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About Us
The Kirkgate Centre is an entertainment and cultural venue at the heart of the lively community of Cockermouth, Cumbria.
We celebrate our local talent and heritage, and bring top quality professional entertainment to
our town and many other communities across the area to the west of the Lake District National Park.
Whether you enjoy films on a big screen, live music, theatre, exhibitions, shows for children and families or community events, Kirkgate has something for everyone. Our quirky character makes us a special venue for weddings, parties, festivals and conferences.
Our mission:
“Creative talent is valued, developed, and supported with opportunities for all to actively engage with and enjoy the arts, our local heritage and community life”
Our values:
Commitment – Our staff and volunteers are dedicated to delivering our mission.
Inclusion – We aim to make art, heritage, and culture accessible to all our communities.
Sustainability – We aim to ensure that the organisation is secure for future generations from both financial and environmental perspective.
Nurturing – We aim to provide an environment that encourages growth, development of skills confidence and enjoyment for all.
WHAT’S ON
NTLive The Playboy of the Western World
31st May 2026 7:00pm (Doors open at 6:00 pm)
Kirkgate Centre
The Playboy of the Western World by John Millington Synge directed by Caitríona McLaughlin Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) joins Éanna Hardwicke (The Sixth Commandment) and Siobhán McSweeney (Derry Girls) in John Millington Synge’s riveting play of youth and self-discovery. Pegeen Flaherty’s life is turned upside down when a young man walks into her pub claiming that he’s killed his father. Instead ...
A Pale View of the Hills (12A)
1st June 2026 8:00pm (Doors open at 7:00 pm)
Kirkgate Centre
An adaptation of Ishiguro’s debut novel. Desperate to understand her family's past in Japan before her birth, Niki probes her mother, Etsuko, about their time in Nagasaki. Told through flashbacks, Etsuko recounts the tale of a friend she knew long ago…. Spanning the two timelines, the film is a moving and hopeful account of the generational impact of war and ...
A Pale View of the Hills (12A)
3rd June 2026 2:00pm (Doors open at 1:00 pm)
Kirkgate Centre
An adaptation of Ishiguro’s debut novel. Desperate to understand her family's past in Japan before her birth, Niki probes her mother, Etsuko, about their time in Nagasaki. Told through flashbacks, Etsuko recounts the tale of a friend she knew long ago…. Spanning the two timelines, the film is a moving and hopeful account of the generational impact of war and ...
Midwinter Break (12A)
5th June 2026 7:00pm (Doors open at 6:00 pm)
Kirkgate Centre
An adaptation of Bernard MacLaverty’s 2017 novel. Midwinter Break is a stirring meditation on faith, commitment, and the enduring power of love, as a longtime couple takes a life-changing trip to Amsterdam. It’s the kind of quietly magnificent film that asks you to sit with it patiently, absorbing the myriad of emotions expressed by its wonderful leads.(Travis Hopson – Punch ...