The summer holidays are here, six weeks of family fun, with the chance to spend time together, explore new places and try new things. The South East has a packed calendar of events, you'll find an event or activity on every day, to keep you busy all over the summer holidays. Whether you are visiting South East England for your holiday, enjoying a day out in the region or planning a weekend break-away, you will find plenty to keep you entertained.
Look out for dramatic firework displays, exciting outdoor adventures, super-sonic airshows, colourful carnivals and plush super cars events, plus a host of free fun activities this summer holidays 2025. With the school's out, the event list is ever growing, so make the most of the kid's summer holidays and make this an eventful summer you won't forget.
Our featured list below, covers every day of the school holiday, full of value-added activities or family-friendly events to enjoy. Look out for the (F) which highlights the free events, making it even more cost-effective to spend time out and about in the region. Search for what's on in each county using the area search above or visit the specific county event pages, or head to the bottom of the page for a full listing of events across all nine counties over the UK summer holidays.
Coming to stay? Discover great value accommodation across the South East for a summer getaway. You can also search by destinations to link up with the local official tourism websites across the region. Our newsletter archive and YouTube channel is a great place for inspiration and ideas and to discover things to do in South East England.
The summer holidays also include the August Bank Holiday on Monday 25th August 2025, which always sees a host of events, family activities and music festivals running across the destination. There is plenty to be excited about this summer, and the with the weather forecast looking good too, plan your school summer holiday adventures right here.
Don't forget that you can also take advantage of many of the free things to do across the destination and our rainy day and sunny day guides will help ensure you enjoy a great day out whatever the English weather brings.
Find hundreds more events and things to do in the summer in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Dorset including the August Bank Holiday weekend in our guide below. Whether you're looking for something near you, some great family activities, or if you are travelling to a part of South East England for a short break or day trip, use the 'map view' button to find something local.
Number of results: 236
, currently showing 161 to 180.
Tour
Rowlands Castle
A knowledgeable tour guide takes you on a guided tour of the historic Stansted House.
Show / Display
Eastbourne
Airbourne: Eastbourne International Airshow will return in 2025.
The free four-day show will return to Eastbourne's seafront from 14 – 17 August 2025. Now in its 31st year, it is one of Europe's biggest free seafront airshows, attracting huge…
Festivals
SANDOWN
A heady mix of country fair, pop festival and a vampire’s worst nightmare, this festival offers everything for the family!
Outdoor Event / Activities
Faversham
PYO Fruit Weekends are a unique opportunity to pick your own unusual variety cherries, plums, gages, apples and pears from the Brogdale Collections orchards. PYO runs every weekend during fruit season from 21st June – 26th October (except event…
Music
Maidenhead
Presented by Norden Farm Jazz Club.
Paul Booth (tenor sax / soprano sax)
Alex Hutton (piano)
Laurence Cottle (electric bass)
Tbc (drums)
From his early acclaim as a prize-winning saxophonist, Paul Booth has continually refined and expanded his…
Festival
Portsmouth
Victorious Festival returns for 2025 - bringing some of the biggest bands and artists to Southsea Common.
Theatre
Winchester
Norman wants to go on an adventure to impress his friends, so when two famous animal explorers arrive in Pontypandy, he decides to follow them into the mountains.
But when Norman discovers a rare red squirrel, one of the explorers decides to take…
Childrens Events
Berwick
The Best Summer Holiday Days Out For Kids in Sussex
Make WILD memories at Drusillas Park this Summer Holidays. Get nose-to-nose with over 80 species of animal in Drusillas interactive zoo, including capybaras, red pandas, meerkats, and lynx –…
Music
Petworth
The Petworth Summer Festival returns in 2025, held across 10 venues in and around the historic town of Petworth, West Sussex this event runs from the 17th July - 2nd August. Started 40 years ago it celebrates music including jazz, contemporary, and…
Walking
Hastings
Have fun (re-)discovering Hastings, spotting things you've never noticed before, with two quirky treasure hunt style heritage walks - a fun and affordable way to get some fresh air, whilst exploring this historic seaside town. Curious About…
Tour
Rochester
Tour runs on Fridays at 8pm and Saturdays at 6pm.
As night falls over Rochester's ancient High Street, step beyond the gas-lit charm and into the shadows, where history refuses to rest. The Rochester High Street Ghost Tour will take you on a…
Food
Deal
The event will feature a street food court, grocery and craft stalls, beach bar, live music stage, children’s entertainment and stand-up comedy. There will be plenty to keep the whole family entertained.
Free Event
Lee-on-the-Solent
Summer in Lee returns for its 9th year to Lee-on-the-Solent, Gosport this summer. The event will involve Smile Emporium, The Smile Stage, Summer Fun Fair and Summer Pirates all on the Lee-on-Solent promenade over 3 days with different genres of…
Tour
Titsey, Oxted
Step back in time with a visit to Titsey Place and Gardens, located in the Surrey North Downs, a short drive from Limpsfield High Street.
Still occupied as a family home, this beautiful house is only open for selected days during the year from…
Festival
Reading
One of the biggest musical festivals in the world, every year over 90,000 people flock to the Richfield Avenue site to experience the iconic event.
Carnival
SANDOWN
Join in with the carnival fun with Sandown's Main Procession! See website for carnival route.
Free Event
Waddesdon
Bring the whole family to enjoy the summer holidays with our range of fun activities for our Summer of Play, included with admission. Until 28 August, children get free admission to the house and grounds at Waddesdon!
Walking
West Street, Marlow
Have fun (re-)discovering Marlow, spotting things you've never noticed before, with two quirky treasure hunt style heritage walks - a fun and affordable way to get some fresh air, exploring this charming Thames town. Curious About Marlow visits not…
Music
Maidenhead
Scarlatti 2 Sonatas
Beethoven Sonata in E flat, Op.7
Couperin Ordre No.14 in D
Ravel Le tombeau de Couperin
Following her scintillating concerto performance in the Mozart birthday concert in January, Xiaowen Shang returns to give a recital which…
Sporting Event
WEST COWES
Since 1826 Cowes Week has played a key part in the British sporting summer calendar and is one of the UK's longest running and most successful sporting events.