Summer Holiday Family Events around Bury St Edmunds, Colchester, Sudbury and Ipswich
Are you looking for places to take the kids in the summer holidays 2026? With those long six weeks looming, I have been searching for the best events and family activities that are happening around Suffolk and Essex this holidays. From children’s theatre in Sudbury, outdoor summer parties in Long Melford, to Dinosaur Workshops and a gaming festival in Colchester as well as music concerts in Castle Park, there’s so much going on for families this Summer.
Events to Take Children to in the Summer Holidays in Sudbury & Long Melford Summer 2026
Music on the Green, Long Melford (1st August 2026)
The free summer concert on the Green in Long Melford returns on Saturday 1st August, running from 1pm to 8pm. There’ll be local bands playing through the afternoon and evening, food and drink vendors, and free children’s entertainment organised by Long Melford Parish Council. It’s a friendly community event and a nice option if you’re in the area that weekend.
Party in the Park, Belvue Park, Sudbury (19th July)
An annual summer event in Sudbury, after taking a break, Party in the Park in Sudbury is back again in 2026 on July 19th- a fab family event full of activities and fun for children. Its held at Belvue Park on the edge of the town and runs all day until well into the evening. It’s also a chance for the community to showcase all the town has to offer, so there are often display’s and the chance to have a go from lots of different clubs and organisations.
It does get very busy though, so if you have very little ones or children that find crowds difficult, I would head up to the park early when it begins. Same goes for getting a nice spot, as its a good one to set up camp for the day with blankets and chairs to enjoy the live music, while the children play.
Family Theatre, Quay Theatre Sudbury
The Ultimate Bubble Show (31st Aug)
The Ultimate Bubble Show at Sudbury’s Quay Theatre is back for a second summer running and sounds a lot of fun for a trip out this summer holidays in Sudbury, Suffolk. Ray Bubbles is a Guinness World Record-holding bubbleologist and he’s bringing a whole host of bubble magic to town. Expect floating carousels made from bubbles, bubble ghosts, volcano bubbles and even a tornado inside a bubble.
This one’s perfect if your kids are easily wowed by anything a bit different and it’s something fun to book for the beginning of the school holidays. If you haven’t been to The Quay before, its such a beautiful theatre on the riverside, with only 125 seats – making the intimate environment especially good for young ones with seats so close to the action. The show is a matinée performance and you can book direct on the Quay Theatre website.
The McDougalls : Pirate Adventure Family Theatre at the Quay
There is also a production for very little ones in Aug at the Quay Theatre this summer called The McDougalls : Pirate Adventure, which promises to be a fun and lively one hour performance for children up to 9 years old.
Family Workshops, Gainsborough’s House, Sudbury (Every Tuesday)
Every Tuesday in the Summer holidays Gainsborough’s house in Sudbury are running family sessions with the option to book on from either 10-12pm or 1-3pm in the afternoon. There’s a different theme each week including string prints, marbling and book binding, inviting children to get involved and enthused about one of our most famous Suffolk Artists.
Sudbury Quay Theatre – Children and Teenagers Summer School of Performing Arts 2026
If you’ve got a drama-loving child or teen at home (or one who just needs a confidence boost), the Quay Theatre’s Summer School is a brilliant way to spend a week of the holidays. It’s open to all abilities, whether they’ve never stepped on stage or already love the spotlight and there’s a lovely focus on building confidence as much as performance skills. You do need to commit to the full week though as they spend the days working towards a performance at the end, but I would say its well worth the week of long days rehearsing. My daughter have gone a couple of times and got so much from it each time. The places go quick though, so its worth booking early – Tweens and Teens Drama Camp Sudbury
Sudbury International Regatta (1st August)
One of the oldest Suffolk events, the Sudbury Regatta is back for its annual summer celebration on Saturday the 1st Aug 2025. It’s a great event to go and watch on Friars Meadows with crowds of people attending every year, along with their picnics and gazebos, all set up ready to cheer on all the competitors as they speed past on the river. Although we personally have zero rowing knowledge, my children have loved going to this free event in the past, getting caught up in all the noise and excitement of all the races while enjoying a (hopefully sunny) afternoon out on the meadows. For more information head over to the Sudbury Rowing Club website who organise the event.
