See a church lit up in celebratory illuminations

To mark the church's 100th birthday, St Peter's in Jewry Street (central Winchester) is putting on three free nights of light and sound. The church is set to be illuminated inside and out, while uplifting live music soundtracks the experience. Everyone is invited - of all faiths and none - to experience the illuminations and share in the warmth of community hospitality.

Light of the World at St Peter's Catholic Church, Winchester. Monday 2, Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 February.

Make do and mend at Jane Austen's House

Join Jane Austen’s House for a morning of your own sewing, knitting or embroidery in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, this session is open to all.  Bring along your own project or help out with the museum’s mending.

Sewing Circle at Jane Austen's House, Chawton. Monday 2 February.

Stretch it out in the sunshine

Make your Monday marvellous with an early-morning trip to Winchester Cathedral. The sacred space is playing host to Helios, a giant suspended sculpture of the Sun, this month - and you can book yourself onto a flowing mat Pilates class at 7am every Monday beneath the glowing orb. Name a better way to start the week.

You can also see Helios with standard entry to the cathedral during February, as well as during a series of concerts and events, and as part of a family-friendly trail.

Rise and Shine: Morning Pilates under the sun at Winchester Cathedral. Monday 2, 9, 16, 23 February.

Join a meeting of the Jane Austen Fan Club

It's a special meeting of the Jane Austen Fan Club at The Arc in Winchester, with books, bonnets and a life-size cardboard cut-out of Colin Firth. Weaving together the world of Austen's classic novels with an exploration of gender, relationships and money today, the show will ask: how much has really changed for women in 250 years? Expect high drama, breathless romance, and banging tunes (played on the recorder).

The Jane Austen Fan Club at The Arc, Winchester. Wednesday 4 February.

See a mischievous comic opera

Playful deception meets its match in Mozart's sparkling comic opera Così fan tutte, reminding us that love is rarely as simple as we'd like to believe. Expect a deliciously absurd tangle of mischievous plot, disguises, mistaken identities and romantic entanglements.

Così fan tutte at Theatre Royal Winchester. Wednesday 4 February.

Play Sex and the City-inspired bingo

Sex and the City meets bingo with the musical comedy sensation Bingo & The City with Samantha Groans! They say: "Get ready for a whole lot of sass, sequins and scandal as the queen of bingo balls brings her outrageous songs, jaw dropping stories, and hilarious bingo games to The Nutshell! It’s time to kick off your stilettos, grab a bingo card, and spend a steamy evening with the all singing, all dancing, utterly fabulous Samantha Groans."

Bingo & The City at The Nutshell. Friday 6 February.

Make your own dried flower wreath

Wreaths. Not just for Christmas. Pop to Lower Norton Flower Farm to spend a couple of hours designing and weaving your own willow wreath adorned with dried flowers, seed-heads, grasses and foliage saved from last summer on the farm. Cake, tea and coffee will fuel your creativity throughout the workshop.

Created by You: A Dried Flower Wreath at Lower Norton Flower Farm, near Winchester. Friday 6 and Saturday 7 February.

Watch rugby on the big screen - with burgers

Book a table to watch Six Nations matches on the big screen at Abbey Mill in Winchester city centre. The co-working space will be open every Saturday of the tournament, with pints, atmosphere and 'burgers ’n’ tries' from an Original Fry Up Material pop-up. Abbey Mill will be open 1pm until 8pm, so you can really make an afternoon of it.

Six Nations Saturdays at Abbey Mill, Winchester. Saturday 7, 14 and 21 February.

Climb to the top of The Hospital of St Cross

Expect narrow spiral stairs with no handrails, uneven floors, low beams, steep climbs and a backward step onto a ladder during a tour of The Hospital of St Cross's tower. Two 90-minute guided tours take place each month, revealing secret parts of the chapel’s ancient structure and taking the sure-footed through dusty passageways, up spiral staircases and along the parapet of the historic tower. It’s equal parts hands-on adventure and historical deep dive.

Tower Tours at The Hospital of St Cross, Winchester. Sunday 8 and Sunday 22 February.

Go snowdrop spotting

If you feel as though spring can't come soon enough, embrace snowdrop season. There are plenty to spot in Winchester city centre and in the district's pretty market towns too, as well as a few special snowdrop events taking place locally during February. You could head to Chawton House, Gilbert White's House or for a guided walk around Warnford Park on multiple dates this month.

Snowdrop Saturdays in Warnford Park, Warnford. Saturday 7, 14, 21, 28 February.

Snowdrop Sundays at Chawton House, Chawton. Sunday 1, 8, 15 February.

