Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Spring and Summer Celebrations Across England

Events to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee are taking place across the country throughout the spring and summer months. From traditional royal exhibitions and guided walking tours to quirky cabaret spectaculars and music festivals fit for a Queen there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate the occasion with friends and family. Over the Jubilee bank holiday weekend (2 to 5 June 2022), there will be nationwide picnics with live entertainment and family-friendly outdoors performances, as well as grown-up music concerts and food festivals.

Here’s a selection of events, experiences and activities on offer across England to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

Exceptional exhibitions

Her Majesty The Queen at Sandringham, Norfolk

9 April – 13 October

Her Majesty The Queen at Sandringham: An Exemplary Reign and a Unique Country House, is this year’s special exhibition at Sandringham and will showcase The Queen and the Royal Family’s affection for the much-loved country retreat.

www.sandringhamestate.co.uk/platinum-jubilee

 

The Royal Dress Collection, Madame Tussauds, London

27 May – 10 June

Madame Tussauds London will kick off their Jubilee celebrations with a historic Royal Dress Collection, displaying gowns that have been featured on Her Majesty The Queen’s figures during her 70-year reign. There will be eight dresses on display, including the 1953 Coronation dress, as well as a Day Dress created by Royal dressmaker Ian Thomas especially for Madame Tussauds London’s Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977.

www.madametussauds.com/london  

 

Jubilee Exhibition: The Queen’s Coronation at Windsor Castle

From 7 July

In celebration of The Queen's historic Platinum Jubilee in 2022, the Coronation Dress and Robe of Estate worn by The Queen for her Coronation at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 will be on display for visitors to admire. 

www.rct.uk/collection/themes/exhibitions/platinum-jubliee-the-queens-coronation/windsor-castle

 

Crown and Conflict: Portraits of a Queen in Wartime, Imperial War Museum, London

27 May – 8 January 2023

The Imperial War Museum, London, will display a new photography exhibition staged to coincide with the Jubilee, highlighting the Queen's experiences of war and longstanding ties with the armed forces. From the IWM’s image archive, the exhibition will focus on 18 photographs of The Queen’s experience with war, from her growing up in the Second World War and serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, to a contemporary selection showing her official duties.

www.iwm.org.uk/events/queens-platinum-jubilee-iwm-london

 

State Rooms, Buckingham Palace

22 July – 2 October

The State Rooms occupy the heart of Buckingham Palace. These were designed to act as the public rooms in which the Sovereign could receive, reward and entertain subjects and visiting dignitaries. These rooms contain some of the most outstanding works of art in the Royal Collection, providing a permanent and striking backdrop to the events that take place here. At the Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, portraits of The Queen taken by Dorothy Wilding will be on display, alongside items of Her Majesty’s personal jewellery worn for the portrait sittings.

www.rct.uk/collection/near-you/buckingham-palace

 

Royal walks and glorious gardens

Platinum honour for Queen’s Green Canopy, Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire’s Burghley House will be the site of the first of up to 70 new woods being planted as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy initiative to mark her Platinum Jubilee. The new forest at Burghley, on the edge of the stone town of Stamford, will be filled with a mix of species “which will grow and fill the landscape for the next 200 years”. The estate is already home to ancient oak trees – estimated to be between 800 and 1000 years old - within its 300-acre deer park landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown, including one planted by Queen Victoria in the South Gardens during a visit to Burghley in 1844.

www.burghley.co.uk 

 

A royal Rusticus Adventure in Tatton Park’s gardens, Manchester

28 May - 5 June

An interactive story walk with games and activities, hosted by jubilant merrymakers from Rusticus who are intent on a regal celebration. There’ll be forest fun with a mythical outlaw, a potty tea-time with the Mad Hatter, and musical mayhem that will transport everyone to Ancient Greece. Participants are invited to bring their own royal picnic to enjoy in the festive woodlands. The event lasts about 45 minutes, normal garden and parkland entry applies.

www.tattonpark.org.uk

 

City Guides Walk “A Right Royal City”, London

Fridays and Saturdays until 30 September

Join City Guides on a guided walking tour through the City of London to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee year of Queen Elizabeth. Discover the trials and tribulations, pomp and celebrations of the kings, queens, princes and princesses who have left their mark on the City of London over the centuries. From events that everyone still talks about, to royal organisations that have been saving lives for 500 years and tales of royal treasures, the City has it all. Tours start from the City Information Centre at 2pm and end near the Tower of London.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-right-royal-city-tickets-274898397507

 

Queen’s Green Canopy at RHS Gardens, Nationwide

The RHS Gardens are all marking 70 years on the throne for their Patron, with each garden having planted trees as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative and further celebrations to include red, white and blue floral displays and brass bands performances during the Jubilee weekend itself.

www.rhs.org.uk

 

Superbloom, Tower of London

1 June – 18 September

Celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen at the Tower of London, where a spectacular, colourful, vibrant field of flowers will fill the Tower’s moat. Once the jaunt of royals and home to the crown jewels, the specially commissioned installation has been designed to attract pollinators. ‘Superbloom’ will bring a spectacular, ever-changing, natural beauty to the urban space and introduce a new biodiverse habitat for wildlife.  

www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/whats-on/superbloom-at-the-tower-of-london/#gs.uvl84y

 

Floral tributes and waterfront festival fun, Hampshire

2 - 5 June

Hampshire’s Sir Harold Hillier Gardens is an arboretum covering 180 acres filled with over 42,000 trees and shrubs, including an almost unparalleled collection of oaks, camellia, magnolia and rhododendron. For the Bank Holiday, the gardens will stage a Platinum Jubilee Weekend celebration featuring events, trails and activities.

www.hants.gov.uk/thingstodo/hilliergardens

 

Picnics, afternoon teas and food festivals

Taste Liverpool. Drink Bordeaux, Liverpool

2 – 5 June

For four days in June across the Bank Holiday Jubilee weekend, Liverpool comes alive with a brand-new festival. Taste Liverpool. Drink Bordeaux is set to be the most delicious weekend of the year, celebrating Liverpool’s food and drink heritage and its vibrant reputation as a hospitality hotspot. The city will become an immersive food destination with takeovers by leading restauranteurs and chefs, cookery demonstrations, food inspired cultural events and many venues offering special festival menus and an array of beautiful Bordeaux wines.

www.visitliverpool.com/tasteliverpool 

 

Blenheim Palace Food Festival, Oxfordshire

2 – 5 June 2022

For the eight-year running Fantastic Food Festivals will descend on Blenheim Palace. This year there is a Jubilee theme and visitors can expect even more celebrity masterclasses, a new tasting tent for extensive sampling, children’s entertainment and high quality local and national stallholders offering delicious delights.

www.fantasticfoodfestivals.co.uk

 

The Dilly hotel’s picnic basket bicycles, London

2 – 5 June 2022

The Dilly hotel in Piccadilly is offering branded Dilly bicycles to guests over Jubilee weekend including a bespoke picnic basket to be enjoyed at local parks such as Green Park or Hyde Park from £40pp.

www.thedillylondon.com

 

Clifton Platinum Fest, Bristol

3 June

A rock 'n' roll celebration for the Jubilee weekend, enjoy live bands such as The Roosters & The Firebirds at The Mall, then head to King's Road from 2pm-10:30pm for more live music, food stalls and more.

visitbristol.co.uk/whats-on/clifton-platinum-fest-p3111353

 

Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea Cruise, York 

2 – 5 June

City Cruises’ Jubilee Afternoon Tea will host ninety-minute themed cruises with a Queen quiz as passengers take in the stunning riverside of the city of York. Expect royal decorations, a scrumptious afternoon tea with complementary fizz and a York Gin gift set worth £18.

www.cityexperiences.com/york/city-cruises/afternoon-tea-cruise

 

