Fantasy Forest began in 2019 as a small festival with just over a thousand visitors and has become the largest event of its kind in Britain: the July 2026 edition (17–19 July) sold out completely, with 21,000 people through the gates, and the organisers have already fixed 16–18 July 2027 for the next one. Tickets for 2027 were not yet on sale in September 2026; the on-sale date is to be announced and a waiting list runs through the resale partner Tixel.
The festival occupies the parkland below Sudeley Castle. Bands play across the weekend (the Dutch folk band Harmony Glen headlined in 2026, and the 2026 Friday was the farewell show of the folk-rock band Sunfire), and around the stages are a fantasy market of costume, jewellery, weapons and craft traders, live-action role-play, workshops, authors, walking acts and children’s activities. Opening hours in 2026 were Friday 16:00–23:00, Saturday 10:00–23:00 and Sunday 10:00–19:00, with camping on site for weekend ticket holders.
Costume is optional but the norm: the organisers count the thousands of costumes as the heart of the event, and elves, fae, knights, pirates and steampunk all appear. The setting is genuinely medieval. Sudeley was rebuilt in the 1440s by Ralph Boteler, held by Richard III, and was the last home of Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s widow, who died here in 1548 and is buried in the castle chapel; the castle is privately owned and its gardens and exhibitions are open to the public in season.
Prices: a 2026 adult camping ticket (Friday-to-Sunday access plus camping) cost £96.95 on the official ticketing site; 2025 day tickets started at £18.95 for adults and £9.99 for children aged 8–15, with weekend tickets without camping from £39.95 and £19.95. Winchcombe is 10 km from Cheltenham, whose Cheltenham Spa station is the nearest mainline stop; the festival publishes travel and parking details each spring. The same organisers run a second event, Fantasy Forest Libertalia, at Hatfield House in September.
