Thanet's Alternative Valentine’s Day Guide

Valentine’s Day is coming up fast. Have you made plans? Sure, you’ve booked a table at a restaurant you can’t really afford. Perhaps flowers are involved. Jewellery? All the classics. 

Of course, you may not have planned anything at all. Maybe you forgot. Or you don’t have a significant other. Or you just don’t want to fall in with convention. You don’t have to have a reason at all, it’s fine. But this year February 14 falls on a Friday, so you should go out anyway. 

If you’re looking for something to do that doesn’t quite fit the traditional options, we’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled a list of events that leave room for you to be think-out-of-the-box romantic, completely cynical, or just attempting to maintain ignorance of the whole thing.

Man/Woman/Chainsaw at Where Else

A noisy teenage art-punk band with a name I assume is a reference to Carol J. Clover’s book on the horror film genre from a feminist perspective sounds like the perfect Valentine’s night out. They’ve even got a violin player, and violins are the most romantic musical instrument. Whatever, let’s stop awkwardly trying to bend this to a theme, Man/Woman/Chainsaw are one of the most exciting new bands around right now. A definite must see. 
Where Else, The Centre, Margate. Doors 7pm. Tickets £12.40.

Lonely Hearts Club Jam Night at Messiah Riff Audio

Making music with other people is one of the most fun things you can do with your clothes on. Or off. I assume that clothes on will be expected here though. Margate recording studio and rehearsal space Messiah Riff Audio is inviting anyone at a loose end to grab their instrument and head down for a fiddle about.  
Messiah Riff Audio, The Centre, Margate. 7pm onwards. £5 suggested donation.

Craig Richards: Lovers Ball (All Night Long) at Faith In Strangers

Fabric’s resident DJ Craig Richards is being let out for the night to play an all night set at Faith In Strangers. Expect slow dances throughout. No, obviously not. Although the title suggests an evening of romance, you should be ready for a sweaty night of getting down to one of Richards’ alway legendary tech house sets. 
Faith In Strangers, Ethelbert Crescent, Cliftonville. 9pm doors. Tickets £22.50. 

A Complete Unknown at Palace Cinema

Sure, the cinema is a pretty classic date night venue. What you’re forgetting though is that the big Valentine’s Day movie release this year is the new Bridget Jones movie. No shade on anyone planning to go and see that, but I assume that any cinema showing it will be a nightmarish hellscape. Instead, why not go to one where the only movie showing will be this biopic about a selfish and egotistical man who proves himself to be a less than perfect romantic partner? Does some quite good music too. 
The Palace Cinema, Harbour Street, Broadstairs. 7.30pm. Tickets £9. 

Lovers Dance at Olby’s

Lovers of all kinds are welcome at this night of soul, reggae, lovers rock, afrobeats and more, courtesy of DJ EL. Sure, there’s a romantic connotation in the billing, but maybe you’re just a lover of life. Or music. Or wool. No one’s going to ask at the door. It would help if you were a lover of getting a free glass of prosecco upon arrival, because that’s happening. And Mama’s Street Food will be serving up jerk wings, BBQ ribs and BBQ jackfruit until 10pm. 
Olby’s, King Street, Margate. 8pm - 1am. Tickets £8. 

Bricks at the Museum at RAF Manston History Museum

Your idea of a perfect Valentine’s night might be sitting at home building Lego. That’s a perfectly valid thing to do, and don’t let anyone else say otherwise. You can get some inspiration for your big build at the new exhibition at the RAF Manston History Museum, which opens on February 14. Entry is included with the standard museum ticket price.
RAF Manston History Museum, Manston Road, Manston. 10am - 3pm. Admission £6. 

Pitch Perfect workshop at Radford House

Do you always struggle to find the right words, stumble over what you really want to say, feel like you’ve made a fool of yourself? Well, this workshop will help you to craft the perfect pitch for your events when trying to sell them to venues and audiences. Hot. You’ll come out able to tell anyone who’ll listen exactly why you’re a total catch. 
Radford House, Effingham Street, Ramsgate. 12pm - 3pm. Tickets £10. 

Dyke Night at CAMP

Cliftonville queer bar CAMP’s quarterly Dyke Night returns for its first edition of 2025 on Valentine’s Day. Have a sweaty good time while you drink and dance your heart out to DJs All The Lovers, Flinta, Real GC, Princess Worldwide, Sophie Stirling, and Kimberly Clarke.  
CAMP, Northdown Road, Cliftonville. 8pm - 12.30am. Free entry. 

Indie Amnesty at Justine’s

Just six weeks on from their big NYE party, the Indie Amnesty teams are back at Justine’s for a Valentine’s special. It’s a grubby indie disco like they used to have in the olden days, with Britpop, nu rave, dirty rock n roll and more on the playlist. Mainly those ones though. Go grab a pint of snakebite and black, then get ready to shout the lyrics to Girls & Boys at the ceiling. 
Justine’s, Marine Gardens, Margate. 9pm - 3am. Tickets £8. 

Crab Museum reopening 

Right, you’re all expecting that this is just in here so that I can make some crass jokes. Well, you’re wrong. You already made them all in your head and they weren’t that funny anyway. Honestly, you have really disappointed me. We just really like the Crab Museum and having taken a pretty luxuriant Christmas break, it will be back open again on February 14. Not liking the Crab Museum is a major red flag, if you ask me. All first dates should happen there. 
Crab Museum, Broad Street, Margate. 10am - 5pm. Free entry. 

Where Else? Valentine’s Doubles Pool Tournament

Let’s end where we began, because Where Else has not one but two events for you to attend on Valentine’s Day. Upstairs in the bar, the venue hosts a pool tournament on the last Thursday of each month. It’s breaking from its usual schedule to put on an extra doubles tournament on February 14. There are no rules about your partner having to be a romantic one. Maybe they will become one during the tournament. Who knows?
Where Else, The Centre, Margate. 7pm start. Free registration.