Music on the Green, Long Melford
The parish council are putting on a free event in Long Melford with music and entertainment on the green on Saturday 2nd August 1pm-8pm. Along with live music, drinks and food stalls there’s children’s entertainment such as face painting and an outdoor climbing wall. You can find out all about it over on the Long Melford event page
Lavenham Summer Craft and Foodie Festival Market (Sunday 30th August 2026)
The Lavenham Summer Craft & Foodie Festival is coming up on Sunday 30th August from 10am to 4pm in the village hall. Also if you’ve never taken the children to Lavenham before, the village itself is reason enough to go, the medieval buildings are genuinely impressive and its such a nice village to walk around (and spot the Harry Potter House!)
Melford Hall, Summer of Play
Melford Hall is always a lovely spot for a slower-paced summer day out and this year there’s more than usual going on for families. Their Summer of Play includes garden games on the lawn, a nature-themed art station, and a secret word trail to keep kids exploring.
It’s all included if you have National Trust membership, and there’s a tearoom and plenty of space to picnic. There are also a few guided park walks running in August if you’re after something a bit more structured. There’s more info over on the National Trust website.
If you are looking for new places to try eating out with children over the Summer too, I think sometimes getting that balance right of finding somewhere with good food versus also being family friendly can be tricky – so I’ve also written a guide with our favourite places to eat out as a family in Bury St Edmunds, Sudbury and Colchester here
Events to Take Children to in Colchester Summer 2026
Rapture Gaming Festival, Colchester (1st -2nd August 2026)
Rapture Gaming Festival returns to Charter Hall in Colchester for 2026, and it’s grown year on year since it launched. The two-day event has hundreds of gaming stations, retro arcades, esports tournaments, a cosplay village, wrestling shows, a robot arena and a merch market, among other things. It’s very much aimed at older children and teenagers, if you have a gaming loving child at home, this looks the perfect event for them. If you’re based in Essex or looking for exciting things to do near Colchester with teens this August, this one’s definitely worth a look.
Colchester Castle Summer Series (20th–29th August 2026)
The outdoor concert series at Lower Castle Park is back for its 2026 run with a varied lineup across multiple nights, including Billy Ocean, The Hollywood Vampires, Becky Hill, Bastille, Richard Ashcroft, JLS and Fatboy Slim. Concerts are set against the backdrop of Colchester Castle, which is a great setting. Children aged 6 and over are welcome, though under 18s need to be accompanied by a paying adult aged 21 or over. Worth checking which night suits you best depending on who the children, or you want to see.
I can’t talk about the summer holidays in Colchester without mentioning Colchester Zoo. One of the best family days out we have in East Anglia – if you are planning a trip there this summer then I’ve also written a guide to my top tips for taking Children over in this blog – Taking children to Colchester Zoo
Summer Events 2026 Colchester Castle
If you’re planning a day out at Colchester park over the holidays, Colchester Castle have got lots of different family focussed events to get involved with so you can make a day of it. If you have a look on Colchester Museum website theres lots lised from dinosaur crafts and family tours to costumed story telling and cosmic kids club. A lovely one to keep in mind if you’re local to Colchester or heading there for a day out in August. When your finished the park itself is always worth a visit too with a huge playground full of apparatus, climbing frames and swings for all different ages.
Colchester Free Dance Show
Matthew Bourne’s legendary New Adventures return to Colchester with their pop-up dance performances. This year’s piece, The Bench, is choreographed by Glenn Graham and tells the story of three people whose lives briefly overlap, exploring memory, connection and the quiet moments that shape us.
This is the perfect way to try a dance show for newbies, and also a really special treat for longstanding dance fans. It’s free, relaxed, just 20 minutes long, and you don’t need to book. There are performances on Wed 22 July
11am at Colchester Central Library, Trinity Square and also on Fri 24 July 10am – Piazza, Mercury Theatre, 11am – Culver Square
and 12pm – St Nicholas Square.
Summer Festival at Audley End Miniature Railway, Saffron Walden, Essex
A bit of a drive out of Colchester, but this enchanting miniature railway is well worth the trip if you have little ones. There’s so much work that goes into making it feel magical. Start with a trip on their beautiful old school train, spotting teddys in the woods on the way. There’s then lots of festival fun to enjoy afterwards including, den building, face painting, a pedal go kart track, a musical fairy and elf parade, music and back this summer, the opportunity to have a ride on a punt.
