What's On
Festivals, circus, country shows and days out, all within easy reach.
Festivals, circus, country shows and days out, all within easy reach.
From the Grand Prix at Silverstone to Giffords Circus on the doorstep, there's always something worth planning a stay around. All events are within easy reach of the cottage.
TheatreThe RSC and the Unicorn Theatre collaborate on a playful, visually magical take on Shakespeare's comedy. Described by The Guardian as 'a punchy Shakespeare romcom' — 80 minutes, no interval, suitable for ages 7 and up.
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TheatreOpen-air Shakespeare in the dramatic ruins of Oxford Castle — BMH Productions' staging of the political thriller, Caesar's rise and the conspirators' plot. Bring a blanket, sit under the walls.
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FestivalAn inaugural open-air music festival in the Great Court of Blenheim Palace, with international headliners performing against one of England's most spectacular backdrops. The 2026 lineup includes Katy Perry, Alanis Morissette, Michael Bublé, Pete Tong Ibiza Classics and Teddy Swims.
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Art & CultureA Country Life reader event with five leading experts — including Chelsea gold medallist Charlotte Harris, architect Tom Turner and sculptor Hamish Mackie — discussing the art of the ideal country garden. Two-course lunch and wine included. Moderated by Country Life's Giles Kime.
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MusicSingers performing madrigals and folksongs from punts drifting along the river at dusk, as families picnic on the school field. Featured on Susan Calman's Grand Days Out — a uniquely Oxford summer evening. Doors 6:30pm, music from 8pm.
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SportFormula 1 comes to nearby Silverstone for the home Grand Prix — four days of racing, live music and a proper carnival atmosphere. One of the great summer weekends.
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MusicThe AERA Ensemble perform Mozart, Bruch and Bartók at Oxford's Holywell Music Room. Doors 11:15am.
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FamilyThe legendary vintage circus pitches its striped big top in a farmer's field between Little and Great Barrington, opposite The Fox Inn. Cuban acrobats, Italian hand balancers and Russian aerialists — fast-paced, magical and hilarious. Utterly unmissable with children.
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TheatreKenneth Branagh, Helen Hunt and Bill Pullman in Laura Wade's new adaptation of Chekhov's final play, directed by Tamara Harvey. A magnificent cast in one of the great theatrical venues — a proper night out.
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Food & DrinkAn evening under the canvas at Rosara's Michelin Bib Gourmand yurt, celebrating summer's best produce — tomatoes, courgettes, herbs and berries — through seasonal cooking and warm hospitality. 6:30pm–10pm. Book via OpenTable.
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Art & CultureOver 100 iconic photographs tracing the Royal Family's relationship with the camera from Queen Victoria to the present day — rare off-duty portraits alongside grand state ceremonies. Originally shown at Kensington Palace, now touring to Blenheim.
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MusicViolinist Mathilde Milwidsky and pianist Viv McLean perform works by Boulanger, Beethoven and Telemann. Doors 11:15am.
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FamilyA summer immersive programme for children in Daylesford's tipi, combining outdoor learning and farm life. Runs weekdays across two blocks: 13–24 July and 10–21 August, 10:45am–2:45pm. Book via Tarka London.
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MusicAn outdoor summer evening at Daylesford with live music, seasonal cocktails and firepit grill — farm-fresh salads and barbecued meats as the sun goes down. 6pm until late.
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FamilyChildren (ages 3–8) bring their favourite teddy for games, storytelling with author Denise Beaumont, hands-on activities with Tarka, and an organic picnic in the market garden. Adults have the firepit grill and the Bottom's Up Bar. 10am–2:30pm.
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MusicJack Gibbons — the BBC's 'Gershwin pianist of our time' — performs Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris and Concerto in F alongside authentic recreations of Gershwin's 1920s improvisations. His 38th annual Oxford Summer Piano Series, at one of England's oldest concert rooms.
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MusicA special 40th anniversary concert with the Adderbury Ensemble Piano Quintet, performing Dvořák and Ravel alongside the Danish String Quartet. Doors 11:15am.
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TheatreA major new stage adaptation written by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke, exploring the final years before the events of George R.R. Martin's world. Staged on an innovative cross-shaped stage that transforms the RSC auditorium.
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MusicA second evening in Daylesford's summer series — live music on the terrace with seasonal cocktails and firepit grill. Farm-fresh salads and barbecued meats as the sun goes down. 6pm until late.
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MusicThe Adderbury Ensemble String Quartet perform Mozart and Shostakovich at the Holywell Music Room. Doors 11:15am.
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FamilyChildren aged 5–11 train as medieval knights — sword handling, archery and jousting, finishing with a ceremonial knighting and a wooden sword to take home. Mon, Wed, Fri at 11am and 1pm.
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FestivalMusic, long-table feasts, lakeside spa, wild swimming and talks in the beautiful grounds of Cornbury Park. More of an experience than a festival — one of the standout summer weekends in the area.
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MusicA chamber ensemble featuring Huw Watkins, Benjamin Baker, Emma Wernig and Tim Posner at Oxford's Holywell Music Room. Doors 11:15am.
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TheatreSiege Theatre's bold outdoor staging — Shakespeare reimagined during the American War of Independence, with the star-crossed lovers caught between duty and devotion in a fractured nation. Open-air, two weeks only.
