Being Human Festival 2026: free UK events to explore local stories

Free walks, local history and creative workshops are coming to towns and cities across the UK as Being Human Festival returns from 5 to 14 November 2026. This year’s programme has more than 230 events in 38 towns and cities, offering a way to get to know a place through its people and stories rather than its visitor attractions alone.

The official festival programme brings university researchers together with local museums, community organisations and cultural venues. The theme is Crossroads. Events explore questions about identity, belonging and change through activities rather than only lectures.

You do not need to plan a trip around the whole festival. Start with the programme near you, then check the individual event’s booking rules, age guidance and access information. Free admission does not always mean you can arrive without reserving a place.

• Also read: Free skills sessions during Get the Nation Learning Week

A family day in Cardiff Bay

Explore Being Human takes place at the Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Harbour Drive, Cardiff Bay, on Saturday, 7 November, from 10am to 4pm. Cardiff University lists it as free, open to the public and suitable for all ages, with a booking link on the event page.

Activities include audio stories and map-making about migrant mothers’ experiences, a film about Chinese restaurants in South Wales, live music and creative challenges about misinformation. These make the day particularly relevant to families interested in the different communities that shape the city.

The university’s programme lists two-hour visiting slots. Follow the official booking link to check what is available before travelling. Food and drinks from the venue’s café are separate purchases.

Refugee histories in Dorking

On the same Saturday, Refugee Voices from World War II opens at Dorking Museum and Heritage Centre, 62 West Street, from 10am to 4pm. The exhibition does not require booking.

It draws on the Dorking Refugee Committee’s archive from 1938 to 1949, showing the experiences of people escaping the Nazi regime and the support offered locally. Visitors can talk with historians, curators and teachers and explore a new website about the archive. A related zine-making workshop has its own sign-up arrangements, so do not assume that exhibition access includes a workshop place.

Learn Cardiff on foot

Cardiff’s Festival of Walks follows on Friday, 13 November, from 10am to 3.30pm. Its free programme includes walks, talks and workshops about the city, Bute Park and everyday experiences of moving through public space.

Choose sessions through the organiser’s booking link. Most meet at Bute Park Visitor Centre, but the 10am screen-locations walk starts outside the Glamorgan Building in Cathays Park. Check your selected session rather than using one meeting point for the whole day. The organiser advises participants to dress for the weather.

Find an event near you

These are starting points, not the whole programme. Use the festival’s regional listings to browse other locations and check each event’s own date. Some associated activities sit outside the main festival dates. Booking availability can change, and access needs are best checked with the named venue or organiser.

Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay, photographed in 2019. Photo: Rosser1954, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped.