Here’s our pick of the best events coming in July across the destinations and attractions we work with. Most events require booking in advance. As ever, please check individual websites for the latest updates.
HULL
Pride In Hull
West Park
30 Jul 2022
Free
Pride in Hull is back, and to mark its 21st birthday there are two celebrations happening on one day. Festivities will begin with a technicolour parade through the city to West Park for the Festival followed by Pride Party in the Park. Visitors can also expect street food and a whole carnival of fabulous surprises. Pride Parade in Hull and the festival in West Park are free to attend, with the Pride Party in the Park a ticketed event.
Hull Street Food Nights
Zebedee’s Yard
7 July
Free to enter
Around 30 high-quality local food vendors turn Zebedee’s Yard in Hull into a nightime piazza offering a wide range of hot food and drink taking inspiration from all over the world, in an open-air setting. There is plenty of entertainment too, ranging from a DJ and live music to street artists.
The Three Musketeers
Stage @ The Dock
14 July 2022
Tickets: £8
Wit, whimsy, and (s)wordplay in a perfect summer panto. Sharpen your swords, lace up your boots, and stick a great big feather in your hat! Morgan & West present a family fun retelling of Alexandre Dumas’ classic The Three Musketeers in this outdoor performance at The Dock, a tiered amphitheatre overlooking the Humber.
Hull Jazz Festival
12-16 July 2022
Hull Truck Theatre
Various prices, check website for details
https://hulljazzfestival.co.uk
Celebrating 30 years in 2022, Hull Jazz Festival brings the best in world jazz and improvised music to Hull twice a year, with Summer and Winter Editions. This year’s summer event includes a large-scale collaborative choral work from Filament Theatre, joined by Hull Freedom Chorus (12 July), and internationally renowned harpist Alina Bzhezhinska paying homage to some of jazz, funk and hip-hop’s greatest innovators (14).
Rapunzel
Stage @ The Dock
22 July 2022
Tickets: £10 – £12
Escape into the open-air this summer with Rapunzel – an exhilarating, heart-warming production about one girl’s longing to break free from her imposed lockdown and explore the world outside. IKP’s trademark “delightfully daft” (The Stage) adaptation of Rapunzel brings the classic fairy tale to life with bundles of slapstick physical humour, puppetry, and plenty to keep the adults entertained too!
EAST YORKSHIRE
Jazz and Blues Festival 2022
Burton Agnes Hall
8 – 10 July 2022
Tickets: £95 adults, £45 children (5-15)
The 14th Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival, which began in 2007, is set in one of England’s finest homes: Burton Agnes Hall. The UK’s hottest jazz and blues acts perform, with the backdrop of an Elizabethan stately home and the rolling Yorkshire Wolds, with 15 acres of gardens to explore, a woodland adventure playground, giant games and a jungle garden. Plus, camping is also available.
Beverley Puppet Festival
15 – 17 July 2022
Free to attend, plus some ticketed events
Beverley Puppet Festival will be back bigger and better than ever this summer, as giant, fantastical creatures roam Beverley’s historic streets, and tiny, magical worlds are revealed to unsuspecting audiences. More than 40 puppet theatre companies will be descending on East Yorkshire at this year’s Festival in indoor and outdoor venues across the town.
Laurel Vines Vineyard Picnics
7, 9, 14, 21, 28 July 2022
Tickets: £20 per person, minimum picnic size is 2 people. Must be pre-booked
https://laurel-vines.co.uk
Vineyard picnics return! If you spotted the family owned and run vineyard on your TV screens, thanks to a visit from the Hairy Bikers, here’s a chance to follow in their footsteps. Picnics for two include a brief vineyard and winery tour, as well as the food and drink. Each event is limited to a maximum of 20 people.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Sewerby Hall, near Bridlington
Until 17 July 2022
Included in normal admission: £9.50 adults, £7.30 children, £32 family
www.sewerbyhall.co.uk
Situated in a dramatic clifftop position with spectacular views over Bridlington and set in 50 acres of early 19th Century parkland, Sewerby Hall and Gardens will host the 57th edition of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. On loan from the Natural History Museum in London, the exhibition features exceptional images which capture fascinating animal behaviour, spectacular species and the breath-taking diversity of the natural world.
