Ignite your family’s creative spark with a magical day of rhythm, storytelling, and musical play as the annual Turner Sims Summer Family Day 2026 returns to the south coast. