2025 is our 30th anniversary!
Celebrate with us throughout the year with our 30th anniversary events…
30th Anniversary Summer Film Festival – from July 18th
Anniversary Party! – Saturday 11th October
30th Anniversary Raffle – to be drawn mid October
With 30 prizes for our 30 years including a private film screening with dinner for two from Wild Zucchinis, a house concert from At The Drop of Another Hippopotamus, bespoke glass art, a voucher for The Kirkstile + a case of beer and many more! Raffle entry is £5 either online or through our box office.
Seller registration is now open for our Autumn 2025 Cockfrock event. This ever popular sale of pre-loved ladies fashions and accessories is the biggest pop up sale of it’s kind in the North West! For more information on being a seller with Cockfrock click here.
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
The Penguin Lessons (12A)
16th July 2025 2:00pm (Doors open at 1:00 pm)
Kirkgate Centre
The Penguin Lessons is inspired by the true story of a disillusioned Englishman who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976. Expecting an easy ride, Tom discovers a divided nation and a class of unteachable students. However, after he rescues a penguin from an oil-slicked beach, his life is turned upside-down. Adapted from Tom Michell’s autobiographical book, ...
30th Anniversary Film Festival: Leaving Las Vegas (18)
18th July 2025 7:00pm (Doors open at 6:00 pm)
Kirkgate Centre
1995 – Leaving Las Vegas (18) We open the festival with a film which grossed $50 million worldwide, making it a box office success, especially considering its budget of $4 million. Nicholas Cage won the Oscar for Best Lead Actor.Elisabeth Shue (Best Lead Actress) and Mike Figgis (Director and Screenplay) were nominated at the Oscars. Adapted from the novel by ...
30th Anniversary Film Festival: Up ‘n’ Under (12)
19th July 2025 2:00pm (Doors open at 1:00 pm)
Kirkgate Centre
1998 Up ‘n’ Under (12) The Cobblers Arms have been the best and most feared Amateur Rugby League team for the past ten years. Ex-pro Arthur (Gary Olsen) bets their boss that he could train a bunch of deadbeats to defeat them in a local rugby sevens tournament. But to do so he must first get them into shape with ...
30th Anniversary Film Festival: Jude (15)
19th July 2025 4:30pm (Doors open at 3:30 pm)
Kirkgate Centre
1996 – Jude (15) In late 19th-century England, Jude (Christopher Eccleston) aspires to be an academic, but is hobbled by his blue-collar background. Instead, he works as a stonemason and is trapped in an unloving marriage to a farmer's daughter named Arabella (Rachel Griffiths). But when his wife leaves him, Jude sees an opportunity to improve himself. When he moves ...