Summer in Nottinghamshire

Enjoy Nottingham and Nottinghamshire this summer and discover one of the coolest cities in England and a vibrant county full of legend and beauty!

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.

Unique things to do

The beloved Nottingham Beach in Old Market Square returns for 2023, 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. There are also 3 fantastic slides to try out!

The Giant Slip ‘n Slide is the best way to cool off and escape the summer heatwave. This ticketed attraction within Nottingham Beach comprises two giant inflatable waterslides: The Arrow is the largest inflatable urban waterslide in the UK. A 55m long, 14m wide, 13m high, two-lane waterslide where you can race against your friends. Little John is a 22m long, 18m wide, 7.5m high waterpark with 6 lanes of slides. Splashing in to an 18m x 10m pool that can also be used for general paddling. Entry to the Giant Slip ‘n Slide can be booked in advance to avoid disappointment on the day. 

Newark on Sea also returns for the second year The giant urban beach is back this summer with a daily programme of beach themed activities to keep everyone entertained. Grab a bucket and spade or lie back in a deck chair to the sound of waves. Bring the family along to enjoy ice creams, dinky donuts and seaside shows by the sand!

Discover Robin Hood This Summer! 

You can catch the famous Robin Hood Festival in Sherwood Forest from 27th July - 28th August, including their outdoor cinema and even jousting events. On 4th August expect to see the fabulous Knights of Nottingham as they ride into the forest for a whole weekend of their twice-daily spectacular Medieval jousting show.

Make sure to join in the Nottinghamshire Day Festival celebrations on Saturday 26th August. Expect a crowd favourites, The Sherwood Outlaws, will be returning to bring the legend of Robin Hood to life with their all-action arena show. Throughout the event day, there will be a host of interactive events and activities including storytelling, guided walks, medieval musicians, quizzes, archery, and axe throwing, and more!

Family Favourites 

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire have some fantastic attractions and activities to keep all the family entertained this Summer holiday. Check out our family friendly attraction pages and also our Day's Out pages, where you will discover things to do on a budget and also what to do if the weather turns, it is Britain after all! Don't forget to keep an eye on our special offers pages too. 

For the little ones...No school holiday is complete without a trip to Conkers or Sundown Adventureland. Enter a world of adventure and discovery at Conkers, offering a super range of family-friendly craft and ranger-led activities, all planned with an immersive experience theme! Included in your admission expect ranger led activities, daily crafts, 4D cinema and even the new Conkers Cove splashpark!

Sundown is a theme park that will enchant all who visit and designed for the littlest members of the family, focusing on the under 10's. From rides and attractions to indoor softplay, this is a magical park that will capture hearts and imaginations!

Kids driving you mad...let them drive themselves around the best Mini Land Rover Course in the East Midlands! Conquer the twists and turns, ups and downs and overcome obstacles on this brand-new track at Holme Pierrepont Country Park. Suitable for 3-8 year olds. 

For all the family...Take on the climbing challenge at Clip n Climb this Summer. Suitable from 4 years old right through to adults there is no better way of getting competitive, fit and having fun with each other! Or if you and your family like a challenge why not take a trip to Go Ape at Sherwood Pines, where you can take on Nets Kingdom and its jumbo netted trampolines, bridges and walkways, or the Tree Top Adventure with Trazan swings and epic zip wires! Save on your next family adventure when you book Treetop Challenge. All you need to do is enter FAMILY15 at checkout.

If your kids like to get active - or you just want to ensure they fall asleep that night - get down to the National Water Sports Centre, at Holme Pierrepont Country Park for their daring Skytrail, climbing, kayaking, raft building and many more great outdoor activities. Their Adventure Holiday Club for 8-14 year olds, running throughout the Summer, will be sure to keep them entertained!

Or for the budding Lewis Hamilton's amongst you buckle up for an exciting ride at Teamworks Karting. Take on family and friends on their epic Go Kart tracks or run riot in the Laser Tag arena! With five incredible karting tracks, amazing race options for adults and children. 

