It is only a few days before Ragley Hall opens its gates for The Game Fair 2026, and by most measures, this will be the most ambitious edition in the event’s history.
Spread across more than 450 acres of Warwickshire parkland, the three-day event runs from 24 to 26 July and is expected to draw more than 120,000 visitors.
It is already the UK’s largest celebration of rural life, field sports, and artisan heritage. This year, it also happens to coincide with one of gunmaking’s genuinely extraordinary anniversaries.
Beretta Marks 500 Years At The Game Fair
If there is a single event anchoring the 2026 programme, it is the 500th anniversary of Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta. Founded in 1526, Beretta is widely recognised as the world’s oldest continuously operating manufacturing dynasty, and the company has chosen The Game Fair as a primary stage for its centenary celebrations.
To place that number in some context: Beretta was already a century old when Shakespeare was writing his greatest plays.
Five hundred years of uninterrupted craftsmanship is not a corporate milestone. It is a historical fact of the first order, and its presence at this event will be felt across the site.
The anniversary anchors a significantly expanded Gunmakers’ Row, which has long been one of the event’s most prestigious thoroughfares.
This year the Row gains a new addition: the Gunmakers’ Theatre, a dedicated space for technical debates, expert-led discussions, and live craftsmanship demonstrations. For serious enthusiasts, it is a genuine opportunity to sit with the finest minds in the gunmaking trade rather than simply passing their stands.
The Gunroom will act as the exclusive retailer for Beretta’s specially commissioned 500th-anniversary merchandise, making it the first stop for collectors.
Alongside Beretta, the Row also features Holland & Holland, Westley Richards, and E.J. Churchill, names that together account for centuries of British gunmaking.
New For 2026: Shed & Buried And The Modern Ruralist Craft Yard
Two entirely new areas make their debut this year. The first, Shed & Buried, brings the spirit of the television programme to life on site.
The section is dedicated to vintage treasures, classic machinery, and the kind of objects that reward a patient eye.
Whether the draw is restoration, the provenance of reclaimed pieces, or the straightforward pleasure of an unexpected find, Shed & Buried is well placed to become one of the most talked-about destinations at the fair.
Anyone who has lost an afternoon to a country auction will recognise the feeling immediately.
The second new arrival is the Modern Ruralist Craft Yard, given over entirely to the preservation of traditional British skills.
Live demonstrations of bespoke leatherwork, woodturning, and related heritage crafts will run throughout the weekend, with visitors able to engage directly with the craftsmen.
There is something clarifying about watching a person shape wood or leather with techniques passed through generations, particularly at a moment when mass production has made that kind of knowledge genuinely rare.
The Craft Yard does not simply display these skills. It argues for them.
Both additions reflect the same underlying intention at The Game Fair 2026: to keep tradition alive rather than merely commemorating it.
That same spirit of living heritage can be found elsewhere on the cultural calendar this summer, including the Catherine Goodman CBE exhibition at Boughton House, where contemporary art meets one of England’s great historic interiors.
The UK’s Largest Outdoor Shopping Village
The fair’s outdoor shopping village remains the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom.
High-end country fashion, bespoke tailoring, artisan homeware, and specialist field sports equipment sit alongside one another across a site that has no real equivalent on the British calendar.
The breadth of the offer is one of the things that distinguishes The Game Fair from any conventional trade show or country fair.
This year’s shopping programme opens with Welligogs Ladies Day on Friday 24 July. Visitors are encouraged to dress well, with prizes for the most elegantly turned-out attendees.
The result makes Friday the most visually arresting day of the weekend, a celebration of personal style against the backdrop of Ragley Hall’s parkland.
For anyone who enjoys combining a love of the countryside with a degree of sartorial ambition, it is an obvious starting point for the three days.
Innovation In The Field: Rally Clays And An Expanded Activity Row
New to the sporting programme in 2026 is Rally Clays, a head-to-head clay shooting format designed for speed and competitive edge.
The format should work as well for spectators as for participants, bringing some genuine tension to one of the countryside’s most popular disciplines.
It is a sensible addition to an already strong sporting line-up, and one that ought to draw a new audience to the clay ground.
For younger visitors, the expanded Activity Row includes air rifle tasters for those taking their first steps into field sports. Families can also meet therapy ponies on site.
These are not incidental touches. For the youngest attendees, they are often the detail they will remember longest.
The VIP Enclosure: Marco Pierre White, Dick And Angel Strawbridge, And Merlin Griffiths
The JM Finn-sponsored VIP Enclosure has always attracted high-calibre names, but 2026 marks a particular first. Marco Pierre White hosts at The Game Fair for the first time, curating the menu for Friday and Saturday guests in the Enclosure.
His ‘Mr. White’s Breakfast’ is among the anticipated offerings, a characteristically considered touch from a chef whose relationship with British produce and classical cooking remains one of the most singular in the country.
Sunday passes to Dick Strawbridge and Angel Strawbridge, the stars of Escape to the Chateau, whose enthusiasm for craftsmanship and rural life makes them a natural fit for the closing day. Their warmth will suit the atmosphere of the Enclosure well.
Throughout the weekend, Merlin Griffiths, television’s most recognisable mixologist, will be behind the VIP bar.
Given the culinary ambitions of the surrounding programme, the drinks offering will need to keep pace. By all appearances, it will.
James Gower, Managing Director of The Game Fair, is direct about what this year is trying to do: “With 50 days to go, the site is already buzzing.
Not only are we celebrating traditions this year, but we’re also modernising them.
From celebrating 500 years of Beretta to the new Rally Clays competition, 2026 is about creating memories that last for a long time after the gates close.”
Upgraded Infrastructure And Limited-Edition Merchandise
The organisers have responded to visitor feedback in ways that matter to the experience on the ground. The official 2026 campsite now includes a dedicated Quiet Zone Camping area for those who prefer a more considered stay, and flexible arrival options allow visitors to shape their weekend rather than conform to a fixed itinerary.
A limited-edition range of official Game Fair technical gilets, fleeces, and caps is also available to purchase ahead of the event. For regular attendees, a tangible piece of what will be an unusual year in the fair’s history.
For first-timers, a reasonable introduction to an event that tends to inspire repeat visits.
Those with a taste for collectible luxury editions might also note that the appetite for anniversary releases extends well beyond the shooting ground – as seen with the Bugatti W16 Mistral Blanc Éternel, where craftsmanship and heritage combine in similarly singular fashion.
Plan Your Visit To The Game Fair 2026
The Game Fair 2026 takes place at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire, from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 July.
Tickets are on sale now, with early-bird discounts and VIP packages moving quickly.
The full programme and booking information are available at www.thegamefair.org.
Whether the draw is Beretta’s 500th anniversary, the Gunmakers’ Theatre, Marco Pierre White‘s cooking, or three days in some of England’s finest parkland, the 2026 edition has the weight and range to justify the journey.
