The Cotswolds is famed for its rolling hills, honey-coloured cottages, and charming market towns. But this area also features a vibrant calendar of festivals and events. From family-friendly activities to music experiences, there’s something for everyone in the Cotswolds in 2026. Here are 15 of the best Cotswolds festivals, with dates, highlights, and costs where available.
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Cotswold Festivals
Whether you’re after live music, foodie delights, historical reenactments, or exploring the countryside, the Cotswolds in summer 2026 offers a packed calendar. Book early to enjoy everything this beautiful region has to offer!
Table of Contents
- 1. Lakefest
- 2. Wychwood Festival
- 3. Wilderness Festival
- 4. The Big Feastival 2026
- 5. Cotswolds Beer Festival
- 6. The Cotswolds Show and Food Festival
- 7. Cheltenham Science Festival
- 8. Fantasy Forest Festival
- 9. Tewkesbury Medieval Festival
- 10. Cheltenham Jazz Festival
- 11. Cheltenham Literature Festival
- 12. Blenheim Palace Food Festival
- 13. Cotswolds Festival of Steam
- 14. The Royal International Air Tattoo
- 15. Farm Fest
1. Lakefest
Lakefest spans five days and features top rock, pop, and indie acts on multiple stages. This year, headliners include Bananarama, Madness, Example, and The Charlatans. Main Stage artists like Soul II Soul, Scouting For Girls, the Lightning Seeds, and Chesney Hawkes add to the excitement.
Music lovers can also enjoy the Funkytown Stage with East 17, Tinchy Stryder, and Newton Faulkner, a Retrospective of House featuring Lisa Lashes, Judge Jules, and Seb Fontaine, and the quirky Cheshire Cat Club with Bez and Paul Chuckle.
But it’s not just for adults – families will love the kids’ area, packed with arts and crafts, magic shows and storytelling. Plus, there’s BMX stunts, wrestling, circus skills, and retro gaming.
🎫 Weekend tickets start from £189.99 for adults and £35.99 for children. Optional upgrades include VIP access (with luxury loos), standard or premium camping, and glamping. Please use my discount code below to get 25% off.
Need more convincing? Here are 10 Reasons Why You Should Go to Lakefest This Year
📍 Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Eastnor, Herefordshire, HR8 1EN
🐾 Dog-friendly. Lakefest says, “Well-behaved dogs are welcome, but please remember it is a loud music event that can be crowded, so we do advise you to leave your dog at home.”
Lakefest Discount Code
Haven’t got your tickets yet? Don’t forget to use my Lakefest Promo Code RGWLF25, which gets you 25% off when booking your Lakefest Tickets.
Want To Stay Nearby?
If camping isn’t for you, there are plenty of nearby accommodation options. Due to its area, there aren’t big hotel chains, but there are beautiful countryside cottages, bed and breakfasts and pubs with rooms, so you can enjoy the festival by day and relax in comfort at night. Look at areas like Castlemorton, Ledbury, Upton upon Severn, Great Malvern, Ross on Wye, and Newent.
2. Wychwood Festival
29 – 31 May 2026
Wychwood Festival is a family-friendly event featuring live music, comedy, and craft workshops. In its 20th year, this year’s headliners include Craig David presents TS5, Kaiser Chiefs, and Levellers. With Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Feeder, Everything Everything, Maximo Park, Boney M, Newton Faulkner and Chesney Hawkes.
The festival also offers a family rave, a science show, a flea circus, a puppet show, laughter yoga, sea shanties, poetry and movement, samba drumming, belly dance, musical theatre dance fitness, sign language for beginners, workshops, and more.
🎫 Day and weekend tickets are available, with camping options.
📍 Cheltenham Racecourse, Evesham Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 4SH
🐾 Not dog-friendly
Take a Picnic
Devon Hampers send the best of the South West to your front door. The cream tea and afternoon tea hampers include scones, clotted cream and jam. There are also cheese hampers, chocolate, cider, and BBQ hampers.
Devon Hampers Promo Code
Get 5% off hampers or create your own. Order anything from a clotted cream tea for two or a large hamper full of goodies. There is no minimum order amount. Use DEVON5 at the checkout.