Adventure Playgrounds

The city and county have some fantastic Adventure Playgrounds to explore too. Nottingham Castle's fort is the place for a fun filled adventure in the shadow of the castle itself, whilst Belvoir Castle's woodland adventure park, featuring a giant timber castle, along with a ship and towers, is the perfect place for imaginations to run wild! 

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 2023. This is the time to chill out, tune in and make some amazing memories.

The Riverside Festival returns on Friday 4th - Sunday 6th August. Expect a mile-long stretch of fairground rides, games and attractions all situated along the banks of the Trent, plus numerous street food vendors, bars and market stalls. River-based activities including Dragon Boat Racing will return, plus get your groove on with live music a plenty, from solo artists, bands and musicians performing across three stages. 

If cultural festivals are more your thing, make sure you join Nottingham Carnival to celebrate the influence of Caribbean, Brazilian and African cultures on Nottingham.

For the kids, head down to the annual Gloworm Festival at Thoresby Park between Friday 11th - Sunday 13th August. This brilliant 2 day Festival has been especially created for grown ups and their little people. Festival goers to come and play in a warm, welcoming and creative environment, loose their inhibitions, let their hair down and have some fun!

Similarly, Newark Festival at Newark Castle returns for 2023 from Friday 25 August, over the Bank Holiday weekend. Here, you can enjoy a vibrant and diverse spread of music, art, food, and family entertainment filling the streets and venues of Newark.

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

The Great Outdoors

Get out and about this half term and visit some of Nottinghamshire's beautiful country haunts. 

Rufford Abbey Country Park will be geared up for family visitors. Take a stroll around the beautiful grounds with an ice cream, row the family around the boating lake or let the kids run wild in the adventure playground. Their popular outdoor activities will all be availble throughout the Summer also. 

Get ready for Clumber Park's Summer of Play. You won't want to miss this with 5 play zones to suit every age and every interest. Burn off some energy in the Active Zone with football, badminton, hockey, rounders and a run track. The Creative Zone will have opportunities to do chalk art, paint a pebble, tell stories and engage in imaginative games. Nature-lovers can get hands on in the Nature Zone. Dress up and put on a play in the Performance Zone; and it's all about play in the Loose Parts Zone, a treasure trove for the imagination. 

There will also be a variety of free self-led activities and trails to keep the family active and entertained. Make a day of it, bring a picnic and enjoy time out!

Take on some aMAZEing outdoor activities at Notts Maze! The Maze will be open to explore and get lost in plus their combo package is designed for the adventurer out there. Whether that be laser tag, archery or axe throwing, they have something for everyone! - click here for more info. 

Sherwood Pines is one of the largest forests in the midlands to explore providing a stunning setting for your next adventure. It's a firm favourite with it's beautiful woodland walks, many cycle paths, perfect for mountain biking and activities for all the family. Get ready to join Zog on his latest forest adventure with a brand-new family activity trail and free app! The kids can also take on the Zog colouring competition this Summer, just pick up a free colouring sheet on your visit and get arty for a chance to win some great Zog goodies!

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 the Trent Rockets’ at The Hundred hosted at Trent Bridge for 4 days in August bringing with it spectacular entertainment and intense cricket action at the height of the summer. 

Experience all the glitz and glammer of Ladies Day at Southwell Racecourse on Sunday 20th August. Enjoy a day to remember with thrilling racing, sensational style and delicious food. Plus LIVE entertainment after racing with a DJ set from Scott Mills, guaranteed to keep the party mood going long after the last race.

If you're looking for sporting activities to get involved in, don't forget the ice skating lessons at the National Ice Centre (which are also available at various dates throughout the year) or simply pop-in for one of their public skating sessions - where under 5s skate for free! You can also 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.

Budget Friendly

We love a bargain and to find some budget-friendly options, so we’ve put together some ideas for a Free Day Out in Notts. You can also find a huge list of Free Events including kids activities, festivals, galleries and live music.

We’ve also put together a list of Ten Things to do for Under £10, and an example itinerary for a Weekend on a Budget.

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.