Beverley Minster Jubilee Flower Festival
1 – 4 July 2022
Tickets: £6
https://beverleyminster.org.uk
To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Minster will be filled with 100 flower arrangements on a royal theme created by 35 floral designers from across the East Riding. The Queen visited Beverley Minster in 1977 and again in 2002 continuing a tradition of royal visits, the first documented visit being made by King John in 1201.
Bridlington Open Beach Volleyball Championships 2022
2 – 3 July 2022
Bridlington South Beach
Free to spectate
Head to the beach in July for this popular four-a-side mixed volleyball tournament, which returns to Bridlington South Beach with 96 teams battling it out to become the 2022 Champions.
Bridlington Pride 2022
2 July 2022
Bridlington Spa
Free admission
Bridlington’s first ever Pride event “Making History” will be held in the Royal Hall at Bridlington Spa, featuring live entertainment, various stalls, as well as a health and wellbeing room, a mindfulness/quiet area, and a family room. There will also be an art exhibition running at the Spa’s Gallery until 7 July.
Bridlington Sailing Coble Preservation Society Sailing
23 – 24 July 2022
Bridlington’s picturesque harbour sees the return after a two-year gap of this festival showcasing examples of this traditional northeast coast working boat, the mainstay of the inshore fishing industry for generations. Owners of traditional sailing vessels from as far apart as Scotland’s Moray Firth, and Mevagissey, on Cornwall’s southern coastline, are set to attend, while two cobles restored in Bridlington during lockdown, the Kathleen and Venus, will also feature in the event.
DERBY
Departure Lounge Festival 2022
14 – 16 July 2022
Derby Theatre
The Midlands’ festival for fresh and contemporary theatre celebrates its 10th anniversary. Every corner of Derby Theatre and beyond will be brought to life by extraordinary performances, workshops and discussion.
Forest for the Future
Derby Market Place
Until 29 August 2022
Derby’s historic Market Place becomes a woodland wonderland this summer, creating a new al-fresco dining and outdoor events space in the heart of the city centre. The pop-up woodland is one of four Urban Forests in the UK this summer, and the only one in the East Midlands. As well as bringing nature right into the heart of Derby, the city centre forest features a clearing with picnic benches for al-fresco dining, which can also be used as a performance area, with a stage, for special summer events.
Elvaston Food & Drink Festival
Elvaston Castle Country Park
9 – 10 July 2022
Free Entry
A packed weekend of food and drink, entertainment and live music. Enjoy a spot of lunch at one of the street food stalls, washed down with a gin cocktail or craft ale while watching the live music, with performances running throughout the day. Youngsters can enjoy the Bubbleologists with the two giant bubble zones.
Japan Fest 2022
Derby QUAD & Cinema
16 July 2022
Tickets: £15 adults, £10 under 18s and £35 Family Pass
https://bit.ly/3zAKrqU
Japan comes to Derby. A day dedicated to Japanese culture with film screenings, demonstrations, workshops, and performances bringing a small taste of Japan to the city, featuring Japanese arts and crafts workshops, authentic handmade food, Japanese inspired drinks, anime and more.
Museum of Making Tour
Various dates
Ticket: £6, booking is essential
https://bit.ly/38Rubab
Uncover 300 years of Derby’s making heritage on an insider’s tour to discover how this fascinating building came to be, from its tumultuous history up to its present-day incarnation as the Museum of Making. On the site of what is widely regarded to be the world’s first factory, there are thousands of objects to explore telling stories of Derby’s industry, creativity and innovation, both past and present.
