One more guide for you with events, jobs and some local open calls!
📣 If you’re around Oxford and have things to add please drop it in the comments.
Summer in Oxford is a season of clashes: the students are gone, the tourists are rife, and punting is an absolute must.
I’m a native Londoner, but with close family ties to Oxford and the city only an hour away, I spent many weekends here growing up. At 30, needing a break from the big smoke, I embarked on a new career at Modern Art Oxford. Eleven years later, I’m still here and now call it home.
Oxford has the fame of town and gown - students vs locals - and while that divide is very real and very obvious, finding independent and unique spaces has been my mission for the last decade.
So in this guide, you won’t find lists of all the colleges (there are almost 40 - jump into one of the many walking tours to explore them!) You will find out where to get the best falafel wrap, which cinema to duck into, where to hear the newest music, and the best spot for a coffee.
Meet your guide: Ruba Asfahani is a communications specialist based in West Oxfordshire. Having started her career in the art world, she became jaded and packed it all in for a life with charities instead. For over 15 years she has worked with local, national and international organisations, from Oxfordshire Youth, to Greenpeace and DemocracyNext. Going freelance in 2022 opened doors to do what she loves best - splitting her time between her children and working with non-profits and social enterprises, strategising and writing.
The Edge Deli. A quick shout-out to my favourite place to work when I’m sick of my basement (I don’t live in the city anymore). They expanded and opened their Deli last year, and it’s amazing - super staff, gorgeous food, and a light, airy seating area. Technically not made for co-working, so make sure you charge up and stay as long as your battery lasts.
The Cluster in Summertown. Oxford’s newest co-working space - book a desk for a day, or something more regular if you’re around for a while. Bonus tip: pop into LB’s nearby for the BEST falafel wrap in town.
Grassroots. City centre (ish). A tiny bit closer to the heart of town, and on the fancier (read: pricier) end - but membership includes access to their onsite gym.
Westgate Library. If you can’t be bothered to walk further than the middle of Oxford, this is your spot. Owned and run by the Council, with plenty of space in the library itself, plus the fantastic Business & IP Centre, which hosts an array of special events.
Society Cafe. Great coffee, I’ve been told (I don’t drink hot drinks - and yes, I am aware that’s weird as a Brit). They have a no-laptop policy for a couple of hours each day, which is the perfect excuse to take a break and try one of their delicious bakes.
Art Cafe. Right opposite the library and totally manic during peak hours - but for good reason. If you manage to grab a table, hold on tight, order a panini, and make sure it’s by the window.
The Old Fire Station. Your best bet for a creative buzz while you work: a non-profit cultural centre with changing exhibitions and a constant flow of artists in the building. Best of all, the cafe is run by an award-winning entrepreneur who launched Damascus Rose Kitchen a few years back.
The White Rabbit. The last independent pub in central Oxford. Delicious pizza, a gorgeous outdoor seating area - and yes, the WiFi still works out there.
Oxford Festival of the Arts. Runs until the end of July 2026. This year, the theme is Signs, Symbols… & Secrets.
Rusty Bicycle Street Party. A popular pub, part of an independent chain in and around Oxfordshire. Expect proper local vibes! Saturday, 18th July
After Hours: Connect. Go behind the scenes of working in the arts and develop the practical knowledge you need to build a creative career. At Modern Art Oxford, 30th July.
Dine ‘N’ Devour Food & Artisan Festival. Back for a 3rd time in the heart of Oxford. 14th - 16th August.
IF Oxford: Science + Ideas Festival. Releasing the programme at the end of August, the festival runs in October and hosts a huge variety of events for all ages.
Oxford Open Doors. A nationwide idea, and in Oxford it really is an unbelievable opportunity to get inside buildings most of us would never normally have access to. 12th - 13th September.
Cowley Road Carnival. Watch this space for it to come back in September. After a hiatus and change of leadership, the Oxford community can’t wait for the carnival to return!
Oxford may be small, but she is mighty when it comes to culture.
Bodleian Library. Reopened after a major revamp in 2015, it houses an incredible collection and puts on fantastic themed exhibitions throughout the year. There’s a lovely cafe too, but don’t try to work in it: too many tourists, you won’t be able to concentrate.
