Suffolk’s County town is an urban gem waiting to be explored.
Discover the quaint charm of The Saints, bursting with independent shops and cafes or take a multicultural food journey along Norwich Road. If you are visiting in the summer, head to the Waterfront and imagine yourself on a Mediterranean marina.
Whenever you visit, you won’t be short of cultural activity. Ipswich is home to producing theatres, a leading dance house, museums and galleries, and festivals celebrating the best in live music and performance art.
A Place to be yourself mural
Painting the Town
As you wander through Ipswich, you’ll quickly discover the vibrant street art that decorates buildings across the town. There’s so much, that in 2024 a whole Festival was curated to celebrate – The Wild Walls Festival featured workshops, guided tours, an art market, and commissioned 10 new murals, and will be back in 2026. One of the best ways to explore Ipswich, is to follow Wild Walls’ Street Art Trail that takes in over 30 pieces of work across 23 locations – there is so much to see, that the trail covers 5 miles!
On the Waterfront
One of Ipswich’s most striking vistas, The Waterfront is surrounded by independent cafes and bars. Here you will also find DanceEast, a leading contemporary dance house that presents and commissions work by internationally renowned choreographers; and whilst the programme is mighty, the performance space seats just 200 people – giving audiences a really special experience. Set back from the water is The Hold, home to Suffolk Archives, that preserves and shares over 900 years of Suffolk history – and hosts a regular programme of events and exhibitions.
Christchurch Mansion, Christchurch Park
Explore Heritage
If history is your thing, you might already know that Ipswich was the birthplace of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey – one of the most famous members of Henry VIII’s tumultuous court – and a statue of him can be found at the junction of St Peters Street and Silent Street. Also dating back to Tudor times, Christchurch Mansion boasts over 500 years of history; here you can explore period rooms from a Tudor kitchen to a Georgian saloon and a beautifully detailed Victorian wing. On display in the galleries is the biggest collection of work by Thomas Gainsborough and John Constable outside of London, as well as a regular programme of temporary exhibitions.
A production by Eastern Angles Theatre Company
Live performance
Alongside DanceEast, Ipswich is home to theatres, music venues, an annual live music festival and a biannual festival of art and performance. At the New Wolsey you will find a diverse theatre programme that includes drama, new writing and comedy; in the summer performance spills out into the open air in the venue’s amphitheatre. Also based in the town are Eastern Angles Theatre Company – a touring company that makes work with communities and artists in the region to tell stories from East Anglia – and Red Rose Chain, who deliver a vibrant programme of theatre at their home in Ipswich and have an annual outdoor residency at the National Trust’s Sutton Hoo.
Live music in the town centre
Music fans are well served by Brighten the Corners – bringing leading live bands to their three unique venues (a former church, a former swimming pool and the tiny Smokehouse that holds just 40 people) and their annual summer Festival. And every other October, multi artform SPILL Festival brings ground-breaking artists and internationally significant work to venues and community spaces across Ipswich.
Easy to reach by train from Norwich, Colchester, Cambridge and London, and with a wealth of things to see and do, Ipswich is the perfect location for a day trip or a long weekend. Find out more at allaboutipswich.com
