PREVIEW: Chatsworth invites families to try something new as it unveils packed 2026 summer programme
Family adventures, outdoor fun, films and literary experiences - it’s all happening at Chatsworth this summer.
Chatsworth House Trust has launched its full programme of summer activities, running from July 18 to August 31, across the house, garden, farmyard and parkland, as the estate prepares to welcome families for a summer of adventure, creativity and fun.
BOOK TICKETS: Fore more information and to buy tickets visit www.chatsworth.org/visit-chatsworth/book-tickets.
From outdoor cinema screenings and nature-inspired storytelling to Pilates and a mini-Olympics in the garden, the summer programme offers something for visitors of all ages, with many activities included in a standard entry ticket.
This year's programme features a series of themed weeks, each offering a different focus for families to enjoy throughout the school holidays.
* From July 27 to August 2, Wild Words Week combines the wonder of words with the wonder of nature, via a host of exciting garden-based activities. Lost Words Explorer Walks will allow families to rediscover the language of the natural world inspired by The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris and The Tiger Who Came to Tea Family Crafts will see families get creative based on this children’s classic.
* Garden Tales & Story Trails Week (August 3-9) will offer families the chance to create illustrated story journeys inspired by the Chatsworth Garden, making their own folded book filled with drawings, patterns and stories in the family activity tent.
* Hot on its heels comes Get Active Week (August 10-16), bringing a big dose of movement and energy for little ones, from a playful Susie Sloth Pilates session including stories and breathwork a Garden Olympics where children will hop, skip and jump their way through a number of fun sporting challenges, and the ever-popular Big Tree Climb.
* Nature Week (August 17-23) offers opportunities to explore the estate's wildlife and woodland, getting up close to Chatsworth’s tiniest creatures with Amazing Insects taking place in the family tent and inspiring little minds with Poetry with Attie Lime.
* The fun concludes with Wonderful Water Week (August 22-28), championing Chatsworth’s historic waterways as part of the Celebrating the Cascade – a restoration project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players to preserve the historic feature for future generations to enjoy. Activities include Wonderful Water Arts and Crafts sessions and dedicated British Sign Language-led creative workshops, welcoming both Deaf and hearing families to immerse themselves in the history of the estate.
Outside of the themed weeks and new for 2026, Chatsworth is hosting three nights of outdoor cinema, from July 24 to 26. Families can enjoy a Wicked Sing-along (July 24), the animated musical Sing (July 25), and a double bill of The Gruffalo and Stick Man (July 26), all set within Chatsworth’s beautiful parkland.
In the house, visitors can explore this year’s exhibition House of Stories: Tales from the Chatsworth Library, marking the UK's National Year of Reading and celebrating the Devonshire family’s most treasured works for the first time, offering a new perspective on Chatsworth’s literary history and traditions.
Throughout the garden, the Naturally Curious Trail will invite young explorers to spot and identify plants and animals, while families can explore the Kitchen Gardens, catch water sprinkles from the giant Emperor Fountain, or head to the Pinetum to play on the natural balance course. Live music from local musicians will also take place in the garden on weekends throughout July and August.
Chatsworth’s popular farmyard will also be open throughout the summer holidays, with young visitors able to meet, feed, cuddle and pet animals including pigs, horses, goats and guinea pigs, as well as rare breeds such as the Suffolk Punch. Daily activities include guinea pig handling, horse meet-and-greets, chicken talks and milking demonstrations, while the popular Young Farmers sessions give children aged 7–16 the chance to help the farmyard team with real jobs, from collecting eggs to grooming.
The woodland adventure playground offers the perfect place to let off some steam, with climbing towers, racing slides, and sand and water play accessible via a secret tunnel from the farmyard.
Emma Flack, Head of Visitor Experience at Chatsworth, said: Creating a summer programme that genuinely excites younger visitors takes real thought – which is why we’ve focused on activities that invite families to try something different, inspire creativity and adventure, and create memories they’ll remember. With themed activity weeks throughout the season, as well as returning favourites, there’s something for every interest across the estate.
“From creative writing session in the garden to open-air cinema in the parkland and discovering the estate’s history through play, families have genuine choices about how they spend their day here at Chatsworth.”
Chatsworth House Trust's Universal Credit tickets are available throughout the summer; priced at £3 for an adult and £1 for a child, the tickets were introduced in 2024 to help remove barriers to entry and are available to anyone in receipt of certain benefits. Tickets must be purchased online in advance and details of eligibility can be found on the Chatsworth website. Anyone purchasing a Universal Credit ticket is entitled to 25% off food and drink on the day of their visit.
Chatsworth is also encouraging visitors to take advantage of the National £3 Bus Fare cap, and travel to Chatsworth on public transport – including the Peak Sightseer bus which opens the door toexploring the wider Peak District too. Anyone using a bus, train or bicycle for all or part of their journey and visiting the house will receive complimentary hire of a multi-media guide for each adult ticket booked.
LINKS:
Website: www.chatsworth.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chatsworthhouse
Instagram: www.instagram.com/chatsworthofficial