LINCOLNSHIRE
Meet Lucy at Lincoln Castle
Throughout summer
Free to view as part of entry to the Castle grounds, all other admissions apply
www.lincolncastle.com
Meet Lucy, the latest and the greatest addition to Lincoln Castle! Bursting through the Castle walls is the most awe-inspiring sight, as the magical and fantastical dragon rests on the bank waiting to meet visitors. Entry to the Castle grounds and to visit Lucy is free, but the Medieval Wall Walk, Victorian Prison and Magna Carta come with an entry price.
Picnic Social
Lincoln Castle
23 July – 7 August 2022
Grounds free to enter
https://bit.ly/39ldapb
A new seasonal gathering celebrates food, culture and community, all set in the heart of medieval Lincoln Castle. By day, visitors can enjoy a sunny spot on the wide-open grassy grounds within the imposing stone walls of the 950-year-old Castle, while indulging in the region’s finest produce. By night, there’s a chance to kick back to a summer soundtrack with craft beers and artisan spirits. Open from 10am – 5pm daily with late opening on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 July and Thursday 28 – Sunday 31 July, from 5pm – 11pm. Plus there is a Dog Friendly Weekend 23 and 24 July. The Castle grounds are free from 10am – 5pm, inclusive of the Picnic Social areas. All other admissions apply.
Victorian Dragon Hunters
Lincoln Castle
30 – 31 July 2022
Included with Castle day ticket (£15 adults, £8.30 children (5 to 16 years)
Step inside the Victorian Prison within the Castle grounds to discover Dragon Hunters! Miss Perdita Worthy, noted collector of Fairy Tales, along with her uncle, Major Flinders Worthy, has come to Lincoln to seek a sighting of Lucy, the Castle’s dragon. Join Perdita Worthy and the Major to hear stories of dragons and discover the skills and techniques used by these mighty hunters. You can even design your own dragon.
Lincoln 1940s Weekend
23-24 July 2022
https://bit.ly/3QjAzb5
Experience the spirit of 1940s Britain with two days of vintage performances, activities and displays in Lincoln’s historic Cathedral Quarter, featuring live music, singing and dancing. Bailgate, Castle Hill and The Lawn grounds will be filled with vintage vehicles from the era, alongside traders offering antiques, vintage clothing, confectionary, and artwork.
Sculpture at Doddington
Doddington Hall, near Lincoln
16 July – 11 September
Included with normal garden admission (£8.50 adults, £4.50 children, and £22 family)
www.sculpturedoddingtonhall.com
With the Elizabethan manor house as a backdrop, the Hall’s grounds provide a picture-perfect setting for the return of the biennial Doddington Sculpture Exhibition. More than 340 works of art from 60 national and international sculptors will be displayed throughout the walled gardens and the wild gardens of the red-brick Hall. From Britain’s greatest living stone sculptor to a world-renowned contemporary animal sculptor, the exhibition will showcase pieces from some of the world’s leading artists.
Skegness Reggae and Ska Weekender
15-17 July 2022
Free entry
A weekend of Reggae music and food comes to one of Britain’s most popular seaside resorts. Along with a range of performers, the event also features Caribbean food stalls, outside bars and entertainment.
BURGHLEY HOUSE
Battle Proms Concert
9 July 2022
Tickets: £47 adults, £21 children (5 to 15 years)
www.burghley.co.uk
Back at Burghley for the 17th time, the annual Battle Proms Picnic Concert brings an afternoon of sublime music and dramatic displays. Staged in the Capability Brown designed parkland overlooking the grand Elizabethan architecture of Burghley House, it features a two-hour classical concert from the New English Concert Orchestra, before ending with a traditional ‘last night of the Proms’ flag-waving sing-along. The event will also include thrilling historic cavalry displays, a meticulously choreographed aerial display from a WWII Spitfire, live firing cannons and spectacular fireworks.
Classic Ibiza
30 July.2022
Tickets: £45 adults, £20 children (5 to 17 years), under-fives free
www.burghley.co.uk
Classic Ibiza returns to Burghley’s parkland with house music, live vocalists, and headline DJs for a night of dance music’s most iconic tracks. Enjoy Classic Ibiza anthems under the stars in this family friendly concert as the Urban Soul Orchestra, DJ Goldierocks and a host of critically acclaimed vocalists bring Balearic beats to life at Burghley.