3. Wilderness Festival
30 July – 2 August 2026
Wilderness Festival is an annual four-day arts and music festival in a beautiful countryside setting. Headliners will include Carl Cox, Groove Armada, Scissor Sisters and Annie Lennox.
Alongside its eclectic line-up, it’s known for its high-end dining, including long banquet tables, acclaimed chefs, wellness activities, and family areas. Perfect for the Cotswolds in summer!
🎫 You can purchase day tickets alongside weekend tickets, with camping, glamping, and campervan options.
📍 Cornbury Park, Charlbury, Oxfordshire, OX7 3EH
🐾 Not dog-friendly
Don’t Forget a Drink!
Water-to-Go bottles are a game-changer for festival-goers, campers, and anyone spending long days outdoors. These reusable bottles use advanced 3-in-1 filtration technology to remove up to 99.9999% of contaminants from any non-saltwater source. Whether you’re dancing at a music festival, camping for the weekend, or exploring the Cotswolds in summer, you’ll always have access to clean, safe drinking water without constantly buying plastic bottles.
4. The Big Feastival 2026
28 – 30 August 2026
The Big Feastival, also known as the Alex James Festival 2026, is a delicious mix of food, drink, and music, with celebrity chefs including Anna Haugh, Simon Rogan, Emily English and Rachel Allen, cooking demonstrations including The Fire Pitt Stage, and artisan food markets.
Live music performances feature acts like Basement Jaxx, The Streets, Bastille, Rudimental, Perrie and Mimi Webb. The double-decker disco is also back, known as Alex James’ Cheese hub, which is the ultimate party with special guest DJs.
🎫 Tickets are for the weekend, and include camping, live-in vehicle pitches and glamping.
📍 Kingham, near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, OX7 6YD
🐾 Not dog-friendly
Stay The Night
The farm is 4 miles from Chipping Norton, so you could arrange taxis and stay in a hotel or a bed and breakfast each night.
5. Cotswolds Beer Festival
1 – 19 July 2026
A celebration of local ales, ciders, and spirits, the Cotswolds Beer Festival has been running for 48 years. This year, there are 45 ciders and over 100 beers to try. The festival also features live music, street food, and craft stalls. There’s a tasting hall and educational talks on brewing.
🎫 Tickets are from £15 per person. And CAMRA members get a discount.
📍 Postlip Hall, near Winchcombe, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 5AQ
🐾 Dog-friendly, but they must be kept under control and on a lead. They can’t go into the Tithe Barn.
6. The Cotswolds Show and Food Festival
4 – 5 July 2026
This festival is one of the best Cirencester Events. It celebrates the best of rural life with livestock displays, equestrian events, artisan food, and craft demonstrations. Kids can enjoy interactive workshops and hands-on experiences, such as spotting animals. You can also enter your dog into the Waggy Tails Fun Dog Show, or have a go at clay shooting.
Food Festival Cotswolds: Tickets are from £15 per adult and are cheaper online than on the day of the show.
📍 Bathurst Estate Office, Cirencester, GL7 2BU
🐾 Dog-friendly
7. Cheltenham Science Festival
2 – 7 June 2026
The Cheltenham Science Festival features talks exploring new scientific discoveries, workshops teaching practical skills, and hands-on exhibits for all ages. Highlights include dramatic live experiments and immersive demonstrations. This year’s theme, Be The Change, invites audiences to engage with sessions on AI, climate change, and health. Notable guests include Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, space scientist Dr Maggie Aderin, and Dragon’s Den judge Deborah Meaden.
🎫 Tickets: Many events are free; ticketed talks are from £9.
📍 Imperial Gardens, Cheltenham, GL50 1QA
🐾 Not dog-friendly
Get 50% off Food
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8. Fantasy Forest Festival
17 – 19 July 2026
Held at Sudeley Castle, this immersive festival unites fantasy enthusiasts for a weekend of fairy-tale trails, storytelling, woodland crafts, anime, cosplay, steampunk adventures, historical reenactments, and vibrant costume parades. Fantasy Forest Sudeley offers a unique and memorable experience in the Cotswolds.
