A celebration of Britain’s best-loved folk hero marks its 40th summer spectacular later this year. The annual Robin Hood Festival, which began in the 1980s, is expected to draw visitors of all ages from far and wide to RSPB Sherwood Forest. Since the Middle Ages, Sherwood has been known as the home of the legend of Robin Hood and his Merry Band of outlaws. His exploits, cunning and skill with a bow and arrow have been championed in stories and ballads for centuries, and retold in books, on television and, of course, in film. The Festival harks back to the age of the outlaw in Sherwood, with Medieval jousting and combat displays, historical re-enactment, storytelling and much more. The event takes place over three weekends during August:
- 1st and 2nd August
- 8th and 9th August
- 29th to 31st August
In 2025, an estimated 30,000 visitors made the trip to Sherwood to experience the Festival atmosphere, with many making the journey from overseas, where the legend continues to capture the imagination of successive generations. In addition to the performances, visitors can try archery in the shadow of the Major Oak, one of the UK’s oldest and largest oak trees, and, according to legend, a hiding place for Robin and the outlaws as they sought to elude the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham.
The Festival first began when Nottinghamshire County Council managed the woodland as a country park. The council handed the reins to the UK’s largest conservation charity, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in 2018, to manage the reserve on behalf of the county council. The site is now managed as a nature reserve by the charity, with a remit to restore the landscape to the wildlife-rich wood pasture environment that Robin Hood himself might have known. This year, the team at Sherwood is inviting members of the local community and visitors to take part in a community arts project which will go on display during the Festival. The Bunting of Sherwood is a project for the public to design flags inspired by the legend and nature in the forest. The finished Bunting will be installed along the Major Oak trail on Festival days to bring even more colour to the event, as well as to guide visitors to performances and activities.
Details about the project, including a bunting template are available at www.visitsherwood.co.uk/home/robin-hood-festival-2026/ The main festival weekends are preceded on 24th-26th July with the Films in the Forest outdoor cinema event, with six films shown on the reserve’s Events green. This year’s selection includes Wicked, How to Train Your Dragon, Labyrinth, The Pirates of the Caribbean – The Curse of the Black Pearl, Disney’s Robin Hood and Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves. Tickets are now on sale via the http://www.visitsherwood.co.uk website.
Jess Dumoulin, Visitor Experience Manager at RSPB Sherwood Forest, said: “It has been a huge privilege for us to continue the tradition of the annual Robin Hood Festival for past seven years. “A lot of hard work from the whole team goes into the organisation and delivery of the event, but it is always so much fun to be a part of. “To see so many children and their families cheering on the outlaws and booing the Sheriff around the main arena, and to welcome so many people of different nationalities, makes it all worthwhile.” As part of the build-up to the 40th Festival, the RSPB is appealing for pictures, video and reminiscences of past festivals.
All the 2026 Robin Hood Festival information and updates will be available at http://www.visitsherwood.co.uk/home/robin-hood-festival-2026/and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/robinhoodfestival.