Get ready for Norfolk Heritage Open Days 2022

Each year embraces a different theme, and this year’s is ‘Astounding Inventions’ celebrating England's rich history of invention, industry, and innovation.

The festival offers everybody the opportunity to explore buildings & places they may not have ventured into before, discover hidden gems not normally open to the public and learn more about our cultural heritage. 

We’d like to say a huge thank you for every participant who got involved last year, and those who took part in our visitor survey – it’s so wonderful to hear your comments, thoughts and memories of the events you attended.

 A super easy way to keep track of all the events and goings on of the festival is to pick up a brochure – these will be widely available from the 25 July from The Forum in the city centre and from various sites across the county, such as Libraries and Tourist Information Centres. The brochure will also be available online if you can't get your hands on one! For all the latest news and highlights of the festival, follow NorfolkHODs on social media too.   

When can I book a HODs event?

Many of the HODs events don’t require any prebooking and you can just drop-in.

However, there are some exclusive events with limited capacities which get booked up very quickly, so be ready at 10am on Monday 22 August to book your places for those events you don’t want to miss.

How do I book?

Going live on 22 August, most tickets can be booked online via norfolkheritageopendays.ticketsolve.com but in some cases, you need to book directly with the venue (this could be online, email or over the phone) – this information can be found on individual event listings.

Please note that no tickets can be booked via The Forum.

Once you’ve booked, any meeting points and venue addresses will be confirmed with your booking. 

Share your story

You can still register to be part of the annual festival of people, places and community and share your story.  Venues and organisers, from huge historic buildings to parks, interested in taking part can register their interest by emailing [email protected] or visiting heritageopendays.org.uk/organising/how-to-get-involved before 11 August!

The Norfolk HODs brochure has already been produced for this year’s festival, but any last-minute registrations are included on the national site’s event directory.

Why should I get involved?

Every year, around 200 organisers from established organisations, businesses and voluntary groups take part in Norfolk Heritage Open Days, giving their time and expertise to showcase the very best of Norfolk’s rich heritage to local visitors and those who travel from further afield.

In return, taking part in England’s largest free festival of history and culture can offer a range of opportunities your organisation can benefit from including exposure to new, diverse audiences and a loyal following, a gateway to the heritage sector to encourage future visits, national, regional and local PR as part of a nationwide festival, connecting with other local organisations and communities, and generating economic activity.

Looking to try something new, and have a passion for heritage, arts and culture?

The Forum is looking for this year’s Heritage Open Days Volunteer. As an volunteer, you can work in many different roles as part of the HODs team from ensuring everyone is safe, happy and knows where to go to distributing the Norfolk HODs brochure.

Volunteering for Heritage Open Days is a great way to gain new experience, meet new people and learn more about the histories and treasures on your doorstep.

There isn’t long left to apply, but you won’t regret getting involved with this fantastic and rewarding experience. Take a look at the full role description and complete the application form, emailing to [email protected] by Friday 15 July. 

We'll see you at this year's festival!