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- Summer Holidays
South Wales Summer Holidays Activities
Six weeks is a long time to fill. Here is what is on across South Wales through the summer holidays, from festivals and family days out to free ideas and somewhere to go when it rains.
When are the school summer holidays in Wales?
The Welsh school summer holidays typically run from around the third week of July to the start of September, giving roughly six weeks off. Welsh dates do not always match England’s, and English schools often break up a few days later. Most local authorities in Wales follow a harmonised pattern set by Welsh Ministers, though individual schools add their own training days, so confirm with your own authority before booking around the exact dates.
If you are visiting rather than living here, these are the busiest and most expensive weeks of the year across South Wales. Beaches fill, coastal car parks are full by mid-morning, and accommodation in Tenby and on the Gower books up months ahead. The first half of July and the first two weeks of September are much quieter for very similar weather.
Below you will find what is on area by area, the free options, and wet weather backups for the days the forecast lets you down.
Last updated: 08/08/2026
Dates for 2027 are confirmed through spring and we update this page as they are announced. The events listed below are 2026, kept here so you can see what to expect.
Summer Holidays in Newport & Chepstow
| Circus Skills With TK Arts | Learn circus skills at this fun family activity. 📅 Sunday 9th August 2026 ◎ The Market, Kingsway 💷 FREE |
Summer Holidays in Cardiff, Caerphilly & The Vale
| GlastonBARRY | GlastonBARRY is an amazing tribute festival held annually in Romilly Park, Barry. Friday is the family festival with tributes to Sabrina Carpenter, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift and so many more. Saturday and Sunday are 18+ days featuring tributes to Pink, Coldplay, Queen, The Killers, amongst many others. 📅 Friday 24th to Sunday 26th July 2026 ◎ Romilly Park, Barry, CF62 6RN 💷 Friday £18.50pp / Saturday or Sunday £55pp (family and multi-day tickets available) |
| Wales's Strongest Man | Come and see Wales' strongest men compete for the national title, with muscle-busting strength tests as well as a fan village, bar, and food stalls. 📅 Sunday 30th August 2026 ◎ International Sports Campus, Cardiff 💷 From £16.69pp |
| Caerphilly Cheese Festival | Get ready for an amazing weekend of great food, live music, and a whole load of fun! The festival includes food, drink, and craft stalls, plus street entertainers and a funfair, as well as lots on offer from town centre businesses. 📅 Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th August 2026, 09:00-17:00 ◎ Caerphilly town centre 💷 FREE |
Summer Holidays in the Brecon Beacons
| Brecon Jazz Festival | Featuring world-class jazz across Brecon’s finest venues, including Theatr Brycheiniog, The Muse, and The Guildhall, as well as vibrant outdoor stages. With an exciting lineup of legendary artists and rising stars, this year promises an unforgettable celebration of jazz. 📅 Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th August 2026 ◎ Brecon 💷 Some free events, and some ticketed from £10+ |
Keep scrolling for more Summer Holidays activities...
Summer Holidays in Bridgend & Porthcawl
| Between The Trees Festival | Winner of Micro Festival of the Year in 2025, Between The Trees Festival has a unique theme of nature & science, aiming to reconnect people to the natural world. It features a blend of original indie folk music, art and spoken word within a community that embraces all and encourages thinking and creativity. 📅 Thursday 27th to Sunday 30th August 2026 ◎ Candleston Woods, Merthyr Mawr (near Bridgend) 💷 Day tickets from £10/child, £25/teen, £60/adult |
Summer Holidays in Swansea & The Gower
| Wales Airshow | Featuring breathtaking aerobatic displays, state-of-the-art military aircraft and vintage planes from the past, tens of thousands of visitors enjoy the Wales Airshow in Swansea Bay every year. Expect to see exciting air displays, incredible ground displays, entertainment and much more. 📅 Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th July 2026 ◎ Swansea Bay 💷 FREE |
| Swansea Food & Drink Festival | This fantastic food festival brings street food from around the world to Swansea city centre, as well as sweet treats, craft drinks, and unique independent stalls, with a lively, welcoming atmosphere. 📅 Friday 7th to Sunday 9th August 2026 ◎ Swansea City Centre 💷 FREE |
Summer Holidays near Tenby
| Tenby Summer Spectacular | Two days of live music, entertainment, food and drink stalls, and games on the beach, culminating in a brilliant fireworks display over the harbour. 📅 Sunday 16th August 2026, from 15:00 (fireworks at 22:00) 📅 Sunday 30th August 2026, from 15:00 (fireworks at 22:00) 💷 FREE (Donations for Tenby Round Table) |
South Wales Guide does not organise any of the events listed on this page. Details are provided by the organiser or taken from their own listings, and they can change without notice, so please check directly with the organiser before you travel.