Snowdrop Weekend at Gilbert White's House, Selbourne. Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 February.

Get stuck into this free children's festival

COWfest, or the Children of Winchester Festival, sees a host of free events and activities for kids and families take place all over the city. The annual festival, which runs over one weekend, is mainly based at The Arc, where little ones can get involved in relaxing mindfulness sessions, music classes and crafting workshops. There's even a free stand-up comedy show full of child-friendly jokes.

COWfest, various locations in Winchester city. Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 February.

Immerse yourself in the works of Van Gogh

Van Gogh Alive, the most visited multisensory experience in the world, has arrived in Winchester. Book tickets to see the masterpieces come to life, giving you the sensation of stepping within his paintings. The exhibition has been reimagined for Winchester's planetarium dome where you are transported through Van Gogh’s world, from the Netherlands to Arles, surrounded by over 3,000 stunning images of his most famous works, including 'Starry Night' and 'Sunflowers'. The entire experience is set to a powerful classical score.

Van Gogh Alive Winchester at Winchester Science Centre. Until 22 March.

See a play about New Forest folklore and climate anxiety

Bringing the Outside In is a play coming to The Arc in Winchester this month. A blend of New Forest folklore and modern climate anxiety, it tells the story of sixth-former Amber who accidentally summons a three thousand year old giant. It's being described as a "soul-stirring exploration of fear, hope, and the importance of community in a changing world."

Bringing the Outside In at The Arc, Winchester. Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 February.

Explore pattern and playfulness at the Yinka Shonibare exhibition

The latest art exhibition arriving at The Gallery in The Arc in central Winchester is Yinka Shonibare CBE RA: Patterns of Power. You'll get to see a selection of artworks spanning 20 years of the artist’s career, including 40 woodblocks and screenprints. Shonibare is a Royal Academician and internationally acclaimed artist who explores and confronts history and identity, often through the lens of art history and its figures of cultural power.

Yinka Shonibare CBE RA: Patterns of Power at The Arc Gallery, Winchester. From Saturday 14 February.

Watch a silent movie with a live score

Grab tickets to a screening of silent 1927 Alfred Hitchcock film The Lodger, alongside a new music score performed live by acclaimed soundscapers Minima. The Bristol-based quartet use instrumentation including cello, double bass, baritone guitar, acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, autoharp, dulcimer, synthesizer, glockenspiel and drum kit to create a unique live experience.

The Lodger with Live Score by Minima at The Nutshell, Winchester. Saturday 14 February.

Have tea with a tiger

Direct from the West End, the Olivier Award nominated smash hit show, The Tiger Who Came to Tea returns to Winchester this February half-term. The charming show, based on the much-loved book by Judith Kerr, is sure to delight little ones (and their grown ups.) The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be?

The Tiger Who Came to Tea at Theatre Royal Winchester. Saturday 14, Sunday 15 and Monday 16 February.

Have a loved-up Valentine's Day in Winchester

However you fancy spending Valentine's Day, there is something for you in Winchester. You could enjoy a Valentine-themed afternoon tea at Marwell Hall, cosy up with a loved one for a Cypriot feast at Yiayia's or race against the clock in a ClueCapers escape room. Winchester Cathedral have the the world-renowned London Gospel Choir (pictured) performing a Valentine's Day special underneath the Helios sun sculpture or you could celebrate lover's weekend with Ukrainian Valentine's Concert, a rich blend of classical, jazz, pop, and folk music at United Church.

Volunteer to plant a tree

Play your part in the 'Reimagining a Hampshire Estate' project the National Trust are embarking on to create a 60-hectare woodland. They are running two family-friendly tree planting sessions during February half-term on the picturesque Hinton Ampner estate. The aim is to introduce kids, parents and grandparents to the hands-on, earthy delight of planting saplings that will hopefully grow into glorious native woodland. Each tree will go on to provide homes, shelter and food for hundreds of species of wildlife, from barbastelle bats to purple emperor butterflies.

Family Tree Planting at Hinton Ampner, near Alresford. Tuesday 17 and Friday 20 February.

Watch Winchester's annual pancake races

The Shrove Tuesday Pancake Race, organised by Winchester Rotary in partnership with Winchester Cathedral, is back for 2026. Celebrate the day with live entertainment and pancakes from the Cathedral food truck before the races kick off at 1pm. Teams representing local businesses, charities, churches and other community organisations will race for prizes such as the fastest team and the team wearing the best fancy dress costumes. This event is free to attend, but charitable donations are welcome.