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MusicThe Kleio String Quartet perform Schubert alongside cellist Benjamin Kruithof at the Holywell Music Room. Doors 11:15am.
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Food & DrinkSummer's peak on the plate — heritage tomatoes, peaches, plums and herbs at their most vibrant, cooked through a Mediterranean-British lens. An end-of-summer evening under the yurt canvas. 6:30pm–10pm. Book via OpenTable.
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Food & DrinkA bank holiday weekend of top chefs, street food, music and family activities on Blur's Alex James' farm in the Cotswolds. A brilliant combination of food festival and music event.
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MusicThe Adderbury Ensemble are joined by clarinettist Fiona Cross for a Sunday morning chamber concert at the Holywell Music Room. Doors 11:15am.
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TheatreA playful reimagining of Hamlet's backstory through the bond between the court jester Yorick and the young prince — open-air, with music, humour and the kind of audience banter only a real jester delivers.
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MusicLondon Serenata perform works by Poulenc, Emmanuel and arranged pieces at the Holywell Music Room. Doors 11:15am.
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MusicTwenty years of Woodstock Live — a free weekend of live music in Woodstock's town square, with Friday kick-off gigs in local venues. Family friendly, free entry.
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MusicThe Adderbury Ensemble perform Bach alongside harpsichordist and conductor Lawrence Cummings at the Holywell Music Room. Doors 11:15am.
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SportOver 1,000 privately owned sports and hypercars on the lawns of Blenheim Palace, alongside a Concours competition, fine dining, champagne bars and luxury shopping. One of the great motoring occasions in the calendar.
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Country ShowOne of the Cotswolds' great country shows — livestock and horse classes, food producers, live music, dogs, trade stands and the quintessential English agricultural day out.
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MusicThe Darlington String Quartet are joined by guitarist Craig Ogden for a Sunday morning concert at the Holywell Music Room. Doors 11:15am.
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Food & DrinkAutumn's first abundance — wild mushrooms, apples, pears and the fruits of field, orchard and hedgerow. A harvest supper under the yurt canvas at Rosara. 6:30pm–10pm. Book via OpenTable.
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MusicLawrence Cummings (harpsichord) and Rachel Brown (flute) in an intimate Baroque recital at the Holywell Music Room. Doors 11:15am.
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MusicPianist Viv McLean in a solo recital at Oxford's Holywell Music Room. Doors 11:15am.
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SportOne of the world's great three-day equestrian events, held across the Blenheim Palace estate. World-class riders, the famous cross-country course through the parkland, and a superb food and shopping village.
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MusicOxford Chamber Music Festival's autumn series 'New Worlds' — six days of concerts featuring Meta4 string quartet, mezzo-soprano Dorottya Láng, pianist Julius Drake and violinist Alena Baeva. Programmes span Crumb, Golijov, Dvořák and the American Songbook.
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Food & DrinkA celebration of the harvest season at one of the Cotswolds' best-known organic farms. Food, music, seasonal produce and cookery demonstrations in a beautiful rural setting.
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TheatreTony Award winner Jonathan Groff makes his RSC debut in Daniel Evans' inventive all-male production of Shakespeare's comedy of love and disguise — a beautiful autumn evening out and the perfect excuse to dine and stay over in Stratford.
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LiteratureThe world's oldest literary festival — two and a half weeks of leading authors, journalists, poets and thinkers. One of the great autumn outings from the cottage.
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Food & DrinkGather around the fire for a seasonal celebration of celeriac, leeks, Jerusalem artichokes and foraged woodland mushrooms — Andrew Carr's cooking at its most autumnal. 6:30pm–10pm. Book via OpenTable.
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FamilyAn after-dark trail through themed zones — Spider's Lair, Vampire Hunters, Catacombs and more — with striking light displays and immersive entertainment. Separately ticketed and genuinely good fun for all ages.
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TheatreA taut 90-minute RSC production of Shakespeare's political tragedy, aimed at audiences age 11+ — a strong introduction for older children and a good half-day excuse to drive up to Stratford.
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TheatreThe RSC's Christmas show — Alexandre Dumas' swashbuckling adventure brought to life with the company's trademark visual comedy. Family-friendly festive theatre in Stratford, running into the new year.
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Food & DrinkThe full British game season on one table — wild venison, pheasant, partridge, wild mushrooms, celeriac and root vegetables, cooked by Andrew Carr. An evening worth driving back from. 6:30pm–10pm. Book via OpenTable.
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FamilyOver a million lights in the illuminated trail, Cinderella's story through the State Rooms, a Great Skate ice rink in the Great Court, and a Christmas Market until 20th December. Book well in advance — it sells out every year.
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Food & DrinkLog fire, candlelight and Andrew Carr's festive cooking — heritage carrots, winter brassicas, chestnuts, squash and orchard apples with warming spices. A beautiful way to spend a December evening. 6:30pm–10pm. Book via OpenTable.
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FamilyThe Mozart Symphony Orchestra performs Howard Blake's score live as the classic animated film screens in the magnificent Sheldonian Theatre. Paddington Bear's First Concert also on the programme. Three performances: 1:30pm, 3:30pm and 5:30pm. Ages 5 and up.
More info & tickets →Dates are correct at time of publication but always check with the organiser before booking travel.
Base yourself at Well Cottage and have the whole of the Cotswolds on your doorstep.