Summer in Nottingham

Enjoy Nottingham and Nottinghamshire this summer and discover one of the coolest cities in England!

Take some time to relax in the serene setting of Sherwood Forest, The Dukeries or the Vale of Belvoir. Enjoy a truly spectacular range of exciting cultural summer events across the region and don't forget to browse our special offers to make the most of your visit to Nottinghamshire.

Outdoor cinema and theatre in Nottinghamshire

Rally your friends, grab a picnic blanket, bring along some delicious snacks - the outdoor season has begun in Nottinghamshire!

When summer comes along, many of Nottinghamshire's best-loved heritage attractions play host to a variety of outdoor film and theatre performances. Along with popular films screened underneath the stars, this 2022 you can catch Shakespeare plays, delightful comedies and fun-filled children's theatre in the picturesque grounds of historic houses and country parks. 

This year, you can enjoy screenings and perfromance at the likes of Wollton Hall, Newstead Abbey, Sherwood Forest, Belvoir Castle, and Nottingham Castle just to name a few!

For a full list of outdoor film screenings and theatre perfromances, please click here.

Summer of festivals in Nottingham

Festivals are a chance to really see a city shine, and luckily for us Nottinghamshire has them by the bucketful. Whether its feasting on fine food, fun days out with the family, tasting a plethora of ales, or dancing in the sunshine, there’s sure to be something to tickle your fancy in this rundown of festivals happening in 2022. This is the time to chill out, tune in and make some amazing memories.

For music festivals this summer, look no further than the famous Splendour Festival. This one-day musical extravaganza can be found at the glorious Wollaton Park on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th July. Bringing together new music with splashes of legendary talent from the past, you can expect to see Richard Ashcroft, Supergrass, Craig David, Anne-Marie, The Human League, Razorlight, The Vamps, Ocean Colour Scene, Happy Mondays, Belinda Carlisle, and many many more. 

If on the other hand, you enjoy arts and crafts Patchings Festival of Art, Craft & Photography at the Patchings Art Centre in Calverton is a perfect choice for you. You’ll be able to enjoy an array of demonstrations, exhibitions and workshops with work produced in all painting mediums along with ceramics, textiles, precious metals and stone, wood, metal, clay and much, much more. You can enjoy this festival from Thursday 14 - Sunday 17 July.

Finally, if you are looking for something to do with the whole family, you must stop by Gloworm Festival at Thoresby Park on Friday 12th - Sunday 14th  August. Aimed at families with children aged 0-13, it is a brilliant two day festival that has been especially created for grown ups and their little people. Bringing together music, art and entertainment in the heart of Sherwood Forest, you can meet your favourite TV Stars, boogie on down to some brilliant bands, and join in some of the many workshops and activities the festival has to offer.

For a full list of our festivals including food & drink, fiilm and cultural festivals, please click here.

Family activities in Nottinghamshire this summer

Together with top performances and festivals in unique settings, we also have excellent family events taking place across the city and the country as well. The beloved Nottingham Beach in Old Market Square will be back for 2022, welcoming people of all ages, and with the weather starting to improve, there’s nothing better than to head to the fantastic urban beach and enjoy the sun while your little ones run around and play in the water. 

If you and your family like a challenge why not take a trip to Go Ape at Sherwood Pines, where you can take on Net Kingdom and its jumbo netted trampolines, bridges and walkways, or the Tree Top Adventure with Trazan swings and epic zip wires! You could also make a short break of it and stay in a Forest Holidays or Sherwood Hideaway log cabin, in the heart of Sherwood Forest.

Stop by The Workhouse & Old Infirmary in Southwell for the perfect family day out. Your little ones can learn about British history at this uniquely preserved museum while having fun at their Workhosue: Live! or Come Out and Play events, where you will meet costumed characters, play outdoor games & much more!

If you're keen to enjoy the outdoors this summer, Thoresby Park has a number of great family events taking place, including their Segway Events, the Great Northern Food and Drink Festival, and Classic Car Show.

There’s a host of family events happening throughout the summer months, click here to explore the full list.

Summer of sport in Nottinghamshire

Catch the cricket and see Notts Outlaws at their Vitality Blast Cricket fixtures until Friday 1 July. You can also catch the Trent Rockets’ at The Hundred hosted at Trent Bridge in August. Fixtures have been announced and will encompass two Saturdays, a Wednesday and a Bank Holiday Monday.

Trent Bridge also hosts niternational cricket this summer, at the Vitality IT20: England vs India and 2nd LV= Insurance Test Match: England vs New Zealand. These matches take place in June and July 2022 and are simply unmissable for any sports fan!

If you want to enjoy something a little different, why not catch the ICF 2022 Freestyle World Championships from 28 June – 2 July or sign up for the Family Fun Day at Southwell Racecourse on Monday 29th August? 

If you're looking for sporting activities to get involved in, the 5k Wine Run at Hanwell Wine Estate is the perfect activity this July, and don't forget the ice skating lessons at the National Ice Centre, available at various dates throughout the year, or simply pop-in for one of their public skating sessions - where under 5s skate for free! Or try your hand at some adventurous watersports at the National Water Sports Centre and try canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding and much more.

For more sporting events throughout the summer, please click here. Or for more ideas on how to get active in Notts, click here.

Discover Nottinghamshire

You don’t have to attend or take part in an event to do something new either. Discover charming scenery with a gentle stroll around beautiful towns and villages such as Southwell or Newark or learn more about the Nottingham’s famous rebel writer D.H. Lawrence in Eastwood.

If you like cycling, enjoy epic routes at Sherwood Pines and Clumber Park - once you’ve tried it you’ll soon be hooked and a great bike ride will be sure to make a memorable day out.

As well as lots of  exciting events and activities taking place this summer, Nottingham is also simply an awesome city in which to hang out. There's loads of unique places to enjoy amazing food and drink, such as Iberico World Tapas and Ye Olde to Jerusalem - you're sure to find something to suit all tastes and budgets.

For more ideas about how to explore Nottinghamshire, click here.

If you haven’t found anything that tickled your fancy on this page, use the boxes below to find everythig you need for an amazing summer in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.