What’s on at Newton Abbot Museum this February? Folk music fundraiser revealed

Newton Abbot Museum is preparing to host a live music event in February as part of its programme of community activities.

The four-piece Budapest Café Orchestra will perform at the museum on Monday 9 February, beginning at 7pm. 

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Budapest Café Orchestra plays a mix of gypsy, folk and world music, and was founded in 2009 by British violinist Christian Garrick. 

The performance is expected to be a fundraiser for the museum, with tickets available through in person or through a QR code on the event posters.

Recent and upcoming activities at Newton Abbot Museum include free family workshops, Lego building sessions for home-educated children and a series of toddler sessions running in January and February.

The Museum is housed in the restored Newton’s Place building on Wolborough Street, a former Victorian church that now serves as a community hub as well as a museum. 

It offers interactive displays, hands-on exhibits and historical collections that tell the story of the town from its earliest times through to its role as a market and railway centre. 

ABOVE: Music in the Museum poster (Newton Abbot Town Council)

Admission to the museum is free, and it is open weekdays and Saturdays.

In recent years the museum has seen a rise in visitor numbers since moving to the Wolborough Street site. 

Between opening in 2020 and 2024, annual visits grew from around 2,000 at its previous location to more than 15,000. 

Museum staff also work with the community to interpret local history through displays and outreach sessions.

Plans are also under way for a new museum store supported by funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The project aims to create an accessible space to safeguard and share the museum’s growing collection of more than 17,000 objects, and to offer behind-the-scenes activities and workshops for local people.

In addition to music and workshops, the museum hosts other cultural events. 

Late 2025 saw the museum stage a free Christmas concert by the Haldon String Quartet following the annual lantern parade in Newton Abbot town centre.

Earlier in the year, the Old Time Sailors took to the museum stage in April.

Museum curator Dr Charlotte Dixon said the organisation aims to provide a welcoming space that educates and entertains visitors of all ages, while celebrating Newton Abbot’s heritage and supporting community involvement.