Sudeley’s Animal Ark, Sudeley Castle, Cheltenham, until 5 Nov

Sudeley Animal Ark is open! Take an eye-opening walk around more than 50 handmade sculptures in the glorious grounds of Sudeley Castle, taking you on a time travel trail through natural history. This super-fun animal odyssey across the castle grounds begins with an Augmented Reality (AR) treasure hunt (look out for the lynx in Sudeley’s 200 year old yew hedges!), before venturing into a new reserve area, where habitats from Kenya, China, Tibet, India and the North Pole have been created with life-sized animal sculptures. When you’ve had your fill of fantastic beasts, visit the castle’s Birdsong Garden, where there’s a musical composition of British birds by the English acoustic ecologist and conservationist Cosmo Sheldrake. Adults: £19.50, children: £8.75, infants under 3 years go free. Family ticket £48 (2 adults, 2 children).

Daylesford Summer Show, Moreton-in-Marsh, 17 – 18 June

If you’re looking for a really cool festival this weekend make a beeline for the stylish and fun-packed Daylesford Summer Festival on Sat 17 June – Sun 18 June. You’ll find a ton of brilliant stuff to see, do, try and buy; we’re talking celeb speakers, wellness sessions, interactive arts and crafts, workshops, organic food and drink a-plenty and the famous Daylesford dog show. This year celebrating the farm’s landmark 20th anniversary it’s a weekend jam-packed with things to do for families, friends and foodies. Tickets are available by the day or weekend.

Kid Creole & The Coconuts, 17 June, The Sub Rooms, Stroud

Calling kids of the 80s! Kid Creole & the Coconuts’ melting pot of potent pop-funk laced with a heavy twist of Latin and Caribbean flavours saw them storm to the top of the charts all over the world back in the day, and now it’s time to resurrect those questionable 80s outfits and head to the Sub Rooms for this rare performance by the band. This is sure to be a barnstorming show, as they unleash an endless jukebox of ageless songs that include Stool Pigeon, Annie, I’m Not Your Daddy and I’m A Wonderful Thing, Baby.

Royal Forest Show, Sat 17 June, Speech House Hotel, Forest of Dean

New festival alert – whoop! This brilliant afternoon of live entertainment, family fun, craft and artisan market, street food and activities awaits at the Speech House Hotel in the lush Forest of Dean. Enjoy cakes, bakes and treats, live music, cooking demos from Harts Barn Cookery School, bouncy castle and rides and a whole lot more. Adult tickets £6 and kids get in for £3 (under 2s free).

Visual Arts Trail, Open Studios, Cheltenham, 10 – 18 June

See the work of 200 extraordinary artists on this door-to-door trail taking in 82 venues around Cheltenham and the surrounding area.A feast for the senses organised by artist-run Cheltenham Open Studios lets you meet the artists, view their work and even have a go yourself. Download a guide here. Taking in Gardens Gallery in Montpellier, Griffiths Nature Reserve, The Wilson Art Gallery and many more. Fashion boutique TOAST on the prom and restaurant GL50 will also be hosting artists this year as part of the event.

Metallics Masterclass, Sat 24 June, Larkswold Creative workshop, Stow-on-the-Wold

The brilliant creative hub that is Larkswold has a very cool event going on this month – hosting Sarah Parmenter from @relovedmcr & BBC Money for Nothing fame running a Metallics Masterclass Workshop. Taking place from 11-4pm, learn the art of distressed gilding and metallic foiling techniques on a variety of thrifted items, including picture frames, ceramics, ornaments and lamp bases. Suitable for enthusiastic, hands-on beginners and keen upcyclers, workshop attendees will learn about the products and methods Sarah uses to create her trademark ‘faded glamour’.

Decorative Home and Garden Fair, Arthur Swallow Fairs, Cirencester Park, Sun 11 June

Go to this fantastic home and garden fair set in Cirencester Park on the Bathurst Estate for the first time. An incredible coming together of scores of vintage vendors selling gorgeous one of pieces for your home and garden. Check it out on Insta above.

Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of the Four, Fri 16 June, Kingshill House, Dursley

Head to Kingshill House in Dursley to see this original one-man show where Sherlock Holmes meets a miscellany of other larger-than-life characters – classical Victorian detective action at its finest! The show is adapted from the Conan Doyle and is suitable for 11 years+. Tickets cost £16.00 per person and £42.00 per family (2 adults 2 children).

Practical Intro to Kitchen Gardening, Burleigh Court, 23 Jun and 8 Sep

Up your gardening and cooking skills at the same at this course led by Sharon Jackson and Burleigh’s Head Gardener, Heather. Learning the basics of how to reap and sow your very own kitchen garden. Plus there will be practical hands on activities that will leave you hooked. Whether you have a patio space, an allotment, containers or raised beds or a small gardening space at home, this workshop is tops for beginning your growing journey. Includes a lovely kitchen garden lunch using produce from the Burleigh garden. From 11am – 2pm, tickets cost £49.

Royal Three Counties Show, Malvern, 16 – 18 June

The deliciously entertaining Royal Three Counties Show returns to Malvern to showcase the very best in food, drink and countryside shopping from across Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire at the Three Counties Showground. Sample three days of brilliant celeb talks (from Kaleb Cooper to Adam Henson), demos in the Food and Drink Theatre from Restaurant Journey and Phil Vickery, tons of animals for the kids to pet and goodies to shop. Catch top entertainment in the Countryside Arena and – new for 2023 – make a beeline for the English Wine Show and the Cocktail Lounge.

Vegan Market, Cirencester, Sat 11 June

This is the place to go for vegan, planet-and-body loving goodies you will struggle to find anywhere else. From organic plant-based food to organic skincare and gifts. It’s free to enter too. Love vegan? Put the next ones in your diary too; Sun 9th July, Cheltenham Vegan Market; Sun 10th Sep, Cirencester Vegan Market; Sun 8th Oct, Cheltenham Vegan Market; Sun 12th Nov, Cirencester Eco Living Christmas Fair and Sun 10th Dec, Stroud Vegan Market.

Cotswold Lavender Fields, Snowshill, Broadway

lavender fields in worcs — Cotswold Lavender Fields IG

This third generation family run farm is total catnip for your IG feed. Lavender growing started here back in 1999 with just a few plants. Today, more than 40 varieties grow over 140 miles of glorious countryside and 500,000. At the peak of the summer it’s harvested and distilled by traditional methods before being whipped up to make the purest English lavender oil and all kinds of goodies. Until then, skip through it to your heart’s content from Weds 14 June to Sun 6 August. Tickets can’t be pre-booked just turn up on the day (ealy we reckon!).

The Confetti Flower Field, Pershore

The Confetti Flower Field bursts into full bloom on the Wyke Manor Estate in Worcestershire for a few spectacular weeks each summer. This year the window to go see them is 30 June to 09 July. Just ten days folks, so go, go, go! Brimming with delphiniums and cornflowers the flowers are grown to be harvested as 100% biodegradable confetti by the Real Flower Petal Confetti Co. Plenty of parking available on site but make sure to book ahead. PLUS watch this space for the sunflower fields, in full bloom by mid-August.

Creating Spaces Sculpture Exhibition, Garden at Miserden, Stroud & Music in the Gardens, June & July

See more than 120 sculptures on display in this glorious garden and also an indoor exhibition in the Club Room in the centre of the village, on Weds, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun 10am to 5pm. Or, head here for a lovely summer evening under the stars at Music in the Gardens on Sat 24 June – bring your own chair for £15 or book one for £20, and watch the sunset with beautiful live music. Food and drink available to buy on the night.

Barn on the Farm, Over Farm, 29 June – 02 July

One of the best indie festivals, this three day riot of music looks pretty good this year, with headliners Lizzy McAlpine, Bleachers and Holly Humberstone amongst scores of others. Possibly the most fun you can have in a barn. Go camping and do the whole thing, or buy a day ticket and party from dawn till dusk for £90.

