The Cresset at a glance
- What
- Multi-purpose theatre, community and events venue
- Where
- Rightwell, Bretton, Peterborough, PE3 8DX
- Opened
- 1978, at the centre of the new township of Bretton
- Programme
- Comedy, live music, family shows, films and pantomime
- Also here
- The Fayre Spot bar and restaurant, shops and services
- Parking
- On site, and free after 6pm
A theatre, a restaurant, a shopping parade, a church, a nursery and a wedding venue, all in one building at the centre of Bretton. The Cresset has been Peterborough's most useful room since 1978.
When Peterborough was expanded as a New Town, each new township was given a centre, and Bretton's was built around The Cresset. It opened in 1978 and was designed to be everything at once: an auditorium for touring shows, halls for hire, and a covered parade of shops and services for the neighbourhood growing up around it.
Nearly fifty years on that mix is still the point. On a given week the main auditorium might take a stand-up on a national tour, a tribute band, a wrestling night, a children's film screening and a dance school showcase, while the function suites host a wedding and a conference. It is not a building that stands on ceremony, and that is precisely why generations of Peterborough performers have started here. Aston Merrygold went to school minutes away in Bretton.
What to expect
Comedy and live music
A steady run of touring stand-up and tribute acts, booked at a scale that brings national names to a room where you can actually see them.
Pantomime
The Cresset's own pantomime, produced with Stuart Morrison's Second Star Productions, and a fixture of the Peterborough Christmas calendar.
Performing arts
Classes, workshops and holiday schemes for all ages and abilities, from first drama sessions to young people heading towards the industry.
The Fayre Spot
The bar and restaurant inside the building, open through the day rather than only on show nights, with food served at lunchtimes.
Weddings and events
Function suites for weddings, conferences and celebrations, with a technical team used to running everything from training days to receptions.
Shops and services
Independent shops, a library, a church and a pre-school share the building, which is what makes it a community centre rather than just a theatre.
Planning your visit
- Address
- The Cresset, Rightwell, Bretton, Peterborough, PE3 8DX
- By car
- Signposted from the A47 and from the A15 off the A1(M). Car park at the front entrance.
- Parking
- A permit is needed during the working day, available from the box office. Parking is free after 6pm, which covers most evening performances.
- By train
- Peterborough station is about two miles away, with buses and taxis to Bretton.
- Box office
- Open weekday mornings and from two hours before show time on event days. Ticket prices vary by performance.
- Access
- Step-free throughout the public areas, wheelchair spaces in the stalls bookable through the box office, accessible toilet, induction loop, and limited Blue Badge parking on site.
Elsewhere on Discover Peterborough
New Theatre Peterborough
The city centre's art deco theatre on Broadway, for large-scale touring musicals and drama.
View listingPeterborough People
The performers, writers and artists the city has produced, from John Clare to Aston Merrygold.
Meet themWhat's On
Everything happening across Peterborough this month, at The Cresset and beyond.
See listingsQueensgate
Shopping, restaurants and an IMAX cinema in the city centre, twenty minutes away.
View listingProgramme, prices, opening hours and access arrangements change. Details correct at the time of writing, August 2026. Check with the venue before booking.