STAGE

Creation Theatre's Midsummer Night's Dream actor with flower necklace — The Oxford Shakespeare Festival

Shakespeare fan? You’re in luck as the Bard is back. The Oxford Shakespeare Festival returns for its 16th year with three shows at the historic courtyard of Oxford Castle – Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (until Sat 4 Jul), Macbeth (Mon 6 Jul – Sat 1 Aug), then Romeo & Juliet and Yorick or the Skull into August. Meanwhile picnic blankets at the ready for the always inventive Creation Theatre who are putting on a performance of Twelfth Night in Oxford’s Wolfson College Sports Ground from Thu Jul 16 – Sun 16 Aug.

For little thespians and their grown-ups, Folk Tales for Curious Minds at the frankly magical Theatre on the Farm near Thame on Sun 5 July is a playful puppetry-based extravaganza from the clever folk at Living Theatre. Puppets and props are crafted from recycled and found materials and there’s lots of laughs to be had among the leaves. It’s a joyful Sunday afternoon outing for kids aged 4 –10.

Alice's Day The Story Museum — Alice’s Day at The Story Museum in Oxford

Also ideal for littlies is Alice’s Day at The Story Museum on Sat 4 July. This year’s theme is Snarks, Rhymes & Riddles, marking the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s nonsense poem The Hunting of the Snark. The whole of Oxford is in on the fun, with everyone from Creation Theatre to Eynsham Croquet Club bringing Wonderland to life. As you’d expect, The Story Museum is going all out; expect games, face painting and a Wonderland afternoon tea, as well as half-price entry to The Story Museum Galleries and Small Worlds (book that, stat). Story telling and nonsense rhymes abound, naturally.

Across into Bucks, Unbound Theatre brings its Buckinghamshire Shakespeare Festival including new productions of The Tempest and Venus & Adonis to pubs, village green and arts venues across the county between Fri 3 Jul – Sun 9 Aug. Last but no means least, As You Like It is being performed by Illyria in an open-air production at Stowe Gardens on Thu 16 Jul.

Fawlty Towers cast shot — Fawlty Towers is coming to New Theatre Oxford from 14-18 July

Also worthy of your attention is Fawlty Towers – The Play, coming to New Theatre, Oxford from Tue 14 – Sat 18 Jul, fresh from a sold out West End season. Join Join Basil (Danny Bayne), the delightfully bumbling Major (Paul Nicholas) and Polly (Joanne Clifton), with an 18-strong stellar cast as they bring to life the best bits from the show’s iconic twelve episodes.

Across the city at Oxford Playhouse, Our Man in Havana (Tue 28 Jul – Sat 1 Aug)– the comedy spy tale – promises a “funny, fast-moving romp”.

Giffords-Circus-Blenheim — Giffords’ Circus in Barrington, nr Burford

Muddy will also be catching the fabulous Six The Musical – the brilliantly clever musical reimagining the wives of Henry VIII at Wycombe Swan Thea tre from Wed 22 – Sun 26 Jul. Meanwhile, Call the Midwife‘s Helen George swaps scrubs for society scandals in sparkling summer musical, High Society (Thu 16 – Sat 18 Jul). Expect romance, gossip and wedding-day chaos, all set to Cole Porter’s irresistible soundtrack and brought to life with a full live orchestra. Last but very much not least, the creative, quirky, brilliant Giffords’ Circus continues in Barrington, near Burford from Thu 9 – Mon 20 July.

MUSIC

Good vibes at the Notes & Fizz the Festival Rose Garden Hub

Soak up the feel-good vibes via the Oxford Festival of Arts in full swing this July with a full roster of music, theatre, comedy and community events including the delicious sounding Notes & Fizz the Festival Rose Garden Hub, which offers riverside views, a rose garden in full bloom, live music from local bands and non-compulsory, but totally encouraged dancing.

