Family Friendly Arts Festival
Extraordinary events in extraordinary places
Inside Out Dorset is an award-winning international outdoor arts festival that takes place across the county every two years. At the heart of what we do is our belief that the performing arts should be accessible for all – no matter what your experience or background. Therefore, all of Inside Out Dorset is free to attend.
We bring live performance to unexpected places – town centres, village squares, beaches and hilltops – for everyone to enjoy.
Inside Out Dorset is the only outdoor festival in the UK that works in both urban and rural outdoor locations across a whole county.
We celebrate Dorset and aim to promote our natural landscape and sense of place. Some of Dorset’s most remarkable urban and rural spots are transformed with experiences that touch hearts and minds like nothing else.
The most recent Inside Out Dorset festival took place in September 2025 in Christchurch, Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, Summerhouse Hill in Yeovil, Corfe Castle and Weymouth.
Past events
Take a look at the events that took place at our most recent festival in September 2025.
Feeling inspired
Volunteers are at the heart of the festival, it simply would not exist without them. Find out more about what our volunteers get up to.
Touching hearts and minds and inspiring since 2007
Inside Out Dorset is an outdoor international festival of extraordinary events in extraordinary places that takes place across sites in Dorset. Since 2007, we’ve brought live performance to unexpected places – town centres, village squares, beaches and hilltops – for everyone to enjoy.
Latest Inside Out Dorset News
Go behind the scenes and learn more about our outdoor arts festival
Inside Out Dorset 2025 wonderful success
Tens of thousands of visits to 5 extraordinary locations.
Local children feature in new artwork
The ideas and voices of children from a Bournemouth primary school are to feature in a new sound art installation…
Inside Out Dorset 2025 programme announced
Inside Out Dorset, the biennial international outdoor arts festival, is set to return this autumn with a series of free-to-see…
Activate wins silver at Dorset Tourism Awards
Our Inside Out Dorset 2023 festival takes silver in the Tourism Event / Festival of the Year category.
Worldbeaters Return to Dusk Til Dark
The world class illuminated music and street dance theatre, Worldbeaters, will be arriving in Weymouth in late September to illuminate…
Inside Out Dorset 2023 dazzles audiences across the region
Thousands experience unique performances and installations at five remarkable Dorset locations.
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Support Us
Activate is a charity and we produce the Inside Out Dorset festival. Without you, the work we do connecting communities, breaking down barriers and celebrating our landscape is not possible. To make sure Inside Out Dorset continues, please consider making a donation.