Theatre
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Dates: 20-25 August
Location: The Hawth Crawley
Charlie Brooks will play the role of The Childcatcher in the new production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Charlie will join Olivier-nominee Adam Garcia as Caractacus Potts and Emmerdale star Liam Fox as Grandpa Potts. Charlie is well known for playing the iconic role of Janine in BBC’s EastEnders, for which she won several British Soap awards. Her other television credits include BBC’s Bleak House, alongside Carey Mulligan and Gillian Anderson, and ITV’s Wired, starring Sacha Dhawan and Jodie Whittaker.
Carmen
Dates: 1-24 August
Location: Glyndebourne
Glyndebourne’s new production of Carmen, from award-winning Broadway director Diane Paulus, has a second run of performances at Glyndebourne Festival 2024 in August. German conductor Anja Bihlmaier makes her Glyndebourne debut conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra and a cast led by Aigul Akhmetshina and Evan LeRoy Johnson as Carmen and Don José.
The Promise
Dates: Until 17 August
Location: Chichester Festival Theatre
To promise nearly 50 million people truly universal health care – ‘cradle to the grave’ – is Crackers. It’s 1945: in a country exhausted and crippled by debt after six years of war, time is up for Winston Churchill’s Tories. With a rallying cry for change, Labour wins an astonishing landslide election victory. Driven by the passionate and courageous radical Ellen Wilkinson and the visionary firebrand Nye Bevan, a very British revolution is in the air. But in the face of bitter opposition, is this an audacious pledge of hope or a promise too far?
Family
Children’s & Community Garden
Dates: Throughout August
Location: Wakehurst
This summer, families can discover a new corner of Wakehurst’s 535-acre garden for the very first time. Nestled in the heart of the Mansion Gardens, a new, inclusive, and accessible space will be unveiled for all to enjoy. The Mud Kitchen, a Wakehurst family favourite, has undergone a redesign to expand and improve the area for even more messy play, with existing shady spots transformed into sensory corners and learning zones for workshops and school groups. The area is designed with the community in mind, ensuring everyone has access to green spaces to learn more about nature and the vital role that different plants play in our health and well-being.
Labyrinth Challenge
Dates: 8-11 August
Location: Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens
Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens at Horsham in West Sussex has announced the return of the Labyrinth Challenge, an exhilarating four-day festival of summer fun from 8-11 August 2024. This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever, featuring one of the UK’s largest inflatable obstacle courses, spanning 1,000 feet in length.
The Labyrinth Challenge is divided into five action-packed zones: Lava, Jungle, Toxic, Combat, and Ocean. Thrill-seekers of all ages can conquer over 34 unique challenges and obstacles, including jump-offs, hurdles, biff n’ bash sections, slides, giant balls, corkscrews, and more. Participants dodge swinging blades, leapfrog over hurdles, and sprint to the finish line in this adrenaline-pumping adventure.
In addition to the main Labyrinth Challenge, which is suitable for those over 1.2m in height, there is also a Mini Labyrinth Challenge designed specifically for younger children. This 200ft inflatable obstacle course brings storybook and video game adventures to life, creating a fantastical world of bouncy fun with four themed zones: Arctic, Jurassic, Egyptian, and Jungle.
New for 2024, adult-only (18+) time slots will be available from 9-11 August, allowing grown-ups to unleash their inner child and take on the challenge in a more competitive atmosphere. The event also offers quiet sessions on 8 August for those who prefer a more relaxed experience.
Leonardslee offers an ideal setting for this exciting event, with its 240 acres of Grade I Listed woodland gardens. Visitors can explore the estate, where wallabies and deer roam free, visit the ‘magical world in miniature’ dolls’ house museum, and the play park.
Event
Sundowner Safari
Dates: Throughout August
Location: Wiston Estate
On Friday evenings until the end of September, Wiston Estate is hosting its Sundowner Safari tour experiences, which includes a tour through the vineyards, followed by a five-course dinner at Chalk. The evening begins with a tour of the winery, the Coquard press, and wine production zones, followed by a tasting of the non-vintage wines in the flint tasting room. The winery trailer then takes guests over the hills to explore the estate’s original vineyard and enjoy an al fresco tasting of the vintage cuvées. Finally, guests return to Chalk restaurant to enjoy a seasonal set dinner.
Festival of History
Dates: 24-26 August
Location: Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle has announced its upcoming Festival of History, where visitors of all ages can embark on an immersive 12,000-year journey from the Stone Age to the 20th century. Spread across the lower lawns of the castle, the three-day festival invites guests to delve deep into the evolution of costumes, weapons, armour, and battle tactics over time. Living history groups and individual interpreters will showcase historical crafts such as forging, cooking, leatherwork, and period crafts, providing a glimpse into the skills and techniques of bygone eras.
Music
Lumos Live
Dates: 31 August
Location: Borde Hill
Lumos Live, the UK’s first independent illuminating concert experience, pays homage to the world’s best musical talent adding a modern take to classical music. From a year of over 100 successful indoor concerts, Lumos Live has announced its summer series: An Outdoor Sunset Candlelight Experience. The shows will consist of three-hour-long performances by a string trio playing the best hits from Hans Zimmer, Taylor Swift, and Coldplay.
Comedy
Colin Hoult
Dates: Until 25 August
Location: Pleasance Courtyard
It’s not often we promote a gig in Edinburgh, but this is Brighton fan favourite, Colin Hoult. After years of playing characters, Colin is finally showing the person behind them in a hugely joyous stand-up show. Colin explores his relationship with his father (also named Colin) and his son and how more than just a name can be handed down through a family. How can Colin understand his repressed (but quite bonkers) parents and make sure his children are given more freedom to be themselves? On the flip side, how can he live up to his ‘proper bloke’ of a dad who was such a natural leader with strong principles? The tour will come back down south in September.
