Celebrating anniversaries and Southampton’s intrinsic links to them is at the forefront of the city’s plans for 2025. As well as a year-long cultural programme commemorating the 250th anniversary year of Jane Austen’s birth, more celebrations will mark 70 years of the city’s historic steamship SS Shieldhall. Southampton’s role as the home of the Spitfire will also be explored in 80th anniversary year of the end of World War II.
Alongside these on-going events, next year will also see the return of the successful live music Summer Sessions in Guildhall Square, a packed line-up of workshops, talks and events at the city’s key arts and heritage venues, plus a two-day cultural extravaganza as part of the annual Mela Festival. New year highlights already announced include:
29th March to late autumn New Exhibition at the Sea City Museum: A Very Respectable Company – Jane Austen & her Southampton Circle
A major part of the city-wide programme celebrating the birth of Jane Austen and her strong association (see https://visitsouthampton.co.uk/janeausten250) will be a specially commissioned exhibition at the Sea City Museum. Called A Very Respectable Company – Jane Austen & her Southampton Circle, it will focus on the author’s Southampton circle of friends and neighbours. These included Ann Newell her next door neighbour (an absentee landowner with plantations in Jamaica); Charlotte Fitzhugh (who married into a wealthy East India Company family and was a super fan of Austen’s favourite actress Sarah Siddons); and Anne Middleton (a mixed-race plantation heiress born in Jamaica, married in India, who had her private life splashed across national newspapers).
They are all women who could have could easily found themselves portrayed among the characters found within the pages of Mansfield Park, Emma and Sanditon. The exhibition features items loaned from the family archives of the women’s descendants, providing new and largely unseen material linked to Austen and her networks, including the Austen Family Household Book. For more information: https://seacitymuseum.co.uk/
70th Anniversary programme of special cruises for historic steamship SS Shieldhall including Jane Austen special cruise on 31st August
The historic steamship SS Shieldhall will celebrate the 70th anniversary of its launch (which took place in Renfrew, Scotland on 7th July 1954) with a packed commemorative programme in 2025. As well as marking the anniversary day itself with a special event, the team of passionate volunteers who keep the vessel in tip-top shape are planning a series of cruises, tours and activities.
One of the highlights already announced includes a Jane Austen themed cruise on 31st August. Jane all at Sea will take in Hythe and Netley (where Jane would regularly enjoy boating trips) and steam down Southampton Water to the Solent heading east to Portsmouth, to learn about Jane’s brothers’ Charles and Frank who were based there as rising stars in the Royal Navy.
Tickets for Jane All at Sea, Jane Austen and her Nautical Connections cost, adult £62, Child 5-15 £23 and family tickets £147 (2+2) U'5s free. For more information and to book: http://www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk or call the Ticket Manager on 023 8155 0242.
May premiere of Spitfire Girls: a new production celebrating Women Pilots 80 year After WWII, in the city where the iconic plane was created
Premiering at MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton on 20th March, SPITFIRE GIRLS, is a new play by Katherine Senior (developed with support from the National Theatre Generate Programme). Funny and heart-warming, the play has been timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary year of the end of World War II and celebrates the lives and little known stories of those woman pilots who took to the skies during the war and their strong sense of camaraderie. Southampton’s connection to the Spitfire is a poignant one, as the iconic aircraft was developed in the city.
Visitors to the city this spring can explore this story further by visiting the city’s fascinating Southampton Solent museum. Plus, on 27th March, as part of Southampton’s cultural services’ ‘Thinking Thursdays’ sessions (which delve into the city’s past with a local historian and expert) there will be a walking tour led by Spitfire historian Alan Matlock on a session entitled ’Shadow of the Spitfire’.
Tickets for Spitfire Girls (20 – 22 March 2025) are on sale at mayflower.org.uk or 02380 711811. Images https://mayflower.datadwell.com/public Walking tour tickets from £8. Visit www.seacitymuseumn.co.uk for more information. Solent Sky tickets £12 or £8 children https://www.solentsky.org/
McFly, The Human League, The Stranglers, Simple Minds, Rag ‘N’ Bone Man and UB40 headline Southampton’s Summer Session series this June
Southampton’s TK Maxx Summer Sessions are back again for 2025 with another stella line up of internationally acclaimed artists. Performing live at Guildhall Square, headline acts include Rag n Bone Man (13th June), The Stranglers (14th June), UB40 featuring Ali Campbell (15th June), McFly (22nd June), Human League (26th June) and Simple Minds (29th June).
Home to the city’s cultural hub, as well as enjoying the open-air concerts, visitors to Guildhall Square can make a day of it and explore the area’s museums, galleries, bars, cafes, and restaurants. For more information and to book: https://www.smmrsessions.com/locations/southampton
Two days of festivities planned for bigger than ever Mela Festival in 2025
One of Southampton’s biggest cultural celebrations, the Mela Festival, will be spread across two days in 2025. The free event, a colourful fusion of Asian food alongside music, dance and family activities will run across the weekend of 12th and 13th July at the city’s Hogland’s Park. International musicians and dancers together with local talent, will provide festival goers with live on-stage performances, with an arts and craft market, food pop-ups and a children’s activity zone adding to the festival programme. News will be updated here: www.artasia.org.uk
Southampton’s cultural venues announce new workshops, events and talks line-up
Southampton is fortunate to have a thriving cultural arts scene, including, the Sea City Museum which charts the destination’s maritime heritage (including its strong connection with the Titanic); the Southampton City Art Gallery which houses internationally important artworks that span the centuries, plus Tudor House & Gardens a, venue that encompasses some 400 years of the city’s history.
Alongside their permanent exhibitions, new for 2025 each venue will stage a series of pre-bookable art workshops, themed school holiday sessions, walks and talks that augment the offer available at each venue. Ideal for visitors to the town who want some hands-on experience all the activities can be prebooked. For the full programme visit: https://southamptonmuseumsandgallery.co.uk/whats-on/