Join us for a day out in the historic city of Chichester and surrounding West Sussex, where a range of events and experiences are on offer. From exhibitions that showcase creative expression to live performances at a world-renowned theatre, West Sussex’s cultural scene is ever-evolving. Stay up to date on the latest family-friendly events taking place around the district. Dive into the eclectic festivals throughout the year that bring the city alive with celebrations and cultural exchanges. Immerse yourself in world-class sport, from polo to horse-racing and motor racing. Whether you're strolling through beautiful gardens, walking in the South Downs, exploring museums, or spending a day at the beach, Chichester District’s beautiful landscape with hidden villages and soaring landscapes ensures there's always something happening for everyone from the ‘downs to the dunes’.
Summer Events
From May to August 2026 there are a range of amazing events happening in Chichester District and across West Sussex.
Vintage & Fashion Days Out in West Sussex
For vintage lovers, step back in time and experience the sights, sounds, and spirit of the 1940s at Tangmere Military Aviation Musuem's Swing for Victory Day and The Kennels, Goodwood, hosts the Vintage Fashion Market on 22nd August; were you can shop vintage clothing and accessories just in time for The Goodwood Revival in September 2026.
Theatre & Live Performances in West Sussex
For those who love live performances, check out Chichester Festival Theatre's full programme events including My Fair Lady and Atonement. Soak up outdoor theatre at Chichester Cathedral where Othello, The Lord Chamberlain's Men, Pinocchio and The (Almost) Complete History of Britain will keep your Summer buzzing! At Weald and Downland Living Museum their open air Summer Theatre returns - enjoy As You Like It, The Three Musketeers, The Pirates of Penzance, Pinocchio and King Arthur and the Holy Fail. And at Stansted Park, This is My Theatre Company's family-friendly adaptation of The Great Gatsby - packed with glamour, guile and plenty of gorgeous music - that will be sure to captivate audiences of all ages. And on 5th August, Stansted House becomes the backdrop to Pantaloons Theatre Company's Sherlock Holmes & the Hound of the Baskervilles!
Chichester Cathedral Summer Events
For art and culture seekers, there are Chichester Cathedral's biennial Festival of Flowers and Glowing + Alive Exhibition and if you want to be more adventurous, why not join one of their new spire tours?
Festivals & Proms in West Sussex
Summer means it is festival and proms time!! Dance the night away in Goodwood Raceourse's Three Friday Nights. Featuring a unique combination of racing and music, Three Friday Nights hosts a series of unforgettable evenings across June with this year's line being Sub Focus, Riordan and DJ Luck & MC Neat. Petworth Summer Festival returns for 2026, where you can enjoy classical music alongside jazz, world music, comedy and spoken-word performances. Stansted Park Proms in the Park is again back on Saturday 8th August 2026 with South Coast Symphonia orchestra featuring music from our 'Four Nations' and includes the acclaimed soprano Jennifer Parker-Lummis. Bring your picnic, enjoy the Ferris Wheel rides, and end the evening with the dazzling fireworks finale. This is a true celebration of British heritage and entertainment!
Film & Cinema Events in West Sussex
For film buffs, Adventure Cinema returns for 2026 to Stansted Park - it's the UK’s No.1 outdoor cinema and is an event not to be missed. Over a weekend, you can watch a range of films set against the beautiful Stansted House. 2026 line-up includes Dirty Dancing, Back to the Future and Mama Mia! ExtrABBAganza. And not forgetting Chichester International Film Festival which runs from 7th - 23rd August 2026. As one of the most respected film festivals in the UK, the Festival has been graced with the presence of some of film's greatest including Sir Alex Guinness, Steven Poliakoff, Ken Russell and Ralph Fiennes, to name but a few.
