Annual protest against sexual violence and harassment of women and girls in public space.
Leigh Curtis
Reclaim the Night returns to Exeter’s streets on Thursday 27 November to protest against sexual violence and harassment of women and girls in public space.
The annual event seeks to challenge gender-based violence and inequality by raising awareness of sexual violence, street harassment and other forms of violence that predominantly target women and girls.
It offers a safe and inclusive space for individuals to advocate for policy change and demand justice for survivors of gender-based violence, and aims to change cultural attitudes and social norms that contribute to the perpetuation of this violence.
It takes place during 16 Days of Activism, an annual campaign co-ordinated by UN Women, which this year focuses on ending digital violence against all women and girls
Reclaim the Night march in Exeter High Street. Photo: Merryn Wilson.
Reclaim the Night Exeter takes place on Thursday 27 November 2025.
Placard and banner making begins at 4pm at St Sidwell’s Community Centre, where the march gathers. It then sets off at 6pm for a Bedford Square rally, where the event is due to finish at 7.30pm.
The route of the march and all supporting venues are accessible and the event is inclusive. Everyone who wants to see an end to street harassment and gender-based violence is invited to participate.
Organisers are looking for women to help run the event. To find out more email Claire Karslake at claire.karslake@ndada.co.uk.
Exeter Observer is owned and funded by its readers instead of remote shareholders, corporate advertisers or individuals bound to those in power.
This means we are free to focus on local news that matters instead of reproducing content marketing clickbait, press releases or public relations spin.
It is our paying subscribers who enable us to cover stories that the people and organisations we scrutinise would rather you did not see.
We need more of our readers to contribute to our running costs so we can keep publishing our independent investigative journalism.
178 of the 300 paying subscribers we need to break even have signed up so far.
Please support our work by joining them today from less than £2/week.
Exeter City Council reversal returns funding support to Citizens Advice Exeter
500 hospital staff apply to Royal Devon NHS Trust redundancy scheme
Devon County Council drops Matford huts redevelopment plan after local campaign
Devon & Cornwall Police underperforming in three-quarters of areas inspected
On Our Radar
THURSDAY 9 TO SATURDAY 11 JULY 2026
Exeter Craft Festival
Hand-made ceramics, textiles, jewellery, artworks, toiletries and more by makers from across the South West.
CATHEDRAL GREEN
THURSDAY 9 TO SUNDAY 12 JULY 2026
Exmouth Festival
Annual event returns with four days of music, dance, theatre, crafts and more.
EXMOUTH TOWN CENTRE
THURSDAY 23 JULY 2026
Seasonal meals and nature talks
A series of talks covering companion planting, butterflies, Ukrainian cooking, seed saving and fungi with shared seasonal meals.
ST SIDWELL'S COMMUNITY CENTRE
, updated
More stories
£19.6 million Exeter Chiefs takeover deal complete
Subsidiary of US-based Cannae Holdings buys Sandy Park stadium club from Exeter Rugby Group following vote in favour of proposed takeover by club members.
Exeter city centre strategy evasions and expediencies echo cultural strategy failings
Just 85 invitation-only workshop attendees consulted during development of yet another city council strategy without a delivery plan.
St Petrock’s homelessness survey finds increase in women sleeping rough in Exeter
Charity says women’s homelessness often hidden from view because of “fears around safety, harassment, and gender-based violence” in report following publication of city council snapshot count which recorded five-fold rise in rough sleeper numbers.
First phase capital cost of legacy Exeter City Living Whipton Gardens project to exceed £12.5 million – £364,000 per flat
Financing for second phase yet to be found as adjacent Rennes House demolition costs rise to £1 million and Exeter City Living reports year-end loss in residual Guildhall flats management role.
Clueless Exeter cultural strategy fails to address challenges facing city’s “increasingly untenable” creative sector
Survey inviting feedback on city council word salad arrives two years late, following second UK City of Culture bid failure, with delivery plan outsourced to secretive, unelected sub-committee.
, updated
South West Water fined £1.85 million over Brixham drinking water offences
Sentencing in second case awaited, scope of third legal action expanded and Devon County Council announces desire to pursue company through courts on same day Pennon Group reports £135 million underlying pre-tax profits in 2025-26.
Reclaim the Night march in Exeter High Street. Photo: Merryn Wilson.
