June Boom Week One: 1-8 June 2025

And WE’RE OFF!

The June Boom team (InExeter, Visit Exeter and Exeter Culture) have been preparing for this moment all spring, and now it’s finally here we’re absolutely blown away by just how jam-packed with quality content this month is going to be. Visual art, performance, literature events, talks, theatre, music, comedy, heritage… you’ll be spoilt for choice. So, get those diaries at the ready, and let’s take a closer look at what’s coming up (not necessarily in chronological order) during this first week…

Now in its 28th glorious year, the Respect Festival (Belmont Park on 7-8th) is rightly a foundational event in the city’s calendar, taking over Belmont Park with music across three stages, a cornucopia of delicious food options, tons of activities and workshops, and - most of all - an absolutely joyous inclusive atmosphere. We’re looking forward to the Sing and Sign Jukebox Choir on the Community Stage (Sunday 8th) but don’t miss headliner Da Fuchaman on the Mandela Stage (Saturday 7th) for what promises to be a blazing show. Visit the Respect website for full line-up and details.

Exeter Respect Festival

If literature is your bag, then the week ahead is going to spin you into a frenzy. For those wanting to hone their skills, Raw Writing are running a Memoir Writing Workshop at Exeter Phoenix on Monday 2nd. On 6-7th, down at the Custom House on the Quay, you can dive into the Bow Lines Maritime Literary Festival, which offers a mix of talks, panel discussions, readings and more. If solo-but-in-a-convivial-atmosphere reading is more your vibe, then City of Literature’s regular Silent Book Club is in residence in the upstairs bar of the Topsham Brewery Taproom, 6-8pm on Wednesday 4th (and then at The Hourglass on 20th) - bring a book, sip a beverage, and lose yourself in your chosen literary landscape (I’m deep into Lee Child’s Reacher series at the moment… don’t judge me). On Sunday 8th, Cathedral Green is books-a-go-go for the annual Book Market – with author talks, stalls, activities and yummy food to keep you going. Head over to the glorious little St Martin’s Church between 10am and 4pm for a free guided tour and a peek at some rare books from a collection rarely on display.

Also on Sunday 8th, head down to the Quay for the Heritage Harbour Festival, where you can expect steam boats, railways, traction engines, classic cars plus live music and other performances. This free event will take place at the Custom House, under the Transit Shed, around the waterfront and on the Piazza, 11am-4pm

Heritage Harbour Festival 2023 (c) Appleton Event Photography

Art lovers are well served with the opening of ‘Elsewhere(s)’ – exhibitions produced by students from the University of Exeter’s MA Curation course, which are running across Positive Light Projects (Sidwell St), the former Body Shop in the Guildhall and the We Are pop-up store (formerly Top Shop) in Princesshay from 6th-15th. It’s a lively mix of exhibitions and site-specific installations, pulling on work that investigates different definitions of ‘home’ and cultural identity in the context of global consumerism, and what we accept or reject in marking these boundaries. 

L: Dead White Man by Jeremy Hutchinson, photo by Dani Pujalte. R: Burnthouse Lane, by Michelle Sank.

If you want to get some hands-on art skills under your belt, join Double Elephant Print Workshop’s Jeremy Speck on 2nd-3rd for From Lino to Screenprint - a two-day course in which you’ll explore how to combine the two printmaking mediums to add texture and more varied mark-making to your prints. 

For music lovers, the month gets off to a great start, with gigs happening across all the main venues. If you’re after something more intimate, while the Daily Bowl may no longer be serving delicious vegan food they are still satisfying our musical appetites with their regular Noche Latina nights, now being held at Kaleider on Preston Street (Saturday 7th). Expect hot tunes, tasty beats and a great atmosphere. For more music insights, reviews, heads-ups, comment and spotlights, head to our colleagues Involving Music for the full skinny. To get a taste of just how much is happening, listen to the brilliant June Boom playlist they’ve created for us:

For all you theatre fans, fear not - there’s plenty for you coming up over the month. Exeter Northcott kicks us off in fine style with Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) (3rd-7th). Direct from its triumph in the West End where it won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy and the Evening Standard Award, this is a raucous, frenzied, pop hit-filled retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story. Super fun and joyously irreverent, you’ll have an absolute ball.

Pride and Prejudice (Sort Of) 2024 © Photographer Mihaela Bodlovic

To wrap up this first week roundup, we turn to the mammoth that is COMEDY! This is clearly the funniest week to be in Exeter, as caustic queen Katherine Ryan sets the tempo when she brings her new show Battleaxe to the Great Hall on Thursday 5th. Thursday 5th also marks the kick off (until Sunday 8th) of the second annual Comedy Festival, which has doubled down on last year’s fantastic launch with a staggering 70+ shows across four days across multiple venues. From up-and-coming acts to big names such as Bridget Christie, Reginald D Hunter and Josie Long, as well as local (anti)heroes (we’re looking at you, Ed Tripp!), and even workshops and kids’ shows, there is – literally! – something for everyone. 

Phew! Don’t know about you, but we need a lie down after all that… Come back here for regular updates, blogs, reviews and comment from our team of volunteer Culture Vultures.

Check out the full programme of June Boom events at Visit Exeter.

See you next week!