STAFFORDSHIRE
Love Cheese Live
Staffordshire County Showground
1-2 July 2022
Tickets: £15 adults
www.lovecheeselive.co.uk
Returning to Stafford for a second, Love Cheese Live – one of the UK’s biggest cheese and food festivals – offers cooking inspiration, shopping and tasting, featuring some of the country’s best chefs and experts. Watch Michelin starred chefs, celebrity chefs and top local chefs cooking their signature cheese recipes and offering hints and tips, browse stands and discover street food and drink from around the world, plus live music on both days, from jazz to brass bands. You can also learn how cheese is judged and what it takes to be the best, with thousands of cheeses on display as entries to the International Cheese and Dairy Awards.
Lichfield Festival
7 – 17 July 2022
Various events and venues, check website for details
https://lichfieldfestival.org
Lichfield Festival is the Midlands’ leading multi-arts festival with a reputation for bringing world class music, dance, comedy, theatre and arts to the region. And 2022 is a big year, as this July sees it celebrate its 40th Festival. Pop icon Tony Hadley opens the anniversary celebrations, one of several headliners including singer/songwriter Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Ballet Cymru, folk group The Longest Johns, comedian Zoe Lyons, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and jazz coupling James Pearson and Lizzie Ball. Classical highlights include works from the first Festival in 1982, and music honouring Vaughan Williams’s 150th anniversary; a celebratory 40-voice choral concert featuring a new commission by composer Thomas Hyde.
Stone Food & Drink Festival
15 – 17 July 2022
Tickets: From £9 in advance
https://stonefooddrink.org.uk
Staffordshire’s original ‘gastronomic gathering’, for one ‘big weekend’ the town’s Westbridge Park transforms into a foodie haven packed with artisan produce, street food stalls, live cookery demonstrations with top local chefs, talks, tastings and live music. Local breweries will help create Staffordshire’s biggest ‘beer garden’, centred around lead sponsor Joule’s Brewery’s pop-up pub, and there will be plenty to keep younger visitors entertained with circus skills workshops, fairground rides and the chance to make their own milkshakes.
Staffordshire Balloon Fiesta
Uttoxeter Racecourse
15 – 16 July 2022
Tickets: From £4 adult, £3 child, plus booking fee
www.staffordshireballoonfiesta.co.uk
For Friday, it’s Balloons, Tunes and Lasers. Start the weekend dancing to some of the best UK tribute acts and watch balloons take their first flight (weather dependent) before returning for the famous night glow. The funfair will be in full swing and there will be plenty of delicious food and drink to keep you going until the laser show finale! Saturday will see The Big Balloon Fiesta Day, with hot air balloons filling the skies at sunrise and sunset (weather dependent). Balloons will be tethered throughout the day, offering an opportunity to get up close and personal with the balloons and the pilots, plus there will be a series of live arena entertainment from some amazing stunt performers and displays.
STOKE-ON-TRENT
‘Art & Alchemy’ in The Potteries
Middleport Pottery
9 July 2022
Cost: £30 per person
One of the most popular workshops in the events programme at Middleport Pottery, ‘Raku: Art and Alchemy’ with Andy Mason offers a two-hour session that will feature the chance to create your own individual Raku from a selection of pots.
Trentham Summer Concerts
Trentham Gardens
Weekends, until 23 July
Tickets from £19 per person (plus booking fee)
www.trentham.co.uk
A sizzling summer of live music continues with weekends of summer evening fun. This month’s favourites include a chance to pack a picnic and enjoy a night of Mercury – A Tribute to Queen (8 July), Club Classics with House Jammerz (9), 80’s Mania (15), Monster Rock Anthems (16) or a mix of pop, soul, and disco classics at the Ultimate Party (22).
