Things to do near Derby: The magical moving paintings at the Van Gogh Show reminded me of Harry Potter

One of the many great things about Derby is its central location in the heart of the country, making it easy to travel to nearby cities.

Whether you're travelling by road or rail, Derby is perfectly positioned to explore the rest of the country (well Midlands!)

On East Midlands Railway’s direct train services, Derby is 90 minutes away from London, 55 minutes from Birmingham, and just 25 minutes from Leicester - which is exactly where we went for an easy, fun and reasonably priced day out.

Leicester is playing host to two brilliant events at the moment; the Van Gogh Show which is on a national tour, and the Leicester Comedy Festival, one of the largest in the UK.

Here is what we got up to on our trip to Leicester.

Read more: What's On in Derby?

Van Gogh Immersive Experience Leicester 2024

This is so much more than a sound and light show celebrating the art and life of Vincent Van Gogh. 

Imagine artwork coming to life, a bit like those moving paintings in Harry Potter.

(I continue to be obsessed with Dawn French’s turn as The Fat Lady in The Prisoner of Azakaban).

Add to that, the feeling of being able to physically step into a painting, which is the magical gist of the Van Gogh live exhibition.

The setting of a Grade I listed building somehow made the show all the more special, adding to the sense of drama and occasion.

A personal highlight was watching Van Gogh’s Sunflowers come to life.

I also love learning and hadn’t realised there are seven versions of this painting.

Why we love Van Gogh Immersive Experience

You don’t have to be an art fan to enjoy this exhibition.

You can take in a beautiful light show, learn more about one of the world’s acclaimed artists, and even have a go at colouring in your own version of Sunflowers at the end of the experience.

The Van Gogh Immersive Experience is showing at Leicester until March 2024. 

Tickets start from £13 per person. 

Address: All Saints’ Church, Highcross Street, Leicester LE1 4PH, UK

For more information visit the website by clicking here.

Leicester Comedy Festival 2024

We sunk a pint and enjoyed Maura Jackson’s show at Kayal Restaurant

Laughter really is the best medicine and at one of the UK’s largest funny festivals, there are over 700 shows of live podcasts, sketches and improv to choose from. 

We booked to see stand-up comedian Maura Jackson perform in the upstairs section of a restaurant.

We grabbed a couple of chilled pints of Malabar IPA from the downstairs bar and headed up the stairs of the Indian eatery.

Maura’s star turns include Channel 4’s Naked Education and sell-out shows across the country.

Drawing upon her lived experience of single mum, divorce, dating and menopause, Maura expertly wove poignant anecdotes into hilarious situations.

This loud and proud northern comedian is a joy to watch and is one of the rising star on the comedy circuit in the UK.

Her show will bring laughter, light and the melodious twang of the Bolton accent into your life.

Leicester Comedy Festival runs until February 25.

Tickets prices vary per show; to see Maura Jackson we paid £7 per person.

Address: Running across 65 locations across the county including Mountsorrell and Coalville

For more information visit the website by clicking here.

Top restaurants in Leicester that offer great value for money

£10 lunch at Bobby’s Restaurant Leicester

Walking and laughing is going to make you hungry.

We enjoyed a great thali lunch at Bobby’s Leicester for £10 per person. 

This is a platter of four mini curries, three chapattis, rice and pickle.

Address: 154-156 Belgrave Road, Leicester LE4 5AT

Three course dinner for £23 includes giant curries and stunning starters

We dined like royalty for a fraction of the price at Everest Parikar, a Nepalese restaurant on Belgrave Road. 

We couldn’t quite believe how much food was served under the Gourmet Banquet option.

Succulent seekh kebab, chicken shashlik, butter chicken, lamb rogan josh and more had us requesting the pack-up option, whose takeaway kept us full for two days.

Address: Everest Parikar Restaurant, 139 Belgrave Road, Leicester LE4 6AS