Winchester Rotary Pancake Races, outside Winchester Cathedral. Tuesday 17 February.

Read: Places to eat pancakes in Winchester

Learn magic tricks on a vintage steam train

Discover the magic of train travel with The Watercress Line's very own magicians. Be spellbound by the shows at the Old Goods Shed and wonder at the close-up tricks and entertainment on board the service trains. Enjoy learning how the magic becomes reality to make locomotives move.

Magic of Locomotion at The Watercress Line, Alresford. Saturday 14 - Sunday 22 February.

Feast on Lucky Lychee's Lunar New Year menu

Mark Lunar New Year at award-winning local favourite Lucky Lychee. The buzzy Malaysian spot will be putting on a special Valentines x Lunar New Year three-course set menu from Saturday 14 to Sunday 22 February 2026. They're still hard at work polishing the menu, but it's likely to feature mouth-watering dishes like shallot-soy longevity noodles, prosperity toss salad with beet-cured chalk stream trout in a plum-sesame dressing and ten-spice sausage-stuffed chicken wings.

Lucky Lychee, Winchester.

Celebrate the protected dark skies of the South Downs

Head to Winchester Science Centre on to learn more about the night's sky. Begin your Night Sky Live adventure in the Planetarium. Learn the skills you’ll need to identify what’s above us before following the stargazing host outside into the South Downs National Park. It’s the perfect spot to observe the stars, constellations and planets. This event is part of the South Downs Dark Skies Festival, which runs from Thursday 12 to Sunday 22 February 2026. There are loads of events going on, from guided night walks to stargazing parties. Find more ways to get involved and mark the 10th anniversary of the South Downs becoming a Dark Sky Reserve here.

Night Sky Live at Winchester Science Centre. Tuesday 17 February.

Ride the Real Ale Train

The famous Real Ale Train, or RAT as it is affectionately known, returns to continue its tradition of serving real ale from the bar car whilst travelling by train through the Hampshire countryside. Enjoy a selection of ale and cider from local breweries while you steam between Alresford and Alton's heritage train stations.

Real Ale Train on The Watercress Line. Saturday 21 February.

Get a PB running through Winchester city centre

The annual Winchester 10k is returning in February 2026. The race features a 1-lap closed road route starting outside the historic Winchester Guildhall in The Broadway. You (and 1,500+ others) then head through the city centre out into the countryside and back to finish and get your medal at North Walls Recreation Ground. The ideal end point to then head into town for a restorative brunch and well-earned refuel.

Winchester 10k, starting at The Guildhall, Winchester. Sunday 22 February.

Listen to Dan Snow talk about his mission to Antarctica

Historian and broadcaster Dan Snow is giving a talk about the mission he joined in 2022 that went on to discover Shackleton’s legendary shipwreck, Endurance, lying 3,000m beneath the ice of the Weddell Sea. He'll share the inside story of the month‑long mission in Antarctica before speaker Ed Rochead brings to life the pioneering flights of aviator Amy Johnson, whose record‑breaking journeys, like her solo flight to Australia in the 1930, captured the imagination of a nation. This talk is part of Hampshire History Trust's Midweek Musings series of lectures.

Adventures to the Southern Hemisphere - Talks by Dan Snow and Ed Rochead at Winchester College. Tuesday 24 February.

Sweat it out at Winchester's newest wild sauna

If you haven't tried hot and cold therapy in the middle of a field yet, now is the month to give it a go. The Sauna Works is the latest alfresco sauna to pop up in the countryside around Winchester. Book a spot to try the wood-fired sauna, and accompanying cold plunge, at Jolly Moon, a forest garden just outside of Winchester.

The Sauna Works at Jolly Moon Forest Garden, South Wonston. Open now.

Dance to live jazz and DJs

Spend the night at Winchester's oldest independent music venue, The Railway Inn. You'll be dancing to live jazz from Kevin Davy, local jazz band B Natural and The University of Winchester Jazz Collective, as well as DJs playing soul, funk, real disco and soulful house until 2am.

Let's Dance - Live Jazz & Club DJs at The Railway Inn, Winchester. Friday 27 February.

Hear much-loved musical tale Peter and the Wolf

Experience Prokofiev’s much-loved musical tale for all the family, brought vividly to life by the Winchester Chamber Orchestra at The Arc in Winchester. It's a great introduction to orchestral music for young listeners. Each character is represented by a different instrument and there's also a hands-on instrument experience for children, allowing them to get closer to the music, after the concert.

Peter and the Wolf: Winchester Chamber Orchestra at The Arc. Saturday 28 February.