Hobbs of Henley, Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea

2 and 3 June

Two special Royal River Thames cruises will take place aboard The New Orleans, the flagship vessel suitably decorated for this momentous occasion, with afternoon tea served by the award-winning Time for Tea.

www.hobbsofhenley.com

 

The Jubilee weekend at Borough Market, London

2 – 5 June 2022

Head to the Market throughout the Jubilee weekend for a range of celebratory dishes, a special series of seven new recipes (one from each decade of Her Majesty’s historic reign), a collection of Jubilee-themed Hampers, as well as décor fit for the royal Jubilee and music to compliment from over the last seven decades. Food historian and writer Angela Clutton has put a modern twist on classic recipes inspired by a leading food writer from each decade, and the new recipes will be printed in a specially created free Jubilee newspaper available to pick up at the Market, as well as via Borough Market’s website and social channels.

www.boroughmarket.org.uk/events/jubilee-at-borough-market/

 

Picnic in The Park, St Albans

5 June

Friends of Clarence Park will be hosting a 1950s themed picnic with live music, entertainment and refreshments in Bury. This is a free event, and all are welcome with no need to book. Bring your own picnic lunch or grab a cream tea in the park’s café. Dress in 1950s style or in an outfit fit for a Queen (or King!) for a truly royal day out.

www.platinumjubilee.gov.uk/event/clarence-park-platinum-jubilee-picnic-in-the-park-2

 

The Big Platinum Festival, Southampton

5 June

Unity 101 Community Radio station in Southampton is organising a special family-friendly celebration event at Mayflower Park to celebrate the Jubilee. Highlights of the day will include local artists ranging from music and DJs to buskers, dancers and poets, food stalls and cooking demonstrations, funfair rides and family activities. The Tribute Band, Forever Queen, will be performing hit songs from the music legends Queen.

www.mayflower.org.uk/whats-on/big-platinum-festival-2022/

 

Windsor’s Big Lunch, Windsor

5 June

Promoting a Commonwealth theme, organisers aim for a triple whammy – the longest picnic table ever for the longest Sunday lunch taking place on the iconic Long Walk in Windsor Great Park. Plans are for the table to reach from Cambridge Gate towards the Copper House on Snow Hill. If all the tables are completely full, then visitors will be welcome to spread out their picnic on the grass. There will also be a big screen to watch the Platinum Pageant.

www.windsorplatinumjubilee.co.uk/event/windsors-big-lunch/

 

Celebrations on the Humber Estuary, East Yorkshire

2 June

The Humber Estuary will put on a celebration and re-enactment to mark this year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. A flotilla of 70 vessels will set sail from Hull Marina, from large crafts to pleasure boats and harbour tugs. As well as celebrating the Platinum Jubilee, the event will re-enact the Humber flotilla in 2012, celebrating The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and the 1897 celebrations of Queen Victoria’s 60-year reign. Viewing points include from Victoria Pier and Saint Andrew Quay in Hull, as well as Waters Edge Country Park, Barton upon Humber, and Hessle Foreshore.

www.visiteastyorkshire.co.uk/whats-on/flotilla-platinum-jubilee-celebrations-p1612481

 

Family frolics with jousting knights and musical monarchs

Riotous Royals, East Yorkshire

1 – 2 June

Celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in East Yorkshire with chivalrous knights and musical monarchs at Riotous Royals, an outdoor performance walk hosted by larger-than-life characters. A Rusticus Adventure featuring plenty of silly interaction and off-the-wall activities, it will be staged at Burnby Hall Gardens, Pocklington, on 1 June and Sewerby Hall and Gardens on 2 June.

www.burnbyhallgardens.com/event/riotous-royals/

www.sewerbyhall.co.uk/whats-on/?entry=220602_001

 

Jubilee Joust, Hampton Court Palace

1 – 5 June

Experience the sport of kings as knights from around the country joust to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Visitors can choose a favourite knight and cheer them on as they compete for the coveted Jubilee Cup. Pomp, ceremony and splendour will reign supreme, as this family-friendly event takes place in the spectacular Hampton Court Palace gardens.