Modern Art Oxford. I may be biased having spent the first few years of my Oxford life at MAO, but it really is a special place - and criminally overlooked given it’s right in the centre. Fresh from an interior overhaul, it’s got two exhibitions running until mid-August,one ticket gets you into both and they offer a pay-what-you-feel option too.
Barker & Co. and Bad Girl Books. We love to read over here, and it shows - new bookshops keep popping up. Barker & Co. sells secondhand books, while Bad Girl Books is the UK’s first romantasy bookshop.
Pitt Rivers Museum + Museum of Natural History. Bastions of history and culture, and famous for a reason. Whatever you do, don’t forget the Pitt Rivers, tucked at the back of the Natural History Museum - it doesn’t open until noon on Monday’s, so plan ahead!
Fusion Arts & OVADA. Arts and communities go hand in hand here, and these two are where that’s most alive - artist-led exhibitions, events, creative projects and plenty of opportunities to get involved.
YWMP. A local charity that opened its first-ever venue last year, supporting acts from marginalised backgrounds, musicians without promoters, up-and-coming DJs, and more. We’ve got the O2 and the Bullingdon on Cowley Road for bigger gigs, but if you want to get up close and personal with new music, YWMP’s The Nest is the one to look out for.
Ashmolean Museum. The third of the big hitters. If you come to Oxford, it’s always worth your while to meander the galleries and make sure to head to the rooftop for some glorious views of the city.
The Ultimate Picture Palace, Cowley Road. Cinemas in Oxford are having a bit of a nightmare moment - first the Odeon closed, and now the UPP, one of the oldest cinemas in the country, is under threat of being moved (they’re currently negotiating with their landlord to extend the lease). There’s a Curzon and a Picturehouse too, but the UPP is a special place to catch old and foreign films you may have missed.
The theatres. Take your pick: mainstream acts at the New Theatre, big names and mid-weights at the Oxford Playhouse, and the lesser-known, more intimate shows land at The North Wall and Pegasus Theatre. Pegasus is especially perfect if the kids are coming with you.
Schwarzman Centre, Jericho. A final addition: this brand-new cultural centre is a few minutes’ walk from the Ashmolean. I’ve only been to a couple of events here, and - being part of the University - it stirs up conflicting feelings among locals (town and gown, again). But the events programme is not to be sniffed at.
The Cowley Rag, Daily Info & Independent Oxford. As much as I miss the abundance of culture in London, it’s not hard to find something to do every day of the week here. Follow The Cowley Rag for gigs, or do what most locals do and head to the Daily Info website - it might not be pretty, but it tells you everything you need to know about what’s on. And a couple of Oxonians formed Independent Oxford over a decade ago; its directory now offers up a mammoth list of indie businesses. Whether you’re after a massage, a local artist, or a good beer, they’ll point you in the right direction.
Caveat: I’ve barely scratched the surface of the phenomenal East Oxford, which is a world in itself - the famous steak platter at The Chester, Caper bookshop, and my absolute favourite bakery, Hamblin Bread. I could write one of these newsletters on East Oxford alone!
Chair of Trustees, Photo Oxford. Unpaid. Deadline: 31 July
Director, Freshwater Habitats Trust. Salary: £52,500. Deadline: 17 July
Events Coordinator, University College Oxford, Salary: £32,108–£37,338. Deadline: 23 July
Festival Assistants, Oxford International Song Festival. Salary: Oxford Living Wage (£14.06/hour). Deadline: 27 July
Freelance Visual Artist, Old Fire Station. Fee: £4,200–£5,600. Deadline: 27 July
Fundraising Officer, The Story Museum. Salary: £28-30,000. Deadline: 15 July
Graduate Trainee Digital Archivist, Bodleian Libraries. Salary: £26,686. Deadline: 21 July
Head of Community, The Theatre Chipping Norton. Salary: up to £27,340. Deadline: 15 July
Internal Events Manager, Bodleian Libraries. Salary: £39,424–£47,779. Deadline: 20 July
Public Art Opportunity, East Hanney. Fee: £9,000. Deadline: 31 August
Welcome Space Programme Manager, Ark-T. Salary: £27,000 pro rata (15 hrs/week, approx £10,800). Deadline: 28 July
For general job listings, I would suggest looking at Daily Info. And of course, our two biggest employers: the University of Oxford and Oxford University Press.
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