Jazz more your jam? Harry Diplock’s Hot-Club Quartet is playing The Jazz Club at Burford on Fri July 10, in collaboration with the Thyme & Lovage Café who have curated two delicious menus to nibble while you listen. A little deeper into the month on Sun 26 Jul join the Moscow Drug Club for Jazz in the Vines at Oaken Grove Vineyard for an afternoon filled with guitar-led jazz, sunshine, and endless sips of your favourite tipple.

For something a little more folky, pack your blanket for the final outdoor picnic in the beautiful Amphitheatre at Waterperry Gardens featuring the four-piece Moonrakers and with an extended interval for you to enjoy your plonk and picky bits.

Nineties kids are in for at treat with five nights of glorious riverside nostalgia at this year’s Henley Festival Wed 8 – Sun 12 July. The floating stage will welcome Sugababes and Alex James’ Britpop Classical, while DJ Jo Whiley will be playing nineties anthems only. Eighties more your vibe? Boy George & Culture Club and Lulu are also on the lineup. Muddy is already counting down the days!

On a similar nostalgia trip, a hop over the Bucks/Herts border, Chilfest champions throwbacks and the crème de la crème of tribute acts. From Amy Winehouse to Pulp and Coldplay, it’s like reliving your favourite Friday night Top of the Pops episodes, all weekend long. Get your bop on between Fri 3 and Sat 4 Jul.

For opera lovers, the rarified (and usually private) surroundings of the Wormsley Estate in Stokenchurch, mid Buck, is the venue for a month of opera this summer, from La Traviata (until Fri 24 Jul) to The Importance of Being Earnest (until Thu 23 Jul) and Il ritorno d’Ulisse (until Sat 25 Jul).

FOOD

Foodie types won’t want to miss the Fire & Stars Woodland Anniversary Feast on Sat 4 Jul at Nomadic Dinners in Chalfont St Peter. The exclusive event, celebrating Nomadic’s 8th anniversary, features a secret four-course menu curated by MasterChef: The Professionals 2025 winner Gareth Baty and fellow finalists. Our mouths are watering already!

Swap the sofa for The Double Red Duke Summer Garden at Bicester Village for all of your July sport viewing. Settle back on a stripy deckchair and watch England’s World Cup games or Wimbledon on the big screen, and you can pop to the Defender Bar for a ‘hydration break’. Make ours a nice refreshing Pimm’s, chased with a lobster roll from the terrace food menu. Heaven.

Prepare to tickle your tastebuds at the Wantage International Food & Drink Festival on Sun 5 Jul, which promises a veritable feast of flavours from around the world, live music and a local Makers Market to boot.

Loosen your waistbands as for one night only, on Fri 31 Jul, London’s cult-favourite Berenjak is taking over Cecconi’s in Bicester Village for an exclusive Dish & Tell supper club packed with flame-kissed kebabs, vibrant Middle Eastern flavours and a lively atmosphere. Tickets are £70 and include two drinks, but be quick, this one’s got sell-out written all over it.

Wine tasting events are very much on the menu this month too, with Grape Minds in Summertown giving Le Tour a very drinkable spin with a relaxed tasting of delicious wines from eight French regions featured on this year’s route. Lycra optional, excellent pours guaranteed. Not to be outdone, Buckinghamshire has Wine Tasting in the Cellars of Waddesdon Manor every Fri until Fri 27 Nov.

Beer more your bag? Join the Walk Works Summer Social Walk & Loddon Brewery (Wed 15 Jul). Lace up for a circular 5km walk around Dunsden Green followed by drinks and pizza at the Tap Yard.

FESTIVALS, FAIRS & EVENTS

Gonna miss Glasto this year? Us too, but fear not, there’s loads happening locally – and the toilets are wayyy better. Riverside Festival drops on Sat 18 & Sun 19 Jul in Charlbury – a free music festival offering street food and four stages in this gorgeous Cotswold village.

Comedy under canvas? Lone Wolf Comedy brings Marcus Brigstocke and Felicity Ward to TIPI FEST on Sat 11 Jul for a night of lols beneath the stars and live music to get the party started. Bring a picnic chair, grab a drink and settle in – £25 for an evening guaranteed to lift your spirits.