www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/whats-on/jubilee-joust/#gs.uvpjx1

 

Jubilee Joust, Stonor Park, Oxfordshire

3 - 5 June

Stonor Park’s annual jousting event returns for the Jubilee weekend, with the knights of Royal England dressed in full armour and riding Andalusian geldings. The medieval jousting will be centre stage alongside spectacular horseback stunts, falconry exhibitions, cannon and weapon displays and archery. Almost 150 reenactors will bring medieval times to life, plus a Platinum Jubilee beacon lit daily for the celebrations. Tickets include entry to Stonor House, gardens and magical playground Tumblestone Hollow, with refreshments available.

www.stonor.com/events/medieval-jousting/

 

All aboard the Severn Valley Railway Purple Locomotive

2 – 5 June

Across the four-day June Bank Holiday Weekend, there will be a variety of things to see and do at each station of Severn Valley railway, which follows the River Severn from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster. Visitors can see and travel behind the iconic purple locomotive No. 70 ‘Elizabeth II’ painted especially for the Platinum Jubilee, as well as the 2999 Lady of Legend, Class 52 Western Queen and Class 50 50035 Ark Royal. Enjoy the rock ‘n’ roll music from jukeboxes like it’s 1952, visit the vintage fairground ride whirling at Bridgnorth Station, see a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster perform flypasts every day, and much more.

www.svr.co.uk/whats-on/queens-platinum-jubilee/

 

Fina and the Platinum Street Party, Bishop Auckland, County Durham

4 June

Gates open at 11 Arches for one of the largest Jubilee Street parties in the country. The afternoon begins with the latest original show Fina and The Golden Cape; an exciting tale of revenge, ambition, magic and bravery – an old-fashioned story with a 21st century hero. The show will be followed by live music on the lake before guests can enjoy a giant street party. There will be seating for up to 2,500 guests outside and in the Arches Hall, with an open-air dance floor set to make it one of the largest jubilee street parties in the country. At 9.30pm the evening will culminate with a light and water show with a celebratory firework display to mark the Queen’s record-breaking 70-year reign. 

www.11arches.com/fina-and-platinum-street-party

 

Live music and performing arts

The Big Jubilee Gala Concert, Birmingham

2 June

The Big Jubilee Gala Concert at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall is set to be a memorable musical and artistic journey through time. The concert will showcase a collection of the greatest compositional works and performance pieces created within the Queen’s 70-year reign, whilst embracing modern-day arts and culture. Through an array of artforms and expressions of creativity, the event will represent the outstanding diversity of both the Commonwealth and of the West Midlands. Tickets from £13 – £55.

www.cbso.co.uk/event/queens-platinum-jubilee-concert

 

Royal Greenwich Together, London

2 June

Royal Greenwich Together 2022 celebrates the borough’s diversity and royal history, with entertainment and activities from around the globe. Expect a jam-packed day of performances, bringing together the very best of entertainers, live music, workshops, funfair rides, and food stalls.

www.visitgreenwich.org.uk/whats-on/royal-greenwich-together-2022-p1606521

 

Castle celebrations and seaside sounds, Lincolnshire

2 – 5 June

Celebrate the Jubilee with a tribute to Great British Bands in Skegness and Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, (4 June 2022) when these great British seaside resorts will be entertaining crowds with music spanning the decades of the Queen’s reign. Both events will be free entry and end in a fitting finale of a firework display on the beach. More celebrations are planned in Lincoln, behind the medieval walls of Lincoln Castle where the picturesque grounds will be the setting for The Great British Jubilee Picnic (2 to 5 June). There will be live entertainment from the bandstand and plenty of space to bring your own picnic with the Castle grounds free to enjoy over the Bank Holiday.

www.lincolncastle.com/content/queens-platinum-jubilee

www.visitlincscoast.co.uk

 

