There are weekends where Weymouth and Portland quietly potter along.
This is not one of them.
This weekend somehow includes karaoke, Pink Floyd, Dungeons & Dragons, Elvis, Tai Chi, Morris dancers, a circus, a Bridgerton-inspired evening and multiple opportunities to loudly sing Mr Brightside in public.
At this point, trying to neatly define what Weymouth and Portland “is” feels increasingly impossible. One minute you’re discussing Art Deco architecture, the next you’re watching someone in a cowboy hat line dancing in Wyke Regis before ending the evening with late-night karaoke and chips.
Honestly, we love that about this place.
Friday night kicks off properly with live music across Weymouth and Portland.
The Wyke Smugglers hosts Nod to Nashville with Hooked on Boots, bringing country music energy to Wyke Regis, while Weymouth Pavilion welcomes Money For Nothing for a big rock-filled evening.
There’s also live music at The Lugger Inn, The Waterloo, Hardy’s Hophouse, The Edinburgh House of Sounds, The Kings Arms, The Black Dog, The Tin Cat and Finns.
Meanwhile, several venues are bravely handing microphones to the public.
Sailors Return has Friday Night Karaoke, The Rock Hotel hosts karaoke and open mic sessions, while Duke of Albany joins the chaos too.
Some people train years for live performance. Others simply hear the opening bars of Wonderwall after two pints and feel chosen.
Saturday may genuinely be one of the strangest combinations of events we’ve seen for a while.
Dry Dock is hosting an Introduction to Dungeons & Dragons session, while The Closet Bar & Nightclub has the Wizard’s Quiz Cup, which feels like excellent preparation for anybody secretly hoping to abandon modern life and move into a hobbit village.
Elsewhere, Mumma Bee’s Cafe somehow manages to combine a pop-up plant sale, Morris dancers and Tai Chi into one event, which feels deeply West Dorset in the best possible way.
There’s also the Weymouth Community Expo on the beach, EPIC Games Day at Islanders Youth and Community Centre, plus an Art Deco house tour at Portland House for anybody wanting something slightly calmer.
Saturday evening then swings wildly back into music and nightlife.
Weymouth Pavilion hosts both A Bridgerton Inspired Evening and the UK Pink Floyd Experience, which means somewhere in Weymouth there will simultaneously be string quartets and somebody playing Comfortably Numb at full volume.
There’s also Elvis at Hardy’s Hophouse, plus live music across dozens of pubs and venues including The Onyx Bar, The ‘Award Winning’ Royal Oak Weymouth, The Black Dog and The Tin Cat.
Sunday starts more gently with Park Yoga at Lodmoor Country Park and wildlife watercolour workshops at Wild Chesil Centre.
There are Cold War Bunker Talks and Tours at Nothe Fort, intergenerational events at All Saints Church and the wonderfully wholesome Brambly Hedge Interactive Story Trail at Abbotsbury Swannery.
Meanwhile, Weymouth Pavilion continues its wonderfully chaotic programming with Bippo’s Circus Adventure and Michael.
Then come the Sunday sessions.
Portland Social Club hosts Sunday Funday with Georgy and Friends, while venues including Sailors Return, The Duke of Cornwall, The Kings Arms, The Black Dog and The Tin Cat all keep the live music going into the evening.
A pint in the sun with live music while collectively pretending Monday isn’t real remains one of life’s great pleasures.
You can browse the full listings and add your own events at WeyPort What/When.
Something good is happening around Weymouth and Portland at the moment. More venues are busy. More people are putting events on. More people are actually going out again.
Long may it continue.
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