Cotswold Show

The Cotswold Show is a two-day country show held in Cirencester Park, on the western edge of Cirencester, at the start of July. The next is on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 July 2027. The organisers give opening hours of 9am to 6pm on the Saturday and 9am to 5pm on the Sunday. Tickets are sold online and at the gate, where debit cards and cash are taken; children under 5 and dogs go free.

What happens

The show spreads across a large part of the park and mixes the country show it began as with family entertainment. There are displays in two arenas, which for 2027 the organisers list as including Big Pete and the monster trucks, tent pegging, racing camels, a pony scurry and dog agility, alongside a world of dogs, clay shooting, a food festival and rows of trade stands. It suits families with children of any age and anyone who likes a country show with plenty going on. There is food all over the showground, and free water points to fill bottles.

Dogs are welcome on a fixed lead. Retractable leads are not allowed, and the organisers ask you to clear up after your dog because the park is organic pasture grazed by cattle later in the year.

Getting there and parking

Parking is free; drive to the main entrance and you will be directed to a space. The organisers give two vehicle entrances, by Deer Park School (GL7 1XB) and by the polo grounds (GL7 6JT), the second for disabled visitors and sponsors, with traffic from Tetbury and the M4 sent round by Coates. On foot, you can walk in from the town centre by Cecily Hill or the Old Tetbury Road, about half a mile. There are no cash machines on the showground and there is no camping. An essential carer accompanying a registered disabled visitor with a full-price ticket gets in free, with a carer’s ticket issued on the day on proof of carer status (a Blue Badge alone does not count). Mobility scooters and wheelchairs can be booked from Event Mobility at least two days ahead.

The show's story

Earl Bathurst, whose family seat is Cirencester Park, conceived the show in 1985 as a day out for people in the countryside and for townspeople curious about farming. The first was held in mid-September 1989, after the harvest and before the hunting season, and drew about 8,000 people. The show moved to July in 2000 to dodge the autumn weather. For a quieter visit to the park, the walk through Cirencester Park to Stratton passes Pope's Seat; the town is in the guide to Cirencester.