More Music News
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Lichfield Festival: Best Of The Fest
Posted on Thu 26 Jun
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Explore your senses at the British Motor Museum this summer!
Posted on Tue 24 Jun
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Save the date for an Autumnal Extravaganza
Posted on Tue 24 Jun
Check out our selection of things to do in the Midlands during the next few weeks.
THE SPACE VAULT
Showcasing one of the UK’s largest private collections of artefacts from human space exploration, The Space Vault is just one of a number of space-related activities and attractions available to enjoy at Thinktank across the summer holiday.
Highlights of the exhibition include: the mission checklists that saved the crew of Apollo 13 when its oxygen tank exploded; Commander Dave Scott’s spacesuit umbilical, through which he communicated his first words as he stepped onto the surface of the Moon; Lunar dust from the Hadley Rille landing site of Apollo 15; and material from the Apollo 11 command module...
As well as The Space Vault, summertime visitors to Thinktank can check out Lunar Lego Lab, Stargazers’ Storytime, Rocket Lab and the Moonbase Construction Zone.
The popular visitor attraction is also hosting a special Stellar Space Day on Thursday 21 August, inviting families ‘to blast off into a world of cosmic adventure’ courtesy of ‘a day filled with space-themed fun’.
Thinktank, Millennium Point, Birmingham, until end of August
BRICK DINOS
This new exhibition provides families with the opportunity to step back in time to the prehistoric world.
The show’s attractions include a range of Lego dinosaur sculptures - created in collaboration with palaeontologists - behind-the-scenes videos, photo opportunities, and the chance to uncover fossils at an interactive ‘dino dig’.
Visitors can also get creative with hands-on Lego and Duplo play, design their own dinosaurs on a graffiti wall, and take home dinosaur-themed colouring sheets.
Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, until Sunday 7 September
CAMPER JAM
VW fans will no doubt be heading to Weston Park in their droves for this year's edition of Camper Jam.
Attractions include stalls to shop in, bars to cool off in, and plenty of live entertainment to enjoy across the three-day weekend.
Not only can visitors check out a variety of VW vehicles, they can also sample a host of fun attractions and activities, including tree climbing, craft workshops, a family circus and the infamous Disco Shed.
Music performers across the weekend include Levi Roots, Jaguar Skills, Sandi Thom and a number of tribute acts.
Weston Park, Shropshire/Staffordshire border, Friday 4 - Saturday 6 July
BIRMINGHAM COCKTAIL WEEKEND
Cocktail lovers, rejoice - Birmingham Cocktail Weekend is making a mid-month return!
The hugely popular event will see 40-plus participating venues each serving up a £6 signature cocktail for customers who are wearing the festival’s official wristband.
The wristband also provides access to ‘a series of great events, a fab hotel discount, £5 mocktails and exclusive food offers’.
Various venues across the city, Thursday 10 - Sunday 13 July
FESTIVAL OF BRILLIANT
Two Children’s Laureates - Frank Cottrell Boyce and Joseph Coelho - are among the creatives taking part in this two-day celebration of children’s books at Biddulph Old Hall (on Friday the 11th for schools and Saturday the 12th for families).
The event is making a welcome return following its success last year and will feature readings, talks, workshops, storytelling sessions and creative activities designed to ‘feed the imagination’.
Biddulph Old Hall, Staffordshire, Friday 11 & Saturday 12 July
1940S WEEKEND
Journey back in time to the 1940s mid-month, courtesy of this special two-day event at the Black Country Living Museum.
As well as finding out about the outbreak of the Second World War and the era's Dig For Victory and Make Do And Mend campaigns, visitors can also check out reenactors in authentic period costumes, admire an impressive display of vintage vehicles, and find out all about ration books, identity cards, gas masks and air-raid precautions.
The venue will also be holding a special event on the Saturday evening which will see the streets and houses transformed into a homefront community, complete with live music and 194os-style entertainment.
Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 July
FANTASY FOREST FESTIVAL
Fancy a family-friendly fantasy forest festival this summer? Then Gloucestershire venue Sudeley Castle is the place to head for.
Bringing together fans of all genres of fantasy, the increasingly popular event - it’s sold out in each of the last two years - features the return of the much-loved costume competition. Capes’n’cowls at the ready...
Sudeley Castle, Cheltenham, Friday 18 - Saturday 20 July
MEDIEVAL DAY
Bin strikes may have been a blight on second-city life during 2025, but living in Birmingham in medieval times would probably have been a whole lot grimmer. If you fancy getting a taste of ‘how things used to be’ all those centuries ago, then Weoley Castle on Saturday the 19th is the place to head for.
Reenactors, battle displays, guided tours, face painting and Warhammer activities are among the attractions enlivening this special event. A local team from the Portable Antiquities Scheme will also be adding to the fun, bringing along a number of intriguing objects for visitors to peruse.
Weoley Castle, Birmingham, Saturday 19 July
FAMILY HISTORY WEEKEND
Youngsters can get hands-on with history at Kenilworth Castle this month, find out all about Elizabeth I's visit there in 1575, and have a go at junior jousting and sword-skills training. If you fancy something a little less vigorous, a family-friendly story walk offers the perfect opportunity to explore the castle. All events are drop-in and will be taking place throughout the day.
Kenilworth Castle, Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 July
SUMMER OF FUN'N'FLIGHT
Royal Airforce Museum Midlands is certainly flying high in the entertainment stakes this school summer holiday.
Attractions to enjoy at the Cosford-located visitor attraction include mini golf, a summer sleuth trail, the chance to play giant garden games like Jenga and Connect 4, birds-of-prey displays, 'epic' laser tag battles and a 'wild and wacky' game show.
For kids who really like to keep on top of their education during the school holiday, the venue is running a special STEM Camp (Monday 28 July - Friday 1 August), inviting youngsters aged 10 to 14 'to dive into the exciting worlds of science, technology, engineering and mathematics'.
Royal Air Force Museum Midlands, Cosford, Saturday 19 July - Monday 1 September
SWINGING SIXTIES
This year marks the Severn Valley Railway's (SVR) 60th anniversary - so what better way to celebrate the occasion than by stepping back in time to the decade in which it all began! Visitors to SVR across the final weekend of the month are being encouraged to dress up in their finest Swinging 6os gear and brace themselves for two days of nostalgia-drenched entertainment.
Highlights include steam and diesel trains hauling historic carriages, live music up and down the line, fairground attractions at the Engine House, a real ale festival at Kidderminster, and an impressive collection of classic cars from yesteryear.
The Saturday night sees talented four-piece The Jaguars presenting a live-music concert at Kidderminster Station.
Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster, Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 July
THREE COUNTIES FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL
Get ready to indulge your senses this month when the Three Counties Food & Drink Festival returns for its third year.
The show's highlights include a 'jampacked' schedule of demonstrations by, among others, TV chefs Simon Rimmer, Cherish Finden, Francesco Mattana and Chris Bavin.
Other festival attractions include winetasting sessions, live music, a kids' cookery school and the chance to sample and purchase food from 160-plus traders...
Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 July
BATTLE OF SHREWSBURY ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND
If you're a slave to your passion for all things medieval, then as well as taking a step back in time at the already-featured Weoley Castle event (see page 45), you will surely want to check out this hugely popular historical get- together in Shropshire.
Taking place to mark the famous Battle of Shrewsbury - fought in 1403 between King Henry IV and a rebellious faction led by the Percy family - the family-friendly festival features a reenactment of the conflict and a variety of living-history activities, including traditional crafts and cookery.
Battlefield 1403, Shrewsbury, Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 July
THE BEACH
Life's a beach in Lichfield this month, as the cathedral brings the seaside to the city for the summer!
Sand, decking and deck chairs all feature, as does a programme of activities for families to enjoy.
Lichfield Cathedral, Saturday 26 July - Sunday 31 August