ON OUR RADAR

2025 International Women’s Festival

A free one-day festival celebrating women with live music, art, workshops, panel discussions and more.

Leigh Curtis

A free one-day festival celebrating women is being held at Exeter Phoenix on Saturday 15 March following International Women’s Day on Saturday 8 March.

The programme includes music from the Newtown Roots Band and The Corduroy Curiosities with a workshop and choir led by Wren Music.

There will also be panel discussions and a screening of a short film about women’s health in the NHS. Work by artists including Pat Bray, Petra Lewin and Josie Gould will be on display in the auditorium.

Alongside belly dance, zumba, Italian folk dance and collage workshops there will also be children’s activities and stalls by women’s organisations.

International Womens Festival 2025 poster

The event is being hosted by Devon United Women and will be held in memory of its member Dr Anil Lee, who founded Multilingua Devon and was a board member of Exeter Respect.

International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world on 8 March each year. It focusses on women’s rights, gender inequality, reproductive rights and violence and abuse against women.

Subscribe to The Exeter Digest - Exeter Observer's essential free email newsletter

Your personal information will be processed and stored in accordance with our Privacy Policy

The 2025 International Women’s Festival takes place from 11am-4pm on Saturday 15 March 2025 at Exeter Phoenix. It is free to attend.

To view the full programme visit the Exeter Phoenix website.


Democracy doesn't work when people don't know who is deciding what on whose behalf and what the costs and consequences of those decisions will be.

Exeter Observer is proving that reader-funded media can deliver the independent public interest journalism our local democracy needs.

Upgrade to a paid Exeter Observer subscription to support our work and get access to exclusive premium content and more.

More stories
Northbrook swimming pool

City council holds sham Northbrook swimming pool closure consultation

£600,000 Exeter Leisure services budget cut signed off two weeks before pool consultation opened as St Sidwell’s Point drains other council leisure sites.

Met Office building at Exeter Science Park

Met Office to sell Exeter Science Park supercomputer and office buildings

Disposal motivated by replacement of nine year-old supercomputer with £1.2 billion government-funded off-site Microsoft facility.

St Petrock's outreach workers with a rough sleeper

Annual city council rough sleeper count “consistently underestimates” extent of Exeter rough sleeping

Homelessness charity St Petrock’s calls on council to change count methodology which identifies fewer rough sleepers than those known by outreach workers and reflected in government figures.

Devon County Council budget meeting 20 February 2025

Devon County Council reveals perilous financial state with SEND spending having “significant impact” on cash balances

5.9% budget increase for 2025-26 conceals £22 million cuts and £66 million cost increases with “inevitable” impact on “vital” services.

Grace Road Fields March 2025

Exeter Energy insists Riverside Valley Park only viable heat plant site but fails to explain Marsh Barton brownfield rejection

Company admits River Exe water source connection merely “potential” after 2036, incinerator connection only “possible” after 2030 and solar array “will not” meet plant electricity demand while statutory objections challenge Grace Road Fields plans.

Exeter Community Lottery revenue distribution FAQ

Exeter Community Lottery income spent on gambling licence fees and costs despite council marketing and point of sale claims

Materially misleading claims that 60% of ticket sales revenue goes to good causes repeatedly made on lottery website and in official council communications as Australian multinational profits from local voluntary and community sector support.