Cars & Motor Events in West Sussex
Goodwood Breakfast Clubs return for Summer 2026 including the Super Sunday Breakfast club on 31st May, where you'll be able to see a thrilling line-up of high-performance cars, and the Goodwood Breakfast Club Classic Sunday on 2nd August 2026 at Goodwood Motor Circuit with a range of classic cars.
Art Exhibitions & Galleries to visit in West Sussex
Art lovers can enjoy the Sussex Art Fair from 8th - 10th May at Goodwood Racecourse, featuring over 90 exhibitors and 3,000 artworks at the county’s largest art fair. Pallant House Gallery presents its summer programme, including Haroun Hayward: Path through Trees, British Landscapes: A Sense of Place, From Bawden to Hockney: The Dennis Andrews and Christopher Whelen Collection, and Pop and the Figure. At Newlands House Gallery in Petworth, Paula Rego: Visions of English Literature runs until 6 September, while the Goodwood Art Foundation showcases works by artists such as Nancy Holt, Yayoi Kusama, Polly Apfelbaum and Lee Ufan.
Antiques & Fine Art Fairs in Petworth, West Sussex
The Petworth Park Antiques & Fine Art Fair returns to Petworth House 8th-10th May 2026, and browse over 60 exhibitors featuring everything from furniture, jewellery and glass, to vintage watches, paintings, silver, ceramics and clocks!
Family Friendly Things to Do in West Sussex
West Sussex is a playground for families, offering a wide variety of family friendly attractions, events and activities to keep all ages entertained throughout the year.
Family Days Out in Chichester
In Chichester, discover budget friendly things to do with children, from bringing history to life at The Novium Museum to exploring Elmer and Friends: The Colourful World of David McKee, a vibrant multi sensory and interactive exhibition featuring original artworks. Families can enjoy Chichester Cathedral with its popular I Spy Trail, or why not celebrate at SussexFest on the Cathedral Green? Other seasonal highlights include Laser Show Extravaganza, Light Up Chichester, bonfire celebrations and festive Christmas services at the Chichester Cathedral.
Trails, Wildlife and Outdoor Adventures in West Sussex
There are many family friendly trails and outdoor experiences across West Sussex. Get closer to nature at WWT Arundel Wetland Centre with Gozzle, a wildlife themed family trail. Or explore Pagham Harbour RSPB hides, or discover the coast at West Wittering and Selsey beaches. Outdoor fun continues with the Children’s Marine Ecology Club, Cowdray’s Maize Maze and sunflower picking patches at Somerley Fields PYO Sunflowers and Bignor Sunflower Maze & Picking Patch.
History, Heritage and Living History Events in West Sussex
Step back in time at the Weald and Downland Living Museum, become a gladiator during Chichester Roman Week with a must see Roman Re-enactment on 28 May, or enjoy the spectacle of The Loxwood Joust. Arundel offers immersive family days out with its historic Arundel Castle, Arundel museum and Wetlands Centre.
Family Fun at Goodwood, West Sussex
Goodwood offers fantastic family experiences including Goodwoof: All About the Dog in May, the Goodwood Art Foundation Summer Programme where kids go free with a paying adult, and Family Discovery Day during May half term. Active families can enjoy cycling track sessions at Goodwood Motor Circuit.
Fast Cars and Flying Machines in West Sussex
For those who love cars, Steeleford Supercar Show in May 2026, Goodwood Festival of Speed in July and Goodwood Revival in September deliver excitement for all ages. If taking to the skies is your thing, why not visit Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, or Goodwood Aerodrome Cafe, and watch the planes while sipping your Cappucino?
Vintage Events and Days Out in West Sussex
Vintage lovers can soak up nostalgic charm at Swing for Victory at Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, The Vintage Market at The Kennels, Goodwood, and Goodwood Revival.
Seasonal Family Friendly Highlights in West Sussex
Summer highlights include Stansted Summer Festival family fun, quirky entertainment and a little bit of the eccentric all within the setting of a Quintessential Country Estate. Not forgetting Stansted Park outdoor cinema. Enjoy family racing days at Goodwood Family Race Day in June, August Bank Holiday Racing and Fontwell Park Family Race Day.