Giving science fans a chance to have their minds blown by bestselling authors, activists and even an astronaut, Cheltenham Science Festival is back from Tuesday 6 to Sunday 11 June 2023.

Cheltenham Science Festival, Imperial Gardens, Cheltenham, 06 – 11 June

This year’s 5 day, free family science festival looks out of this world. Guest curated by Radio 4 presenter Claudia Hammond; doctor and TV presenter Chris van Tulleken; mental health campaigner Sophia Kaur Badhan; and Cheltenham Festivals’ AI curator AIDA, hear from astronaut Tim Peake, TV presenter Ray Mears, bestselling author Jennifer Saint and more (270 guests to be precise!) discussing a huge variety of topics. A brilliant day out, packed with great free stuff to see and do. Plus, back from 2023 is the world’s largest science competition, FameLab UK and FameLab International. And why should the kids have all the fun? Head there for the adults-only late night Friday.

Cirencester Lido, Cirencester & Sandford Park Lido, Cheltenham

This lovely open air pool in the heat of Cirencester is spring-fed and heated to a balmy 27 degrees. Kids will love the slide here and there is a great, cheap onsite tuck shop to keep everyone happy. Turn up early to nab a great spot. Check the website for details and book ahead. And over in Cheltenham head for Sandford Lido, a huge heated pool in the heart of the town.

Cotswold Farm Park, Guiting Power, Cheltenham

adam henson and a girl at the cotswold farm park

Head to everyone’s favourite farm this Bank Holiday for tons of fun, a fantastic new addition to the Farm Park’s line up of family activities is the Sheepdog Show. See demos from two highly trained working dogs as they expertly move a flock of sheep into a pen. The much-loved lamb bottle feeding activities also return. From Sat 27 May – Sun 4 June the Animal Barn will also be abuzz with fun, as experts host a series of sheep shearing demos. All this and tons more interactive fluffy and furry fun awaits at this awesome par

Sip and Paint Party, various dates , Gloucester, Chelt and Bristol

Join Brush Party, the UK’s ‘Paint and Sip’ experts at lots of venues across Glos including Stroud Brewery. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t picked up a paintbrush since school, this brilliant fun event is just a whole lot of fabulous fun for everyone. Order some delicious food and wine from the pop up bar and unleash your inner Emin. No experience required.

Titanic The Musical, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, 13 – 17 June

Based on real people aboard the most legendary ship in the world, Titanic The Musical is a stunning and stirring production With music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone (Woman of the Year and 1776), the pair have collectively scooped many awards. The original Broadway production of Titanic The Musical won five Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. This stunning production celebrates the 10th anniversary of its London premiere where it won sweeping critical acclaim across the board.

Les Enfants du Paradis, Giffords Circus, Daylesford & Sudeley Castle and more, until 01 October

The unique and life-affirming Giffords Circus is heading to Daylesford and Sudeley Castle. The brand-new show Les Enfants du Paradis has to be seen to be believed – it’s the best yet. Starring an ever-amazing cast of performers and musicians and of course Tweedy the Clown. An day out full of death-defying stunts, awe-inspiring antics, West End-worthy live music and the cheekiest of japes. Head over to Insta now to see my reel of the show.

Paul Weller, Forest Live with special guests, + Tom Grennan, Jack Savoretti and Madness, Westonbirt, 08 – 10 June

Music legend Paul Weller is the latest artist to announce dates as part of Forest Live, the summer concert series presented by Forestry England. Far From Saints are very special guests – a new band with Kelly Jones of Stereophonics along with Patty Lynn and Dwight Baker of US band The Wind And The Wave. A top night out and helping the planet too (proceeds support Forestry England) win win. Plus, book for Tom Grennan (09 June) and Jack Savoretti (10 June) too.

What’s On June: 22 New things to do this month

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