Practical info
Everything to make your weekend a success!
Opening hours FF Sudeley
The 2026 edition of Fantasy Forest Sudeley at Hatfield house will take place on the 17th, 18th and 19th of July 2026.
Friday July 17th
16:00 – 23:00
Saturday July 18th
10:00 – 23:00
Sunday July 19th
10:00 – 19:00
Re-entry
Once tickets have been scanned, all visitors will get a wristband. This wristband can be used to leave and re-enter the festival during opening hours.
Noteworthy hours
You can enter the carpark of Fantasy Forest each day at 09:30.
The bars and food stalls close at 22:45 on Friday and Saturday and 18:45 on Sunday.
Parking closes at 23:30 on Friday and Saturday and 23:00 on Sunday.
All timetables for entertainment and activities can be found in the Fantasy Forest app.
Opening hours Midnight Hollow (campsite)
The campsite will be accessible to visitors from Friday 10:00 until Monday 12:00 (noon).
The festival grounds are only accessible during festival opening hours. Visitors can enter/exit the campsite to the outside world during the weekend between 8:00 and 22:00. At night, the gates will close and it will not be possible to move any vehicles during this time.
Payment methods
Within the realm of Fantasy Forest, there is no special currency. All traders, catering and merchandise can be paid with regular sterling pounds. The ability to pay by card will vary, depending on the trader.
Tickets at the gate (pending availability) can be purchased by card only.
There are ATMs provided at the festival. Their location is indicated on the festival map.
Photography and filming
The use of photo / video cameras is permitted on the festival grounds, with the exception of ‘professional activity‘ – which must have written permission from Fantasy Forest prior to the festival.
We define ‘professional activity‘ as follows:
- Press photography and recordings
- Photographers and/or videographers of bands/special guests
- Paid activities, such as stock photography or paid photoshoots.
Written permission does not grant access to any prohibited areas. If any extra access is required, this will be reviewed upon application.
Activities must also not hinder the rest of the public. As such, full studio set ups are not allowed. A single battery powered light or reflector is allowed.
We encourage all photographers and regular visitors to capture the wonderful realm of Fantasy Forest and share it on the internet.
The usage of drones over the festival terrain is strictly prohibited by UK law.
Please read our full terms and conditions regarding photography and filming.
Food and beverages
There will be a variety of food and drinks stalls on the festival terrain, including vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options, of which an overview can be found in the Fantasy Forest app. We allow small quantities of food to be brought on site for your own personal use or where the food is needed for medical purposes. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are not allowed to be brought on the festival venue for safety concerns. Visitors are allowed to bring water bottles on site.
Beverages containing alcohol will not be sold to anyone under the age of 18.
As hydration might be the most important factor for enjoying the festival free water stations will be located throughout the event and we urge all our visitors to bring refillable bottles.
Security
Professional safety teams will be located throughout the venue and at the entrance, where they might check bags and sharp weapons.
If you have an emergency, please find a member of the safety team, a member of the staff with a radio or the information stand.
Toilets
The use of toilets at Fantasy Forest is free of charge. Multiple toilet areas can be found on the terrain, at opposing sides of the festival for optimal coverage. These toilets will be cleaned on a regular basis.
All toilet areas have an accessibility toilet.
It is strictly prohibited to urinate in public.
First aid and medical
During the festival, a first aid medical team will be present. Their location will be marked on the map and their marquee will be clearly distinguished.
If you require emergency medical assistance, please find a member of staff with a radio, a member of the security team or report to the head of the information stand. They will radio the medical staff to attend. Please do not call the emergency number (999) but allow the medical staff to assess the situation first.
Address
Fantasy Forest will take place at the lovely and historical venue of Sudeley Castle & Gardens, 8 miles north of Cheltenham.
Sudeley Castle & Gardens
Winchcombe Gloucestershire, GL54 5JD
Shuttle bus
On Saturday and Sunday, Fantasy Forest provides a shuttle bus between Cheltenham Spa train station and Sudeley Castle.
You can book a seat for this shuttle on our ticket page
By car
While we do not have a yellow brick road leading to the castle, all access roads will be provided with yellow AA “Fantasy Forest Festival” signs leading directly to the parking lot.
The venue is located only 10 miles from junction 9 of the M5, 43 miles from the M4 and 61 Miles from the M40.
By train
The closest train station to Sudeley Castle & Gardens, is Cheltenham Spa. Located just 35 minutes from Birmingham, 35 minutes from Bristol and 130 minutes from London, Cheltenham is serviced by up to 12 trains per hour. Check your journey at National Rail
From Cheltenham Spa train station, you’ll be able to take the shuttle bus to the event (see “Shuttle Bus”).
Looking for a fantasy festival better reachable by train? Why not have a look at our other festival, Fantasy Forest Libertalia! The train stops right in front of the gate!
By public transport
The venue is harder to reach for those who are limited to public transport .
You can reach the venue with the W1, W2 and 606 service from Marchants Coaches. Buses will travel from Cheltenham Bus Station to Winchcombe and Willersey/Broadway to Winchcombe.
Please note there is a 15 minute walk from the village centre of Winchcombe to the festival venue. We strongly advise you to order a taxi or use our Facebook Community in order to arrange carpooling.
Please find your travelling times on the Marchants Coaches website.
Parking at the venue
The festival venue is equipped with 2 large parking. Parking is included in your festival ticket
The parking has a dedicated blue-badge area which you can access by showing your blue badge.
Camping visitors have a dedicated parking near the campsite.
(Fake) weapons
We understand that some costumes might not be complete without a weapon. Prop weapons are allowed to complete your outfit. Do note they will be checked at the entrance. Make sure your props are:
- Blunt
- Unable to fire any type of projectile
- Fitted with an orange cap in case of prop guns
The final decision lies with the security at the entrance. Please be patient and understanding if your weapon is not allowed in. Please do not bring anything to the festival that could be considered under the Offensive Weapons Act.
Animals
Dogs and other pets are allowed in most areas but must be kept on a lead at all times. Dogs are not allowed in the official House Gardens.
Please respect the venue and other visitors by picking up after your dog and deposit his “deposits” in a rubbish bin.
Flyers
It is not permitted to distribute flyers or hang posters during the festival and on the campsite, with the exception of traders within their own marque or booth for their own store.
If you wish to promote or distribute flyers or posters, please contact us and we will review the situation.
Reselling tickets
Tickets are non-refundable, however we have partnered with Tixel as our official re-sale partner. Tixel provides a safe and easy place for you to sell your tickets to another fan. Sell your ticket on Tixel
Venue and festival decoration
Sudeley Castle is a wonderful location with a beautiful garden, and we are very happy to host Fantasy Forest at this historic venue.
We ask you to respect the terrain and the beautiful nature surrounding it. Therefore, we would like to ask our visitors to not pick any flowers, stay on the paths, track mats or grass and to not damage any furniture. Please place your rubbish in the bin and no not throw cigarette butts on the ground.
The construction staff of Fantasy Forest put a lot of effort and manpower into turning Fantasy Forest into the magical realm you can experience during the weekend. Any tearing, breaking or any other form of destruction to the decoration will result in removal from the festival terrain.
Be sure to check our full Terms & Conditions for all rules.