Looking for an event to feature? Here’s our pick of the best events coming up in July. As ever, please check individual websites for the latest details.
Discover more…
There’s plenty more to experience, for details on the full range of events check out each destination’s What’s On pages:
Up, up and away …
Hundreds of kite fliers from around the world will be heading to Hampshire for the 31st Portsmouth International Kite Festival – one of the biggest events of its kind in the world. Taking place on 27 & 28 July at Southsea Common, the theme for 2024 is “Year of the Dragon” so expect plenty of Dragon kites from the many expert fliers, while the free to attend event also has craft stalls, free children’s kite making workshop and amusements.
Pint sized rail trail
Staffordshire’s Churnet Valley Railway is again running its Ale Trail with a difference. Combining a love of beer with live music and good food, tied together with a ride through the beautiful Churnet Valley in 1950s-style carriages, the Rail Ale Trail is back 19 to 21 July. Spanning five and a half miles, with events on-board and off, it is run in collaboration with local breweries and boasts over 30 ale varieties. Tickets bought online in advance cost from £5.
Mayhem in historic Hull
Enjoy a weekend of medieval merriment and mayhem, as Hull’s Museums Quarter is transformed into a medieval encampment (27-28 July). The popular free-entry family fun Medieval Mayhem returns this summer featuring combat displays, pottery demonstrations and storytelling, along with hands-on activities, plus food and drink stalls.
Seafood festival offers a taste of Hampshire… and the world
For 2024, the Lymington Seafood Festival has gone “seriously foodie”. The boutique festival, 12 to 14 July, will host a Chefs Demo Stage and a Cookery School with classes for adults and budding little chefs. While seafood is top of the bill, along with Hampshire fare, including recently launched Lymington Gin, street food stalls include Spanish, Mexican and Brazilian treats. Music will again be a key attraction, with 14 bands and artists.
Let Battle commence…
Fresh from wowing judges on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, blind singer Denise Leigh will take to the stage in the parkland at Burghley House for her 20th year as the star soprano for the Battle Proms concert. Returning to Burghley on 13 July for an outdoor celebration with music, fireworks, cannons and cavalry, tickets cost from £55 for adults and £22 children.
Dig deeper into archaeology
The UK’s biggest annual celebration of archaeology returns from 13 to 28 July, and the National Trust has revealed seven spots where visitors can dig deeper into the nationwide Festival. Included amongst its highlights is the 13th century Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire, where excavations have revealed thousands of artefacts, some of which will be on display during the Festival on 27 and 28 July.
Unpacking the Collection
This year, the V&A Wedgwood Collection at Stoke-on-Trent’s World of Wedgwood is hosting an evolving programme Unpacking the V&A Wedgwood Collection. Exploring the history of this iconic brand through regularly changing themed displays, the latest display is People, Portraits and Personalities, featuring the celebrities and influencers captured in Wedgwood medallions. The free admission exhibition runs from 3rd July until 17th November.
Forget Croquet, there’s opera on the lawn in Lincolnshire
Elizabethan manor house Doddington Hall, just outside Lincoln, is promising an unforgettable open-air opera experience on its Croquet Lawn this summer. Opera on the Lawn (17 and 18 July) features music from Rossini, Handel, Bernstein and Gershwin, performed by world-class singers and a string quintet. Tickets cost £30 adults and £25 children.
Summer of culture
The annual Lichfield Festival programme features a springtime literature festival, a chamber music weekend, an annual Christmas concert and an 11-day summer multi-arts festival. One of Staffordshire’s biggest annual events, this year it runs from 4 to 14 July and among headline acts are Seth Lakeman and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Pride In Hull 2024
The region’s biggest LGBT+ Pride celebration returns for 2024 and is set to blaze rainbows across Hull city centre on 27 July. Along with the famous Pride in Hull Parade, which starts at 10am, there will be a main stage at Zebedee’s Yard and a family area at Ferens Art Gallery, while Queen Victoria Square becomes Trans Square for the free to attend event.
Remember you’re a Womble!
The Wombles are set to make a return to Beaulieu in Hampshire on 31st July to mark the 50th anniversary of the oldest monorail in England. Since July 1974 it has offered passengers sweeping views over the grounds and gardens. Now, Great Uncle Bulgaria and Orinoco will return to Beaulieu 50 years after they opened the monorail.
