Events calendar
What’s on at Chatsworth
Dates, ticket prices and the practical details (parking, dogs, booking) for the big fixtures of the Chatsworth year. For this week specifically, including the forecast and the latest official listings, see the live what’s-on page.
On now
Chatsworth Country Fair 2026
4–6 September 2026
Three days of Grand Ring displays (military bands, stunt teams, a hot-air balloon ascent), a fine-food village with chef demonstrations, a vintage funfair and a shopping village of artisan producers in the park.
On nowHouse of Stories: Tales from the Chatsworth Library
21 March – 4 October 2026
The 2026 season exhibition, drawing on the estate library and archive to tell the stories behind objects across the house.
On nowSpotlight Gallery: The Afterlife of the Cascade
17 August – 11 October 2026
A small display on the history and influence of the Cascade, the 1696 water staircase that is the garden's signature feature.
Coming up
The Queen's Reading Room Festival 2026
19–20 September 2026
A literary festival of author talks and panels in the park, run by the Queen's Reading Room charity. It returned to Chatsworth for 2026.
LaterChristmas at Chatsworth 2026
7 November 2026 – 3 January 2027
The house dressed for Christmas, a light trail through the garden and seasonal activities at the farmyard. The theme is announced in mid-September each year.
LaterChatsworth Christmas Market 2026
7 November – 13 December 2026
More than a hundred stalls of gifts, food and drink on the lawns in front of the house. Entry to the market itself is free; it is also included with a Christmas at Chatsworth ticket.
Annual events awaiting dates
Chatsworth Garden & Plant Fair
Usually spring; dates to be confirmed
An annual fair of specialist nurseries and garden makers held in the park. Dates for the next edition are confirmed on the official page.
Dates to be confirmedChatsworth International Horse Trials
Usually May; dates to be confirmed
Three-day eventing in the park, traditionally held in the second half of May, with cross-country fences set among the parkland trees. Check the official events page for the next confirmed dates.
Recently finished
How the Chatsworth year runs
The house, garden and farmyard open in the second half of March and close in the first days of January. Spring brings the season exhibition in the house and, traditionally, the horse trials in the park in May. The Country Fair takes over the park for three days at the start of September. From early November the whole estate switches to Christmas: a dressed house on timed entry, a light trail in the garden and a five-week market on the lawns, which between them make November and December the busiest months of the year.
Dates and prices here were taken from the official site on the date shown below and are updated when they change. Smaller events (curator tours, workshops, supper clubs) appear on the live what’s-on page, which reads the official listing every day.
Sources
- Official facts checked against the official events page on 3 September 2026. Prices, dates and rules change; the official site is the final word.