*Updated for 2026!
Here is our bumper blog post of everything going on for the Summer Holidays in Nottingham! There’s absolutely loads of brilliant special events and activities across the county over this school holiday and we’ve got all the details.
This post will continue to be updated as new events are announced!
This post will cover events from 25th July – 6th September 2026
Take at other blog posts for more details on:
- School Holiday Clubs
- Kids Eat Free Offers
- Outdoor Theatre and Cinema
- Fruit Picking
- Special offers and discounts – coming soon!
Contents
- Festivals and Fun Days
- Parks, Gardens, Stately Homes and National Trust
- Farms and Mazes
- Theme Parks
- Council Events and Libraries
- Indoor Play Centre Events
- Sporting Activities and Active Events
- Shopping Centres and In Store Events
- Museum and Galleries
- Cinema and Theatre
- Baby and Toddler Classes and Parties
Festivals and Carnivals
Nottingham Beach
Location: Old Market Square
Dates: Opens 15th July 2026
Prices: Free entry
Gloworm Festival*
Location: Thoresby Park
Dates: 7-9th August 2025
Prices: Day tickets £46.75 children, £57.75 adults, £198 family ticket, under 2s free
Splendour Festival – Final one!!
Location: Wollaton Park
Dates: 18-19th July 2025
Prices: Day tickets: Adults £74, Youth 11-17y £53, under 10s free
OFFER – 45% tickets at Wowcher HERE
Nottingham pride
Location: Nottingham City Centre
Dates: 25th July 2025
Prices: FREE
Communitree Festival
Location: Wollaton Park
Dates: Sunday 9th August 2026 12-5pm
Prices: £2.35pp plus parking (pre-booking recommended)
Nottingham Video Games Expo
Location: Crown Plaza Nottingham
Dates: 18th July 2026
Prices: £4.50-£7.75pp 20% off with code OFFOUT
The Full Shebang Festival
Location: Venues across Mansfield
Dates: Saturday 5th September 2026 11-5pm
Prices: Free
Nottingham Chamber Music Festival
Location: Venues across Nottingham
Dates: 26th June – 12th July 2026
Prices: Various
Mansfield Carnival
Location: Mansfield Town Centre
Dates: 1st August 2026 from 12pm
Prices: FREE
Parks, Gardens, Stately Homes and National Trust
Rufford abbey
Summer Trail
Dates: 18th July – 6th September 10am-3pm daily
Prices: £3 per trail sheet including a prize
Parking charge of £7 applies per car
White Post Wednesdays
Dates: Wednesdays between 29th July – 26th August 10-3pm
Prices: £3.50 per child
Parking charge of £7 applies.
National Trust Clumber PArk
Children’s Art Workshop: Bugs, Butterflies & Botany
Dates: 7 August
Prices: £15
National Trust hardwick hall
Pokémon Joins Hardwick’s Summer of Play
Dates: 18 July–6 September
Prices: Included with admission.
Summer of Play: Free Weekly Crafts
Dates: 22 July–2 September (Wednesdays)
Prices: Included with admission.
Summer of Play: Pop Up Poetry
Dates: 18 August
Prices: Included with admission.
Junior Archery ‘Have a Go’ Sessions
Dates: 28 July & 4 August
Prices: £3 per child (plus normal admission).
National Trust sudbury hall
Wearing Feelings: Childhood in Black and Bright
Dates: 26 June–7 September (daily throughout July & August)
Prices: Included with normal admission.
Summer of Play
Dates: 17 July–7 September
Prices: Included with normal admission.
Marble Run by Wild Rumpus
Dates: 25 July–31 August
Prices: Included with normal admission
National Trust kedleston hall
Summer of Play
Dates: 18 July–6 September
Prices: Included with normal admission.
Meet a Minibeast
Dates: 29 July
Prices: Free with normal admission.
Nature Raft Building
Dates: 5, 12, 19, 26 August
Prices: Included with normal admission
Free Archery Sessions
Dates: 5, 12, 19, 26 August
Prices: Included with normal admission.
Brilliant Birds
Dates: 12 August
Prices: Included with normal admission.
Tree-Mendous Trees
Dates: 19 August
Prices: Included with normal admission
National Trust Belton house
Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Trail at Belton
Dates: Ends 6 September
Prices: Included with normal admission (free for National Trust members)
Pokémon joins Belton’s Summer of Play
Dates: 18 July to 2 September
Prices: Included with normal admission (free for National Trust members)
National Trust Calke abbey
Summer of Play (with Pokémon)
Dates: 18 July – 6 September
Prices: Included with normal admission.
Storytelling Sessions in the Garden of Imagination
Dates: 26, 27 July, 10, 22, 23 August
Prices: Included with normal admission.