Autumn brings pumpkin picking and spooky family fun at Arundel Pumpkin Patch, Rogate Pumpkin Patch and Somerley Fields PYO Pumpkins, while winter sparkles with West Sussex Bonfire Night extravaganzas including West Dean Bonfire, Fontwell Racecourse Spooky Fireworks Display,
Winter Festive favourites include the Chichester Christmas Charity Tractor Run, Chichester Festival Theatre Christmas shows and grotto, and seasonal services with Christmas at Chichester Cathedral.
Outstanding Culture
Chichester boasts one of the UK"s most respected regional theatres which has a well-deserved reputation for high quality productions that often transfer to the West End or travel across the country. Year round, the programme features hugely popular musical productions, star-studded dramas, comedy and family entertainment.
Chichester and the nearby towns of Petworth and Midhurst are increasingly proving to be a cultural destination for art and culture lovers choosing the surroundings of the Sussex countryside in contrast to the bustle of the capital. Pallant House Gallery in Chichester stages a varied programme of exhibitions showcasing the very best in modern British art from 1900 to today. The permanent collection features work by Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Patrick Caulfield to name but a few, telling the story of British art from Post-Impressionism, right through to contemporary art. Newlands House Gallery which opened in 2020 has attracted rave reviews for its exhibitions featuring great artists of the 20th Century, with shows featuring Helmut Newton, Julian Opie and Lee Miller. The gallery is set in an 18th century townhouse in the picturesque market town of Petworth, in the South Downs.
Each summer The Festival of Chichester draws audiences to a month-long festival of the arts where you can be immersed in live performances by artists from the worlds of classical music, jazz, poetry, theatre, literature and more besides. Annually, the renowned Petworth Festival brings opportunities to see a rich variety of live music, comedy and theatre, followed in the autumn by the festival’s literary week which hosts discussions by best-selling authors and personalities. And for the foodies, don't forget Chichester Cheese & Chilli Festival in June! This vibrant two-day festival brings together an exciting mix of artisan cheese producers, chilli growers, sauce makers, street food traders, and craft drink specialists from across the UK. There is also the South Downs Food Festival which returns to Stansted Park on the 6th and 7th of June 2026, bringing a spectacular weekend of food, drink, and celebration.
Goodwood Events
Goodwood’s sporting events draw visitors from across the world; the high-octane Festival of Speed celebrating motor sport is a mecca for car enthusiasts; known locally as Glorious Goodwood, the Qatar Festival is one of the pinnacles of the horse racing calendar, taking place each July; September brings The Revival, Goodwood’s celebration of vintage cars and fashion, which is staged entirely in period theme. Goodwoof, the ultimate day out for our four legged friends runs in May and is fast becoming THE date to be seen in the dog friendly calendar.
Exploring more West Sussex events
Midhurst, in the heart of the South Downs National Park is home to the Cowdray Estate, the home of British Polo. Each Summer the polo lawns host Europe’s premier polo tournament; the British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup. A notable social occasion, spectators flock to see the international Polo stars in action, as well as enjoying a luxury shopping experience, and artisan food and drink. Why not follow our 48 Hours in Midhurst itinerary so you don't miss anything this wonderful town has to offer.
Celebrating the presence of a lifeboat station at the seaside town of Selsey since 1861, the annual Lifeboat Day sees impressive displays on the water, live entertainment and family fun. It’s a great opportunity to sample some of Selsey’s famous seafood.
On top of this rich mix of events, history lovers and families will love the regular themed weekends at Weald & Downland Living Museum, where the past is brought to life with demonstrations and hands-on activities. Heritage Open Days during September conjures opportunities to see and experience some of the lesser known historical locations free of charge.
Browse our events calendar for not-to-be-missed dates for your diary...
