Ray Bird, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Outdoors
Badminton Horse Trials
Five days of eventing in the park of Badminton House in early May, with dressage, cross-country on the Saturday and show jumping; in 2027 from Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 May.
The Badminton Horse Trials are five days of eventing in the park of Badminton House, the home of the Dukes of Beaufort, on the southern edge of the Cotswolds. The 2027 event runs from Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 May, dates the organisers still call provisional. Horses and riders are tested in dressage, cross-country and show jumping, and Saturday, the cross-country day, is the busiest.
Tickets and prices
The box office opens for priority buyers (anyone who has bought tickets in the last five years) on Wednesday 6 January 2027 and to everyone on Wednesday 13 January. Every ticket must be bought in advance, online or by phone until midnight the night before: nothing is sold at the gate, and every car needs a parking pass. Prices for 2027 are announced in November or December. As a guide, in 2026 a day's admission cost from £25 on the Wednesday to £52 on cross-country Saturday, a season ticket £114 and a car pass £19 a day, all rising from 1 April, and every order carried a booking fee.
Children aged 12 and under go free without a ticket, though a grandstand seat for the show jumping needs a ticket for anyone aged 4 or over.
Getting to Badminton
By car, follow the AA signs from Stroud, Cirencester, Chippenham or junctions 15, 17 or 18 of the M4: satnav knows nothing of the traffic plan. Radio Badminton on 87.7FM has traffic news, and on cross-country day it pays to allow extra time. The nearest station is Chippenham, where coaches meet chosen trains on the Saturday; Bristol, Bath, Stroud, Swindon and Kemble stations have taxis, and public buses are few.
Can I bring my dog to Badminton?
Yes: well-behaved dogs are welcome, on a short lead on cross-country day and well away from the horses and the course. They are not allowed in the Members' Enclosure or the restaurants, and in the grandstand only on the Saturday, from the start of the cross-country, and not during the Shetland Pony Grand National. Never leave one in the car.
Where to stay near Badminton
The nearest places to stay we list are the Bell at Old Sodbury, about 5km (3 miles) west, and the Castle Inn and the Manor House at Castle Combe, about 7km (4 miles) south-east. Market towns within reach are Chipping Sodbury, Tetbury and Malmesbury. For a walk away from the crowds, the Old Sodbury hill fort walk is a short drive west.
Later in the summer, Sherston closes its High Street for the Sherston Boules Festival.
Offers from businesses near this event
Offers are published by the businesses themselves, which pay to be listed here. We have not checked them, and you deal with the business directly.
Where to stay for Badminton Horse Trials
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The Thames Head Inn
Pubs · Kemble
A pub serving Arkell's beers on the A433 between Cirencester and Tetbury, a short walk from the source of the Thames, open all day with food from 11am, four rooms and a campsite.
Dog-friendly · Walker-friendly
Verified Oct 2026
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Lower Mill Estate
Self-catering · The Cotswold Water Park
A family-run private estate of lakes and woodland at Somerford Keynes in the Cotswold Lakes, with architect-designed self-catering homes sleeping two to 12, pools, a restaurant and kayaks, paddleboards and bikes to hire.
Dog-friendly · Family-friendly · Hot tubs
Verified Oct 2026
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Cotswold Hare
B&B · Cirencester
A bed and breakfast with seven en suite rooms on Victoria Road, Cirencester, with a parking space for every room, for adults and children over ten.
Verified Nov 2026