About The City Brief Folkestone

Your Personal Newsletter For All Local Events in Folkestone

In Folkestone, you can find what’s happening locally through The City Brief’s weekly coverage of community events across the town. From Leas to Stade and along Guildhall Street, gatherings take place throughout the year, live music at Old High Street venues during autumn evenings; seasonal festivals near Sandgate Beach that draw visitors from Herne Bay and Broadstairs. These moments reflect how residents connect in shared spaces.

Landmarks such as The Grand Hotel, Folkestone Harbour Station and Viaduct, Rotunda (former fairground), Church of St Mary and St Eanswith, Martello Tower, Napoleonic Martello Towers, Norman Church Ossuary, Leas Cliff Promenade, International Sculpture Triennial Venue, and Mermaid Beach serve as regular sites for civic engagement. The Viaduct hosts informal gatherings in summer months; the Harbour Station becomes a venue during events like the Folkestone Documentary Festival or when Harbours Screen shows films under open skies.

The Creative Quarter functions as an ongoing platform where independent artists present new work across multiple programming cycles, particularly around dates such as the annual Folkestone Book Festival and Feast of St Eanswythe. The Leas Promenade is not only a coastal walk with sea views but also hosts monthly storytelling sessions linked to Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

West Cliff’s Edwardian buildings frame performances during the Chamber Music Festival in May, while Old High Street becomes animated on weekends when independent cafés and bars open late for events. The Funicular Railway connects different parts of East Cliff and West Cliff, facilitating access across historic terrain where walking paths intersect with seasonal celebrations tied to local heritage.

The City Brief tracks these developments not as promotion but as civic documentation, ensuring residents know what’s unfolding in Guildhall Street or near the Channel Tunnel terminal without needing a map.

What we Cover

Each week The City Brief highlights events happening across Folkestone – live music, theatre, food, family activities, markets and more.

Have a look at what's happening this week and this coming weekend.