No One Gets Left on the Bench!

Norfolk is the place to be this summer for sports fans, with dozens of Olympians, Paralympians and international sporting legends converging on Holkham in August for Festival of Sport 2023.

Held over three days from 11 – 14 August, Festival of Sport is the only summer weekender in the UK dedicated to sport. It gives youngsters the chance to hone their skills in their favourite sports and try out completely new disciplines. Rugby giant and co-founder Will Greenwood says: ‘From football, netball, hockey, golf and of course rugby, to kayaking, boxing, American football, skateboarding and skipping, we’ve got something for everyone. And the chance to learn from some of the absolute greats in those sports.

‘It doesn’t matter whether you’ve played it before, or never even heard of it, we want to share the joy of sport with as many families as we can – learning something new, spending quality family time together and making new friends.’

Sports pros attending alongside Will include fellow co-founder and Tigers legend Austin Healey, cricketer Ryan Sidebottom, hockey gold medallists Helen and Kate RichardsonWalsh and Paralympic rowers Vicki and Tom Aggar.

Aimed primarily at families with children aged 5-17, each youngster takes part in 12 different sessions across the weekend, followed by evenings in front of the main stage where live bands and open-air cinema keep the party atmosphere going into the night. There’s plenty for adults to have a go at too, from Echelon cycling classes to DanceFit, and challenges in chipping, skipping and rowing throughout the weekend – including the chance to pit yourself against sporting professionals. The Festival’s core aim is to make sport fun for everyone. As Austin Healey explains, ‘The great thing about Festival of Sport is that it’s genuinely inclusive – everyone gets to do a bit of everything. There are no VIP areas, it's not about talent-spotting or competition, it’s purely about proper family fun, trying new things and enjoying time together outdoors.’ For the full festival vibe, there’s also a food village with a variety of street food vendors serving up an international mixture of food, a wellness area, sports massage and toddler play zone. Families staying for the full three nights can choose from a range of camping and glamping options on site, or just go for a day.