Free things to do in the summer holidays
The most reliable way to get through six weeks without spending a fortune in South Wales is to lean on what is already free.
All of the national museums are free to enter: St Fagans National Museum of History near Cardiff, the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, National Museum Cardiff, the National Roman Legion Museum in Caerleon and Big Pit National Coal Museum in Blaenavon. Several run free family activity programmes specifically during the summer holidays, so it is worth checking their what’s on pages before you go.
All of South Wales beaches are free to access. So are the coast paths, the country parks and the whole of Brecon Beacons National Park. Libraries across the region run free summer reading challenges and activity sessions, and most councils programme free events in parks and town centres through July and August.
Our full guide to free days out in South Wales has more, including what you should still budget for.
Rainy day ideas for the summer holidays
It will rain at some point during the summer holidays. Having a list ready is what stops it derailing the day.
The free national museums are the strongest option and the ones we keep coming back to, because they cost nothing and can absorb several hours. St Fagans has enough indoor buildings to keep going in wet weather, the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea is hands-on and fully indoors, and Big Pit takes you underground, where the weather is irrelevant. Museum entry is free, though the underground tour itself costs a few pounds.
Beyond those, the region has soft play centres, trampoline parks and indoor climbing in and around all three cities, cinemas in every major town, and swimming pools and leisure centres that run holiday sessions. A number of the larger attractions have substantial indoor elements that make them viable in poor weather.
And it is worth remembering that a wet day at the coast is not a write-off. Rock pooling is better in the rain than the sun, the Heritage Coast is at its most dramatic in bad weather, and most beach towns have somewhere to dry out with a hot chocolate afterwards.
Enjoy The Summer Holidays
We hope you have a great summer in South Wales this year.
If you are organising something over the summer holidays and would like it featured on this guide, please get in touch. Listings are free. We start planning this page in the spring, so it always carries the latest activities and events well before the holidays begin.
Frequently asked questions
- What festivals are on in South Wales over the summer?
South Wales has a full summer festival programme, including the Wales Airshow in Swansea, Brecon Jazz Festival, the Swansea Food and Drink Festival, the Caerphilly Cheese Festival and Between The Trees in Candleston Woods, along with music festivals, town carnivals and agricultural shows across the region. Several of the largest are free to attend.
- What is there to do with kids in South Wales?
South Wales suits families because so much of it is free and outdoors. Every beach is free to access, the national museums cost nothing to enter, and country parks across the region have playgrounds and marked trails. Beyond that there are farm attractions, adventure centres, castles to climb around and soft play in every town. Distances are short, so you spend less of the day in the car than you might expect.
- When is the busiest time to visit South Wales in summer?
The Welsh school summer holidays, from roughly the third week of July to the start of September, are the busiest and most expensive weeks of the year in South Wales. Coastal car parks at Rhossili, Three Cliffs Bay, Southerndown and Barry Island fill by mid-morning, and accommodation in Tenby and on the Gower books up months ahead. The first half of July and once schools go back in early September it is much quieter, with similar weather
- Can you take a dog to the beach in the summer holidays?
Not to all of them. Dog restrictions on the busiest South Wales beaches run from 1 May to 30 September, which covers the whole of the summer holidays. In the Vale of Glamorgan that includes Whitmore Bay at Barry Island, Dunraven Bay at Southerndown, Cwm Colhuw and Cold Knap. Plenty stay dog-friendly year-round, including Porthkerry, Jacksons Bay and Fontygary Bay. Rules vary by council, so check locally before you travel.
- Do you need to book things in advance in the summer holidays?
For beaches, coast paths and the free national museums, no, you can just turn up. But accommodation in Tenby, Saundersfoot and on the Gower books up months ahead for the summer holidays, and any attraction running timed entry will sell out for weekends and peak weeks. If there is one thing you definitely want to do, book it before you travel rather than on the day.
- Can you swim in the sea in South Wales in summer?
Yes, and late summer is the best time for it, because the sea is at its warmest of the year in August and early September. Lifeguard cover is seasonal and only on selected beaches, so swim between the red and yellow flags where they are flying. The Bristol Channel has one of the largest tidal ranges in the world, so check tide times before you go, and be aware of rip currents on the surf beaches around the Gower and Porthcawl.
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