Entertainment in Maidstone

The leading cultural space in Maidstone and just over the Medway from our Maidstone Town Centre hotel, the Hazlitt Theatre is a 382-capacity auditorium just off Fremlin Walk in the centre of Maidstone. The theatre puts on a wide range of events including stand up comedy, family theatre, dance, drama and more, and has welcomed big names Lee Evans, Jack Dee, Alan Carr and Cilla Black to its stage. Opened in 1955, the theatre has a proscenium arch, a licensed café and bar and hosts events most nights of the week.

Situated on the edge of Mote Park, Maidstone Leisure Centre covers most sports and leisure bases, with five swimming pools, a soft play area for kids, a two-storey gym, sports hall, fitness classes and more. Whether it’s family fun in the aptly-named fun pool, swimming lessons, a kids roller disco or a wide range of workout classes, it’s all covered at the recently refurbished leisure centre.

Formed in 1992, Maidstone United F.C. are a fully professional team who play in the National League, the fifth tier of English football. The team have been on an upward curve in recent years and moved into their 4,200-capacity Gallagher Stadium on the banks of the River Medway in 2012 equipped with a year-round 3G artificial surface, club shop and clubhouse. The club have a strong following since they broke into the National League, with well-attended match days.

Head north over the Kent Downs from our Maidstone Sandling hotel and you’ll find the Chatham Ski and Snowboard Centre, a leading artificial ski slope that also offers sledging and sno-tubing (careering down the slope in an over-sized inner tube, essentially). The longest artificial slope in the South East at 200m, they offer a range of lessons and open practise sessions, while there’s also a 750m-long toboggan run, 30m nursery slope, an array of ramps and rails where you can get some serious air, and a restaurant and bar.

Part of the Lockmeadow Entertainment Centre, the eight-screen Odeon Complex shows all the latest Hollywood classics, with free parking from 6.30pm onwards at the nearby car park. As well as 2D and 3D options, the cinema has its own Ben & Jerry’s stand – ours is a Chunky Monkey, please!