Go Wild with the Rangers
Dates: 6 August
Prices: Free, booking required, admission applies if not a member
Make Your Own Wild Habitats Diorama
Dates: 5 September
Price: £7 – 1 adult and 1 accompanying adult
Sherwood pines
Room on the Broom Trail
Dates: Ongoing
Prices: FREE. Activity packs available at an additional cost, parking charge applies (£7 for 2 hours)
Sherwood Forest
Outdoor Cinema Season 24th-26th July
Robin Hood Festival 40 – Jousting Weekend
Dates: 1-2nd August 10am-4pm
Prices: FREE (£15 parking charge applies)
Robin Hood Festival 40 – Fantasy in the Greenwood
Dates: 8-9 August 10am-4pm
Prices: FREE (£15 parking charge applies)
Robin Hood Festival 40 – Grand Finale
Dates: 29-31st August 10am-4pm
Prices: FREE (£15 parking charge applies)
Thoresby Park
Gloworm Festival *
Dates: 7-9th August 2025
Prices: Day tickets £46.75 children, £57.75 adults, £198 family ticket, under 2s free
southwell minster
Helios
Dates: 29th July-15 August, Open 10-5 Tues-Sat, Mon 12-5pm, Sundays 12.30-3pm
Prices: Adults £5, U16s £3, U5s Free
Musical Picnic, part of Southwell Music Festival
Dates: Sat 29th August
Prices: Pay what you can, £5 suggested donation
Farms
White post farm
Summer Live! Harry Styles & Taylor Swift Tribute
Dates: 3 August
Prices: £16.95pp
Summer Live! Sabrina Carpenter Tribute
Dates: 23 August
Prices: £16.95pp
Manor Farm and Parklands
FoamFest
Dates: 25 July-31st August 2026
Prices: £13.09 adults and children over 2. Under 2s £4.34
Free Summer Return Ticket for every Paying Child
Theme Parks and Days Out
Alton Towers*
Offer: Twice the Fun – get a free return ticket to either Alton Towers, Chessington, Legoland or Thorpe Park
SUNDOWN ADVENTURELAND
Summer Time Fun
Dates: 18th July – 1st September
Prices: £18.17pp, under 90cm free
Also receive a voucher for £10 return visit in the Autumn.
Wheelgate (Mansfield)
OFFER: Visit 11th July-6th September and receive a return for £5 voucher (valid on selected September days)
Twin Lakes (Melton Mowbray)
OFFER: Visit 11th Julu-6th September and receive a return for £5 voucher (valid on selected September days)
Gabby’s Dollhouse Meet
31st August 2026
Council Events, Community Groups and Libraries
Libraries
Inspire Nottinghamshire Libraries
Summer Reading Challenge Activities
Beeston Library
Carlton Library
Collingham Community Partnership Library
Edwinstowe Library
Mansfield Woodhouse Library
Ollerton Library
Ravenshead Library
Ruddington Library
Warsop Library
Astro Norma and the Cosmic Piano
Tickets £5
- Clifton Library | Tuesday 28 July | 10.30am to 11.30am
- Dales Centre Library | Tuesday 28 July | 2pm to 3pm
- Strelley Road Library | Wednesday 29 July | 10.30am to 11.30am
- Bulwell Library | Wednesday 29 July | 2pm to 3pm
- Sherwood Library | Thursday 30 July | 10.30am to 11.30am
- Hyson Green Library | Thursday 30 July | 2pm to 3pm
Geoffrey Jumper
Tickets: £5.50
- St Ann’s Valley Library | Wednesday 5 August | 11am to 12pm
- The Meadows Library | Wednesday 5 August | 2.30pm to 3.30pm
- Nottingham Central Library | Wednesday 12 August | 11am to 12pm and 2pm to 3pm
- Wollaton Library | Wednesday 19 August | 11am to 12pm and 2pm to 3pm
Tonoscopes STEM Workshop
Free – booking required
- Strelley Road Library | Monday 17 August | 1.30pm and 2.45pm
- Bulwell Riverside Library | Tuesday 18 August | 11.30am and 12.45pm
- Radford-Lenton Library | Wednesday 19 August | 1.30pm and 2.45pm
- Southglade Park Library | Tuesday 25 August | 1.30pm and 2.45pm
- Dales Centre Library | Wednesday 26 August | 1.30pm and 2.45pm
- Sherwood Library | Thursday 27 August | 1.30pm and 2.45pm
Manjit’s Poetry Extravaganza (7+)
Tickets £3.30 per person
- Clifton Library | Tuesday 11 August | 2pm to 3pm
- Strelley Road Library | Wednesday 12 August | 2pm to 3pm
- St Ann’s Valley Library | Thursday 13 August | 2pm to 3pm
Kev Sutherland’s Illustration Workshop (7+)
Tickets £12pp
- Wollaton Library | 31 July | 10am-12pm
- Nottingham Central Library | 31 July | 2-4pm
The Clocker with Liz Mackenzie (7+)
Free, booking required
- Nottingham Central Library | 7 August | 10.30-11.30am
- Wollaton Library | 11 August | 11 August | 2-3pm
Jonathan Emmett’s Storytime
The Book Family Robinson |Wednesday 19 August | 10.30-11.30am Nottingham Central Library
Great Dinosaur Mistakes | Wednesday 19 August | 1.30-2.30pm Nottingham Central Library
Tickets free, booking required
Lego and Craft Sessions!
