TL;DR: The Brandywine Festival, the UK’s first immersive Hobbit festival, is coming to Weston Park in Staffordshire from 9 to 13 September 2026. It’s a five-day LARP event set in a Shire-style world, with feasting, music, workshops, and camping included. Strictly limited to 1,000 guests. Tickets are on sale now, starting from £250 per adult and £60 per child (ages 7-17), with under-6s going free.
Something genuinely exciting is heading to the English countryside this autumn, and if your family has ever dreamed of stepping into Middle-earth for real, this is the one to know about!
The Brandywine Festival is an official Lord of the Rings LARP (live-action role-playing) event, and Weston Park in Staffordshire is about to host its very first UK edition. We’re talking five days and four nights of fully immersive Hobbit life, set across 1,000 acres of ancient woodland, open meadow, and sweeping English countryside. It’s not a theme park visit or a walk-around festival. It’s a living, breathing version of The Shire, and you’re invited in.
The event is strictly limited to 1,000 guests, so this is one that genuinely requires planning ahead. Here’s everything you need to know.
What Is the Brandywine Festival?
The Brandywine Festival is the official Lord of the Rings LARP experience, organised by Burgschneider, a company known for high-quality fantasy events and costumes across Europe and beyond. It’s not a cosplay convention or a fan gathering in the traditional sense. It’s an immersive, participatory world where every guest plays a role as a Hobbit of The Shire.
Think of it less like attending a festival and more like becoming part of one. From the moment you arrive, you’re in-world. The setting, the food, the music, the activities, all of it is designed to make you feel like you’ve genuinely stepped into Tolkien’s countryside.
Why Is It Coming to Weston Park?
Weston Park is a spectacular 1,000-acre estate near Telford in Staffordshire, and it’s honestly hard to imagine a more perfect backdrop for this kind of event. Ancient woodland, rolling meadows, and grand English countryside make it feel like The Shire was always meant to be here.
The Brandywine Festival already runs in the United States (at Terrapin Hill Farm in Kentucky, 1-4 October 2026), and the UK edition at Weston Park is the first time it has come to Tolkien’s home country. The BBC covered the announcement, organisers Burgschneider are anticipating around 2,000 participants across the five days, centred on “feasting and fellowship.”
The UK debut is a big deal. Tolkien’s world was born in England, and bringing this festival to an English country estate feels like a genuinely fitting homecoming.
What Can You Expect at the Hobbit Festival?
This is where it gets really exciting! The Brandywine Festival is built around an immersive experience that goes far beyond dressing up. Every element of the event is designed to pull you into Hobbit life, from the games you play to the food you eat.
The Four Farthing Games
At the heart of the festival is a friendly competition between the four Farthings of The Shire. When you arrive, the organisers assign you to a Farthing, and from that point on you’re part of a team working together across the weekend. The games, the workshops, the revels, all of it feeds into the grand closing Cup ceremony on the final day.
Workshops, Music, and Feasting
Every ticket includes access to a full programme of in-world activities:
- Pre-event workshops to get you ready before the world opens, covering LARP basics, dancing, cooking, and fibre arts
- Daily in-game workshops including storytelling, art, and more
- Live music and evening revels across every stage, every night
- Feasting in true Hobbit style, because no trip to The Shire is complete without a proper meal
Camping in The Shire
Every ticket includes on-site camping, with both in-game (fully immersive, within the world) and out-of-game options available. There’s no extra cost for camping, and parking is included too. For families planning to make a proper weekend of it, this is a genuinely special setup.
Worth knowing: The US edition of the festival at Terrapin Hill Farm is nearly sold out, with only around 300 tickets remaining from its 1,000-guest cap. The UK edition is only just on sale, but given the appetite for this kind of event, it’s unlikely to hang around for long.
Tickets and Prices
UK tickets are available now via thebrandywinefestival.com, and they’re released in five batches of 200. Buy early and you pay less.
| Batch | Price Per Adult | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Batch 1 | £250 | On sale now |
| Batch 2 | £275 | After Batch 1 sells out |
| Batch 3 | £300 | After Batch 2 sells out |
| Batch 4 | £325 | After Batch 3 sells out |
| Batch 5 | £350 | After Batch 4 sells out |
Junior and Family Tickets
Great news for families: children are very much welcome, and the junior ticket pricing is reasonable given the scale of the experience.
- Ages 6 and under: Free (must be accompanied by an adult)
- Ages 7-17: £60 per child
Junior tickets give children and teens a safe, welcoming, and imaginative space to explore and become part of the living story. It’s a proper family adventure, not just something for adults!
Accessibility
The Brandywine Festival UK is committed to making the event as inclusive as possible. Accessibility tickets are available for attendees with disabilities or additional needs, and a Caretaker ticket is available for personal carers or support companions attending alongside an Accessibility ticket holder. Proof of eligibility (such as a Blue Badge, Access Card, or PIP/DLA documentation) will be required at check-in.
A full festival ticket covers everything: five days, four nights, camping, all workshops, all music, the Four Farthing Games, the closing ceremony, and parking. There are no hidden extras to worry about.
Is It Right for Your Family?
This is a genuinely unique event, but it’s worth being clear about what it is and isn’t. The Brandywine Festival is an immersive, participatory LARP experience. That means the magic comes from joining in. If your family loves dressing up, storytelling, and throwing yourselves into an adventure, you’ll absolutely love it.
It’s particularly well suited to:
- Tolkien fans of all ages who want to experience The Shire for real
- Families with older children and teens who’ll relish the role-playing and games
- Adults and couples looking for something completely different from a standard festival weekend
- LARP enthusiasts and fantasy event regulars who want a high-quality, well-organised experience
If you’re looking for a more traditional day out with rides, shows, and a clear start and finish time, this probably isn’t the one. But if you’re after something genuinely memorable, something your kids will be talking about for years, the Brandywine Festival at Weston Park is hard to beat.
Bear with us here! Five days might sound like a lot, but the all-in nature of the ticket (camping, food, workshops, music, games) means there’s no faff once you’re there. You arrive, you step into The Shire, and you stay until the closing ceremony. It’s a proper adventure.
If you’re exploring other great days out in the Midlands while you’re planning your September, it’s also worth checking out West Midlands Safari Park for a brilliant family day that’s easy to combine with a wider trip to the region.
Key Details at a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Event name | The Brandywine Festival (UK) |
| Dates | 9-13 September 2026 |
| Venue | Weston Park, near Telford, Staffordshire |
| Capacity | 1,000 guests maximum |
| Adult ticket (Batch 1) | £250 per person |
| Junior ticket (ages 7-17) | £60 per child |
| Under 6s | Free |
| Camping | Included |
| Parking | Included |
| Tickets | thebrandywinefestival.com |
Don’t hang about if this sounds like your kind of adventure! Batch 1 tickets are the most affordable they’ll be, and with only 1,000 places available in total, the Brandywine Festival at Weston Park is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about family events of autumn 2026. Get your tickets, dust off your cloaks, and get ready to live your best Hobbit life!