Norfolk Heritage Open Days festival - Friday 11 - Sunday 20 September 2026

Past festivals

Take a look back at Norfolk Heritage Open Days from previous years

Heritage Open Days (HODs) is England’s largest community led festival of history and culture and in Norfolk hundreds of participating venues, organisations and gardens throw open their doors for free to reveal and celebrate the very best of the county’s rich history and heritage.

Norfolk Heritage Open Days 2025

The 2025 festival ran from 12-21 September, with an incredible 397 events taking place throughout Norfolk. Once again, Norwich had the largest programme of any city in the country. The theme for HODs 2025 was Architecture.

Norfolk Heritage Open Days 2024

In 2024, we worked with RSPCA Norwich to celebrate their 60th anniversary, which coincided with the 200th anniversary the National RSPCA. The theme for HODs 2024 was Routes, Networks, Connections.

Norfolk Heritage Open Days 2023

The 2023 festival ran from 8-17 September with 310 events in the programme and Norwich had the largest programme of any city in the country. This year’s theme was Creativity Unwrapped.

Norfolk Heritage Open Days 2022

Once again HODs experienced a year like no other, coinciding with ten days of national mourning for Her Majesty the Queen. As a community event, the festival went ahead with respect for her memory.

A group of people listen to a guide next to a Tudor building with wonky beams and cobbled street

Norfolk Heritage Open Days 2021

As we re-emerged from what was the most challenging 18 months for many of us, we were delighted to bring the 2021 programme to Norfolk, with the national theme of Edible England.

People viewing an event through Heritage Open Days branded VR goggles

Norfolk Heritage Open Days 2020

Norfolk Heritage Open Days organisers rose to the challenge and created online events and virtual tours for the 2020 festival.

An actor dressed as Queen Victoria with ruff and pearls stands next to a child who is a history fan and has their thumbs up

Norfolk Heritage Open Days 2019

In 2019 Heritage Open Days celebrated its 25th anniversary and for the first time ever, took place across ten days.