Lovely Jubilee: Three Centuries of Royal Commemorative Pottery
The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery
Throughout July
From George III to Elizabeth II ceramic manufacturers in the Potteries, and across the country, have produced objects celebrating the nation’s longest reigning monarchs. To celebrate this year’s Queen’s Platinum Jubilee a display of royal jubilee wares, spanning three centuries, will showcase the wide variety of ceramic memorabilia made to commemorate some of the most significant royal events in British history.
HAMPSHIRE
Hampshire Food Festival
Various locations across the county
1 – 31 July 2022
https://bit.ly/3xqPHuL
Wander through vines, explore the lavender fields, tour breweries and get hands on in the kitchen. July’s month-long Hampshire Food Festival, organised by local food group, Hampshire Fare, is now in its 19th year and features everything from pop-up dining to cookery demonstrations.
Winchester Hat Fair
1-3 July 2022
Free
www.hatfair.co.uk
Now the UK’s longest continually running outdoor arts festival, this free family-friendly festival of street performance and outdoor arts offers a jam-packed weekend programme of performances, live music and fun and games over three days. And the hat reference? Running for nearly 40 years, the Festival takes its name from donations that fair visitors made, which were originally gathered in a hat.
Hares of Hampshire Trail
Winchester and Southampton
Until 25 August 2022
Free
https://haresofhampshire.co.uk
A husk of giant hares has created the biggest art event ever staged in Southampton and Winchester. Streets, parks and public spaces of the two cities are brought to life with an exhibition of larger-than-life sculptures of hares and their young leverets. Each is sponsored by a business and individually designed by an artist – either well-known or just starting out, from Hampshire or further afield. Popping up in around 30 locations across the two cities, the trail is a Wild in Art event created by The Murray Parish Trust, a charity dedicated to improving paediatric emergency medicine across the South of England.
UEFA Women’s Euro 2022
St Mary’s Stadium Southampton
Various dates in July
https://bit.ly/3mHEGQP
England will host the UEFA Women’s EURO finals in 2022 and fans will be able to see some of the world’s best players in action as 31 matches are played at venues across the country, including Southampton’s St Mary Stadium during the three and a half weeks of the tournament.
Lymington Seafood Festival
15 – 17 July 2022
Tickets: £5
www.lymingtonseafoodfestival.co.uk
The annual event is back for three days of seafood, shopping and live music. This boutique festival brings together the region’s best food and drink producers, along with live music, including the UK’s number 1 Queen Tribute Band UK QUEEN and acoustic Celtic Folk bands, plus street performers and pop-up restaurant Bream on the Green.
Vineyards of Hampshire Fizz Fest
Black Chalk Vineyard, Nr Andover
24 July 2022
Tickets: £10 – £27.54
https://bit.ly/3tyyTAW
Taste over 20 sparkling and still wines from some of the leading Hampshire vineyards at the iconic Vineyards of Hampshire Fizz Fest. Celebrating its eight year – with special guest, TV Wine Expert, best-selling author & Hampshire resident, Helen McGinn – Fizz Fest offers the chance to learn more about Hampshire sparkling and still wine. Plus, live entertainment, masterclasses, food stalls, and more.
Portsmouth International Kite Festival
Southsea Common
30 – 31 July 2022
www.portsmouthkitefestival.org.uk
Regarded as one of the best kite festivals in the world, the event will see colourful demonstrations of kites including swarms of snakes, frogs, lizards, whales, jesters, fish, salamanders and much more. This year sees the Festival’s 30th anniversary and promises to be more spectacular than ever with over 100 invited kite fliers from four continents travelling to the event. Alongside amazing flying displays there will be a craft tent, stalls, free children’s kite workshop and children’s rides along with local amusements.
Sunset Chasers Paddling Tours
New Forest Activities
Throughout summer
£44 per person (12+ years)
www.newforestactivities.co.uk/activities/canoeing
Bask in the warmth of a summer sunset on the calm waters of the Beaulieu River with New Forest Activities. Enjoy picturesque river views from the comfort of your own canoe or kayak and discover hidden spots with your guide – and take along your cameras, as the wildlife comes alive in the evening. Various dates until August. All equipment provided.