Elgar Festival, Worcester and Malvern

3 – 5 June

Celebrating the legacy of Britain's great composer, Sir Edward Elgar, in his home-county, and Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee this year, the Elgar Festival programmes music with a family connection to Elizabeth II. 2022 also marks the composer’s 150th anniversary with live performances from the English Symphony Orchestra and the Elgar Festival Chorus in Worcester Cathedral. Enjoy live music, talks, workshops, street performance and family-friendly events across Worcester and Malvern.

www.elgarfestival.org

 

Summer Music in City Churches Festival, London

14 – 24 June

To mark the 150th anniversary of Vaughan Williams and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Summer Music in City Churches presents English Rhapsody. Concerts in St Giles Cripplegate and other historic churches in London's Square Mile will include evocative and glorious music by Vaughan Williams and contemporaries Elgar, Finzi, Holst, Ireland and more. Artists include the English Chamber Orchestra with clarinettist Emma Johnson, principals of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, City of London Choir, pianist Mark Bebbington, mezzo-soprano Marta Fontanals-Simmons, and this year's talented graduates from the Yehudi Menuhin School.

www.summermusiccitychurches.com 

 

Alternative experiences fit for a Queen

Shotgun Carousel presents The Grotteaux, Woolwich Works, London

18 May – 4 June

Shotgun Carousel’s cabaret spectacular The Grotteaux makes its way to London this May ready for the Jubilee celebrations. Expect Springtime revelry with a series of variety acts from burlesque bombshells, drag divas, spectacular circus and chaotic comedy, topped off with the magnificent musical talents of a show-stopping house band. Tickets from £15.50 - £50.50 per person.

www.visitgreenwich.org.uk/whats-on/shotgun-carousel-presents-the-grotteaux-p1565201

 

Stairway Jubilee Party with 'QUEENERGY', Cambridge

2 June

Stairway Jubilee Party will kick off its bank holiday weekend of events with a very special (and fitting) show from 'Queenergy', the UK’s premier soundalike tribute band to the iconic rock band Queen. Attendees can expect big guitars, operatic vocals, lush harmonies and all of the classic things that made 'Queen' one of the biggest rock bands of all time! Tickets from £5 per person.

www.stairwaybiggleswade.com

 

Tea with the Queen, Mama Shelter, London

3 June

At the playful East London hotel, this special Jubilee Celebration ‘Tea with the Queen’ includes drag, DJs, dinner and bottomless bubbles. The boozy ‘tea’ will unfold alongside a three-course sharing menu with bubbly, Mama’s own Porn Star No 2’s and classic Espresso Martinis, while Miss Demeanour will reign over proceedings including a lip-sync battle and a DJ set featuring Diva classics. An additional ask is to dress to impress, with the most fabulously dressed winner awarded a night’s stay with dinner and breakfast.

www.designmynight.com/london/whats-on/burlesque-cabaret/tea-with-the-queen-her-royal-highness-miss-demeanour

 

Fit for a Queen Weekend celebration, Manchester

4 June

Head to Sackville Gardens in Manchester City Centre for their Fit For a Queen Weekend celebration. On Saturday 4th June some of the biggest names from the 90s and 00s will be performing including Vengaboys, Cascade, Atomic Kitten and The Cheeky Girls. It’s the perfect excuse to become a dancing queen, show off your best moves and celebrate the jubilee in style. The event is for over 18s only with £1 of every ticket sold to be donated to the Friends of Sackville Gardens Association.

https://fitforaqueen2022.intix.com/

 

 

Dive into the celebrations with the Platinum Jubilee Toolkit, launched on The Queen’s birthday, the toolkit includes a creative challenge for children and families, activity worksheets, recipes from celebrity chefs for the weekend celebrations, party planning tips, bunting to decorate, as well as logos, GIFs and stickers.

 

 

ENDS

 

For more detail and to receive our comprehensive overview of nationwide Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022 events please contact the VisitEngland PR team:

Louise Ferrall / Josie Self

Email: vepr@visitengland.org or visit media.visitengland.com / www.visitengland.com

 

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