Thank You For the Music
Sat 11 Apr 2026
Chelmsford Theatre
Monday 1 June 2026
Formed in 1985 as the antidote to mindless pop, egocentric rock, and the indulgent, bluster of the music business, The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain donned black tuxedos, and began giving ‘concerts’ in tiny rooms above old pubs.
Four decades (and 400,000,000 plucks) later they’re still thrilling audiences with their off-beat humour and four-stringed virtuosity from Tasmania to the Arctic Circle, Windsor Castle to Carnegie Hall.
There are no drums, pianos, backing tracks, guitars, or banjos, no pitch shifters or electronic trickery - just an astonishing revelation of the rich palette of orchestration afforded by ukuleles and a menagerie of voices in a collision of post-punk performance and old classics.
Come and celebrate the 40th anniversary of this much-loved institution, on a white-knuckle shopping-trolley dash through every kind of musical genre. From ABBA to ZZ Top, Tchaikovsky to Nirvana, Bluegrass to Broadway, all played on the bonsai guitar.
"The best musical entertainment in the country" - The Independent
"An oversized dose of unexpected hipness" - The New York Times
Members get priority booking and save money on bookings.
Located in the heart of Chelmsford's West End, we are only a 10-minute walk from Chelmsford train station and a short distance from many of the city's car parks.
Chelmsford Train Station is a short walk from the Theatre. You can look at Greater Anglia to check which trains stop at Chelmsford Station.
Chelmsford Bus Station is just around the corner from the Theatre. You can look at First Essex to check which buses stop at the Chelmsford Bus Station.
The closest parking to the Theatre can be found at Townfield Street car park (open till 11pm Mon to Sat but closes at 6pm on Sun), Coval Lane car park (entrance via Rainsford Lane, open all hours) and Fairfield Road car park, (entrance via Coval Lane, open all hours but there are restrictions in place Mon to Fri before 5pm, Fairfield Road car park is also used extensively by people visiting the city in general and travelling to London on the train so can be very busy at all times).
Visit www.chelmsford.gov.uk/car-parks for information on all carparks before your visit. Charges apply at all times.
All Chelmsford City Council car parks are now cashless. You can still pay by card, contactless payment or the MiPermit app.
Our café and box office are open Monday to Saturday 10am to 3pm. The Box Office is closed on bank holidays unless there is a performance.
Outside of the times above the building will open 90 minutes before an event.
Chelmsford Theatre
Fairfield Road
Chelmsford
Essex
CM1 1JG
Box Office: 01245 606505
Email: boxoffice@chelmsford.gov.uk
Enjoy priority booking, exclusive discounts and more