🎫 Individual days and multi-day passes available
📍 Sudeley Castle & Gardens, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire GL54 5LP
🐾 Dog-friendly in most areas, but must be kept on a lead. Dogs are not allowed in the Gardens and Chapel.
9. Tewkesbury Medieval Festival
10 – 12 July 2026
Step back in time at Tewkesbury’s free medieval festival. There is a £10 per-car parking charge. Back in 1984, a group of locals decided they wanted to re-enact the Battle of Tewkesbury. Since then, the event has grown to be the largest of its kind in Europe. Enjoy jousting, reenactments, artisan markets, and historical performances in this historic town. It’s the perfect family friendly event.
Further events are taking place in the town centre and at Tewkesbury Abbey. There are so many things to do in Tewkesbury.
🎫 Tickets: Free entry.
📍 Tewkesbury Leisure Centre, Gloucestershire, GL20 5SX
🐾 Dog-friendly, but must be kept on a short lead (no extendables)
10. Cheltenham Jazz Festival
29 April – 4 May 2026
Renowned for live music and world-class jazz acts, the Cheltenham Jazz Festival includes over 200 performances, late-night sessions, and workshops. And this year is the 30th anniversary, so the line-up is huge – Jack Savoretti, Jessie J, Van Morrison, Joss Stone, 10cc and Nigel Kennedy.
In July, there’s also the Cheltenham Music Festival.
🎫 Tickets: £15–£40 per performance.
📍 Various locations, but centred around Montpellier Gardens, Spa Road, Cheltenham GL50 1UL.
🐾 Not dog-friendly
11. Cheltenham Literature Festival
9 – 18 October 2026
The longest-running literary festival in the world features author talks, debates, workshops, and book signings. A must-visit for book lovers and literary enthusiasts. The Cheltenham Literature Festival has over 400 events over 10 days, centred around Montpellier Gardens.
🎫 The festival village is free to enter, but with ticketed events.
📍 Montpellier Gardens, Spa Road, Cheltenham GL50 1UL
🐾 Dogs are welcome in the visitor village, but please note that it gets very busy.
12. Blenheim Palace Food Festival
23 – 25 May 2026
Blenheim Palace hosts this festival celebrating gourmet food, artisan producers, cookery demos, tastings, and family-friendly workshops in a stunning historic setting. Professional chefs in attendance this year are Matt Tebbutt, who will be interviewed by Alexander Armstrong, Raymond Blanc and Sabrina Ghayour.
🎫 An annual pass needs to be purchased from £31 per person.
📍 Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1PP
🐾 Super dog-friendly. Must be kept on a lead in all areas, and cannot access the Formal Gardens, Walled Garden, Palace or Adventure Playground.
13. Cotswolds Festival of Steam
23 – 25 May 2026
See steam locomotives in action at the Cotswolds Festival of Steam. The event is based at Toddington Station and spans the line between Cheltenham Race Course and Broadway. This year, you can see the original 1912 ticket office, locomotive sheds, ride on pump trollies and goods trains.
🎫 From £37 per person
📍 Toddington Railway Station, Toddington, Gloucestershire GL54 5DT
🐾 Dog-friendly. Pet tickets need to be purchased.
14. The Royal International Air Tattoo
17 – 19 July 2026
RIAT is the world’s largest military airshow, which includes aerobatic displays, historic aircraft, and interactive exhibitions. A standard admission ticket gets you into the airshow, where you can watch all the flying displays and get up close to 100s aircrafts.
🎫 From £49.50 per person
📍 RAF Fairford, Fairford, Gloucestershire, GL7 4HR
🐾 Not dog-friendly
15. Farm Fest
22 – 24 May 2026
Farm Fest is Jeremy Clarkson’s brand new festival. It vows to show off the best of British with field-to-fork eats, farm animals, horses, working dogs, tractors and other mighty machines, lively talks, over 400 stalls and tunes – Groove Armada, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Sara Cox, Alex James and 10cc.
🎫 From £60 per person. Weekend camping and glamping options are also available.