If you’re looking to find your inner zen, Play2yourstrengths is running two Soulful Play workshops on Fri 3 Jul & Fri 17 Jul between 1.30pm-3pm at the Oxford City Farm. Explore the connection between your playful and empathetic side in a seriously stunning yurt, and indulge in fun and mindful exercises. Expect laughter, movement, and a whole lot of tranquility – all for £12 a pop.

Also worth a punt is Oh Shala Festival (Fri 10 – Sun 12 Jul), a new festival on the block last year and back for another run out. The fun takes place in Penn, south Bucks, and promises a weekend that will nourish your mind, body, and soul with yoga, Indian dance, live music, and food stalls. Truck Festival will be taking place on Thu 23 – Sun 26 Jul at Hill Farm. Big names that have been dropped are Kaiser Chiefs, Primal Scream, and The Wombats. Pre-book your camping pitch here or upgrade your experience with a bit of glamping in a furnished Emperor Bell Tent (we’re so with you).

Red Bull Racing — F1 mad kids will love the Red Bull Technology Campus Factory Tour

If your kid’s mad about motorsport, the Red Bull Technology Campus Factory Tour on Fri 10 Jul in Milton Keynes is the perfect holiday pitstop. For £300 kids (12+) will have a two-hour behind the scenes tour, VIP access to the team’s HQ and race cars, and will see how whizzy electronics are designed and built from scratch. They’ll also be gifted Redbull merch bags and 10% shop discount (all included in the price – ka-ching). Kiddies under 16 must be accompanied by an adult (sorry). But hurry, tickets are selling fast.

For something altogether slower, the Heritage Crafts Weekend at Chiltern Open Air Museum from Sat 25 – Sun 26 July is a celebration of some gloriously niche craftsmanship: you’ll meet ace lacemakers, thatchers, blacksmiths and even historical cooking pros. Try your hand at some trad activities, and ones having a modern revival (crochet fans take note), and there’s also a 17th century lighting and medicine exhibit to up your history buff credentials.

And last but not least, the glam powerhouse of Wilderness Festival wiggles into the very end of Jul (Thu 30 Jul – Sun 2 Aug). Think luxury yurts, posh sharing tables, paddleboard yoga on the lake and some perfectly pitched hedonism.

PYO

If the little ones need to get outside (and so do you), then PYO Farms are your best bet. Great Horwood is already welcoming cherry pickers, Copas Farm in Iver already has strawberries, beans, raspberries, cherries, plums, apples and sweetcorn, Howe Farm in Dorton, on the Bucks/Ox border offers flower picking with their hand-sown and sustainably grown beauties, and, up in North Bucks, The Patch MK, nr Milton Keynes has a whole host of summer activities for littleuns, promising interactive corn mazes, mini golf and The Labyrinth of Illusions, as well as the gorgeous wild flower and sunflower fields for you to pick and take home.

SCREENINGS

Grease is showing at The Swan at Streatley — *Grease* is showing at The Swan at Streatley this July.

Rock ‘n’ roll on the riverside. At The Swan at Streatley, on the Berks-Oxon border, there’s a showing of Grease on Thu 30 July for £33 including entry plus a main meal and popcorn. Gorgeous spot, classic flick, and drinks and snacks available? What more could you ask for? Deckchairs, headphones, and a blanket to stay warm are all provided, too.

ART

Greys Court Sculpture in the Gardens is set against a National Trust backdrop.

Art lovers this one’s a beaut. The Oxford Sculptors Group 10th year exhibiting in the walled gardens and Cromwellian building with Greys Court Sculpture in the Gardens – a stunning collection of outdoor artworks set against one of Oxfordshire’s prettiest National Trust backdrops. Over at The Ashmolean In Bloom (until Sun 16 Aug) explores the global stories behind some of Britain’s most beloved florals – from roses and tulips to camellias and peonies.

STAGE

MUSIC

FOOD

FESTIVALS, FAIRS & EVENTS

PYO

SCREENINGS

ART

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