Events to Take Children to in Bury St Edmunds Summer 2026
Theatre in the Park, Bury St Edmunds
Grab your blankets and picnic baskets, Theatre in the Parks is back this summer, bringing enchanting open-air performances to stunning West Suffolk locations. This year’s shows at West Stow Country Park include The Ghost of Achilles on 7th August, The Cursed Ring on 10th August and The Jungle Book on 11th August, with further performances at Nowton Park and Brandon Country Park too including peter Rabbit and The Big Bad Wolf. The format is simple, grab a blanket, pack a picnic and enjoy live theatre outdoors on a summer evening.
Edmund and The Great Heathen Army, Moyse’s Hall Museum (until 4th October 2026)
The summer exhibition at Moyse’s Hall Museum this year is Edmund and The Great Heathen Army, exploring the story of Edmund, King of East Anglia, who was killed by the Danes in 869. There’s a specially built recreation of St Edmund’s gold tomb, loans from the V&A and other museums, family trails, workshops on selected dates and an evening lecture series. It runs until 4th October, so there’s no rush
Summer Play at Ickworth Estate, Bury St Edmunds
This summer, the beautiful grounds of Ickworth Estate have lots going on for families. Held in the walled gardens, children can enjoy a variety of hands-on activities including: storytelling, crafts and mud kitchen play. There’s also a huge estate to explore on walks or bikes (that you can hire from their cycle hub)
Sunflower Field to visit with Kids, Suffolk
We loved visiting Rougham Estate a couple of summers ago to pick Sunflowers. I didn’t really know if the kids would be that into it, but the way they have set it up, makes it feel like a full experience and so much more than just PYO. Firstly you walk through what feels like a maze of towering Sunflowers, and its fun choosing and picking the ones you want. There’s lots of photo opportunities, places to play and food and drink trucks too. They can’t give an exact date, as it all depends on when the flowers are ready, but they expect to be open towards the end of July.
Kids and Canvas, The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, (25th, 26th & 27thAug)
We are so lucky to have the Apex in Bury, such a beautiful venue with so many different events going on to get involved in. One such event that looks perfect for children this summer holiday is Kids and Canvas. Its a ninety minute session for children 5+ where they will be guided through a painting session to create their own animal painting on their very own canvas to take home.
Events to Take Children to in Ipswich Summer 2026
The Suffolk Military Show 2026, Trinity Park, Ipswich
Step into over 1,000 years of military history at The Suffolk Military Show, a jam-packed weekend of thrilling live action, historical displays, and hands-on family fun. Taking place at Trinity Park, this two-day event is one of East Anglia’s biggest military shows.
Charity Football Match in aid of Inspire Suffolk (29th August 2026)
This one caught my eye because as well as being a fun event to take young football fans too, its fantastic someone so young is setting this up in aid of an important local charity. Logan Mashongamhende made the front page of the Ipswich Star at 13 when he completed a long distance cycle ride in tribute to a family friend helping to raise £100,000 for a local family. Now 18, Logan has organised his own charity football match to raise money for Inspire Suffolk, a local charity supporting young people across the county. The match takes place on Saturday 29th August at Inspire Suffolk on Lindbergh Road, Ipswich, with kick-off at 2.30pm. It’s billed as a family-friendly afternoon and tickets are priced at £5 for under 18s, £10 for adults and £22 for a family ticket (booking fees apply). Local businesses can also support the event through kit sponsorship.
Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park, Ipswich, Piggy Fest (25th July 2026)
Jimmy’s Farm near Ipswich is a proper full day out, a working rare breeds farm that’s grown into a wildlife park over the years, with over 100 species including zebra, lions, tigers, polar bears and arctic wolves alongside the farmyard favourites. here’s also lots of different adventure play areas along with a farm restaurant and shop.
This summer there’s also something a bit different happening on 25th July, Piggy Fest 2026, which is billed as the UK’s first ever dedicated guinea pig festival. Jimmy’s Farm is hosting a day celebrating guinea pigs and their owners, with family activities, talks and stalls and the best part is it’s included in the standard Jimmy’s Farm admission, so there’s no extra charge if you’re
already planning a visit.
