8 October, The Marlowes, HP1 1BH. General, food and craft stalls on the pedestrianised Marlowes. The operator lists Thursday and Saturday only. The council’s town centre page also describes a Wednesday antiques market and Friday stalls, which the operator does not list, so check before a special trip on those days. (Saunders Markets)
  • Hemel Hempstead Old Town Market, first Sunday of the month, 11am to 3pm. Next: Sunday 1 November, then 6 December, Old Town High Street, HP1 3AF. Artisan makers, bakers, street food and gifts on the historic High Street, with an extra Christmas market on 13 December. Stall enquiries to hotsundaymarket@gmail.com. (Dacorum Borough Council events calendar)
  • Gadebridge parkrun, every Saturday, 9am. Next: Saturday 10 October, Gadebridge Park, Leighton Buzzard Road, HP1 3AQ. Free, register once before your first run. A timed 5k in Gadebridge Park to walk, jog or run. Bring your barcode. (parkrun)
  • Berkhamsted Antiques and Vintage Market, first Sunday of the month, 9.30am to 3.30pm. Next: Sunday 1 November, then 6 December, Berkhamsted High Street. More than 50 dealers along the north side of the High Street, with an indoor fair at the Civic Centre opposite. (Berkhamsted Antiques and Vintage Market)
  • Berkhamsted Artisan Market, second Sunday of the month, 9.30am to 3.30pm. Next: Sunday 11 October, then 8 November, Berkhamsted High Street. Local makers on the High Street. Pitch fees go to the charity that looks after St Peter’s Church and the Town Hall. (Berkhamsted Artisan Market)
  • Tring Farmers’ Market, second and fourth Saturday of the month, 9am to 2pm. Next in Church Square: Saturday 24 October, then 14 November, Church Square, Tring, HP23 5AE. Local produce in Church Square. The 10 October market is the Apple Fayre special in Brook Street, listed above. (Tring Farmers’ Market)

Getting there

The Old Town Hall is on the Old Town High Street, the same street that hosts the Halloween event. Council car parks in Dacorum charge seven days a week, and our page on parking in Hemel Hempstead has the tariffs. For rail travel to Berkhamsted and Tring, check the roadworks and travel page for engineering work before a weekend trip.

Send us your event

Running an event in Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring or the villages? Email hello@hemelhempsteadlive.co.uk with the date, time, venue, price and a photo. Listings are free of charge, always. Yours will go on this page and in the diary on our What’s On section.

This page is rewritten as organisers confirm new dates. Dates can still change, so use the links before you travel. More in our What’s On section.

Sources