📍 Lynsters Farm, Old Uxbridge Road, Maple Cross, Rickmansworth WD3 9XJ
🐾 Dogs are welcome, but a Dog Pass needs to be purchased.
Visit Cotswolds
Visit the Cotswolds for its charming honey-stone villages, rolling countryside, cosy pubs, scenic walks, and year-round festivals and events.
- Top Attractions in The Cotswolds
- Hidden Gems in the Cotswolds: Explore lesser-known villages and attractions
- Things To Do In Tetbury
- Things To Do in Shipston-on-Stour with Your Dog
- A Visit to Newark Park in Gloucestershire
- Review: An Evening at the Hawkstone Arms
- Things To Do In Castle Combe
- Things To Do in Tewkesbury
- The Red Lion in Lacock Review
- Things to do in Bibury with Dogs
Book a Tour
Booking a tour in the Cotswolds with Viator is one of the easiest ways to explore this beautiful corner of England without the stress of planning every detail. These tours are crafted by locals and seasoned travellers, so you’ll discover more than just the postcard spots – think hidden viewpoints, quirky tales, and tucked-away tea rooms.
Activities in The Cotswolds
Frequently Asked Questions
What is distinctive about the Cotswolds as a specific region of England?
The Cotswolds is known for its rolling hills, honey-coloured limestone villages, historic market towns, and scenic walking trails. Its charm lies in a combination of rural tranquillity, cultural heritage, and vibrant festivals.
Are traditional village fairs still present in the UK?
Yes! Events like the Winchcombe Walking Festival, the Cotswolds Food Festival, the Moreton in Marsh Show, and the Badminton Horse Trials keep the tradition alive by celebrating local crafts, foods, and history.
Where should one go in the Cotswolds?
For festival-goers, towns like Cheltenham, Chipping Norton, and Cirencester are excellent hubs. Outside events, visitors can enjoy walks, cottages, historic houses, and artisan markets throughout the region.
Where is the best place to go in the Cotswolds?
The best place to visit in the Cotswolds really depends on what you’re looking for. For picture-perfect villages, Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury, and Castle Combe are some of the most popular spots, known for their honey-coloured cottages and riverside walks. If you enjoy shopping, food, and culture, Cheltenham is packed with festivals, restaurants, and unusual things to do throughout the year.
For families, the Cotswold Wildlife Park, Westonbirt Arboretum, and The Big Feastival near Chipping Norton are fantastic choices. Meanwhile, outdoor lovers will enjoy scenic walks around Broadway Tower, the Slaughters, and the rolling countryside surrounding Cirencester.
If you’re visiting during festival season, towns like Cheltenham, Fairford, and Tewkesbury become some of the most exciting places to experience the Cotswolds in summer, with live music, food festivals, air shows, and historical events taking place across the region.
What are the places of interest in the Cotswolds?
The Cotswolds is filled with beautiful villages, historic landmarks, scenic countryside, and attractions that make it one of the most popular areas to visit in England. Some of the best places of interest in the Cotswolds include:
- * Bourton-on-the-Water – Often called the “Venice of the Cotswolds” thanks to its pretty bridges and riverside setting.
- * Bibury – Famous for Arlington Row, one of the most photographed streets in the UK.
- * Castle Combe – A postcard-perfect village regularly featured in films and TV shows.
- * Cheltenham – Known for its Regency architecture, shopping, restaurants, and year-round festivals.
- * Broadway Tower – A historic folly with panoramic views across the countryside.
- * Westonbirt Arboretum – Home to thousands of tree species and stunning seasonal walks.
- * Blenheim Palace – A UNESCO World Heritage Site with beautiful gardens and events throughout the year.
- * Cirencester – Often called the capital of the Cotswolds, with Roman history, markets, and independent shops.
- * Sudeley Castle – A historic castle with award-winning gardens and royal connections.
- * Stow-on-the-Wold – A charming market town known for antique shops, cosy pubs, and historic streets.
Visitors also come to the area for countryside walks, cosy cottages, traditional pubs, and seasonal events. Whether you’re interested in history, food, gardens, or festivals, there are endless things to do in the Cotswolds throughout the year. Especially spring in the Cotswolds and Christmas in the Cotswolds.
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