Council and Community Groups
Nottingham early help family hubs (for city families)
BROXTOWE FAMILY HUB
Rushcliffe FAMILY HUB
Ashfield Play Forum
Sutton Lawn
Dates: 29th July 10.30-2pm
Prices: FREE
Brierley Forest Park Huthwaite
Dates: 5th August 10.30-2pm
Prices: FREE
Broxtowe Council
Play Days
- Eastwood Play Day – Thursday 6th August 12-4pm
- Chilwell Play Day – Wednesday 19th August 12-4pm
Prices: FREE
Positively Empowered Kids
Killisick Community Fun day
Dates: Saturday 5th September 2026 11-4pm
Prices: FREE – booking required
Teversal Visitors Centre
Bendy Kids Yoga
Dates: 30th July, 3rd, 6th, 10th, 13th, 17th, 20th, 24th, 27th August 2026
Prices: £2 – booking required
Parties and Indoor Play Events
Dolly’s nottingham
Summer Pop Club (6-12y)
Dates: 29 July 2026 10-12pm, 4, 7, 14 August 2026 11-1pm
Prices: £25 per child, adults £1.50
Robyns world
Open as normal
Dice and balls
Children’s Summer Activities
Dates: Weds-Fri 1-3pm throughout the summer holidays
Prices: £3 per session
D&B Mini Mini Con (at Arnold Methodist Church)
Dates: Weds 5th August 10-4.30pm
Prices: Free Entry and free drinks and snacks for kids
D&D Summer Sessions Every Tuesday starting 28 July 2026
Sporting Activities and Active Events
Shopping Centres and In Store Events
Character Meets
Kpop Demon Hunters – 13th August
Paw Patrol Marshall and Rubble – 20th August
Prices: FREE – book a slot online
Kids Letter Decorating Workshop with POSCA
Dates: Tuesday 28th July, 4, 11, 18, 25 August, 1 September 11-1.45am
Prices: £8
Kids Jigsaw Decorating Workshop
Dates: Thursday 30th July, 6, 13, 20, 27 August, 3 September 1-1.45pm
Prices: £8
Waterstones Nottingham
Shakespeare for Kids: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Workshop
Dates: Tues 4th August 11am
Prices: £4 per child (parents free)
Create Your Own Tuck Me In Story with Naomi Tipping
Dates: 6th August 2pm
Prices: £6 per child (£5 with a Waterstones Plus card). Book and ticket bundle available for £13. Adults attend free. Booking required.
Medusa Workshop with Bethany Walker and Katie Abey
Dates: 14th August 2pm
Prices: £5 per child, £12 including a book. Adults attend free. Booking required.
Storytelling with Sabrina Shah (4-7y)
Dates: 18th August 2pm
Prices: £5 per child (£4 with a Waterstones Plus card). £12 including a book. Adults attend free. Booking required.
Creative Writing Workshop: Setting the Story
Dates: 20th August 11am
Prices: £6 per child (£5 with a Waterstones Plus card). Adults attend free. Booking required.
K-Pop Demon Hunters Party
Dates: Tues 25th August 10.30am and 2pm
Prices: £6 per person (£5 with a Waterstones Plus card). Booking required.
Museum and Gallery Events
Nottingham Contemporary
tbc
Dates: Tbc
Prices: FREE (donations welcome) (Booking recommended but some walk in spots are available)
Mansfield museum
EREWASH MUSEUM
Try it Thursdays
Dates: Thursdays through the summer holidays from 30th July
Prices: tbc
Theatre and Cinema
Outdoor Theatre and Cinema Info HERE
Lakeside Arts
ALSO: See Museums and Galleries for Workshops
Baby and Toddler Holiday Sessions
FUN LITTLE FOODIES NOTTINGHAM CENTRAL
RHYME TIME (Tesco Toton, Community Room
CATERPILLAR MUSIC – RUSHCLIFFE
LITTLE WILD PLAY CLUB
(Scout site by Kingswood Church, Wollaton NG8 1GR)
BOOGIE BEAT – NOTTINGHAM EAST & SURROUNDING AREA
LITTLE NATURE TOTS (High Park Cottages, New Thorpe)
BOOTS AND BRAMBLES (Tollerton)
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