Newbury Show 2026: Dancing Diggers Back After Decades

The Newbury Show, the Royal County of Berkshire’s two-day agricultural show, runs on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026 at Newbury Showground, Priors Court Road, Hermitage, Thatcham RG18 9QZ.

Both days open at 8.30am. Saturday’s trade stands close at 6pm and entertainment carries on late. Sunday’s trade stands and entertainment both finish at 5pm. Those times are on the Newbury and District Agricultural Society’s own visitor information page, read on 3 September 2026.

The society, a charity registered as number 1003898, says the show has averaged around 30,000 visitors over the last three years and that the 2025 show alone drew over 30,000.

Tickets, and the date the price goes up

Advance prices are on sale now through the show’s ticketing site and are cheaper than the gate.

The advance prices run out at a fixed point, not at the gate: the ticketing page states that “Pre-Show discounted tickets are available until 18th September 2026 after this time, tickets can still be purchased online but will be charged at show day gate price.” That is the Friday before the show. A ticket bought online on the morning of Saturday 19 September costs the same as one bought at the gate.

Carers go free. The society offers a free carer’s ticket alongside a full-paying visitor. It is added by ticking a box after the standard ticket goes in the basket, and you are asked to upload evidence of the care need for the team to review.

Parking: the free car park is the White one

This is the detail most people get wrong on the day. There are three ways to park without paying, and one that costs £10.

• Free: the White car park. The society’s FAQ says plainly that “Free parking is offered in the White car park”.
• Free: park and ride from the Black car park on Oxford Road. A free bus service runs from there into the showground.
• Free with a Blue Badge: the Red or Green car parks. No pre-booking needed.
• £10: priority parking, first come first served, and it has to be bought in advance through the ticketing site.

One road closes. The society’s FAQ says “Priors Court Road between Trentham Gate (Black) and Chapman Gate will be closed to all vehicles on Show days”. If your route to Hermitage normally uses that stretch, plan around it on both days.

For anything else live on the roads that weekend, see our Newbury roadworks and travel page. Town centre car park tariffs and free periods are on our parking in Newbury page, though note that the showground is seven miles north of Newbury and none of the town tariffs apply there.

Getting there without a car

Bike parking is provided at the entrance to every main gate around the site, supplied by West Berkshire Council.

There is also a bus service from stops in Newbury and Thatcham, but this is the one piece of practical information still missing: the society says only that “the timetable will be available closer to the Show”. As of 3 September it had not been published. Check the visitor information page again in the week before the show.

What is new in the ring this year

Three of the 2026 attractions are being sold as firsts or returns rather than the usual fixtures.

• The JCB Dancing Diggers. The society says the display team “haven’t performed at Newbury Show for decades” and are back in the Main Ring for 2026. The machinery is being supplied by local firm SW Hire.
• The British Scurry and Trials Driving National Championships. The society calls this a first: “For the first time ever, British Scurry and Trials Driving arrives at Newbury Show, and it’s bringing its National Championships with it.” Expect multiple runs across the weekend.
• The 1909 Party on Saturday night. Live music until 9pm, then a DJ and bar until late. No extra ticket is needed; you go to the 1909 Bar on the Saturday evening.

The regulars are back too: British Lawn Mower Racing Association races in their own ring and in the demonstration ring, The Sheep Show with its nine breeds and live shearing in the Food and Farming Zone, and the Grand Parade of Livestock in the Main Ring each day, which the society says will feature over 100 animals. Mini Rovers, the children’s off-road course in replica Series 2 Land Rovers, is free and included in the ticket price.

Dogs, picnics and mobility

Dogs are welcome, on a non-retractable lead, wearing a collar and tag with the owner’s name and address. They are barred from the livestock sections and the Cattle Building, which are signposted. The society is blunt about cars: dogs left in them “will be reported and prompt action will be taken”.

You can bring a picnic. There are food stalls across the site, but the society says picnics can be eaten on any of the green spaces, with limited benches in the Food and Farming and Village Green areas.

Wheelchairs and mobility scooters can be hired for collection on arrival from Advanced Mobility, 01274 297777, booked online in advance.

The site is 145 acres of mostly open ground, so the society’s advice on footwear is worth taking literally.

What is still to be confirmed

Every price, time and quotation above was read on 3 September 2026 from the Newbury and District Agricultural Society’s own show page and visitor information page, and from its official ticketing site. Nothing here is taken from a listings aggregator.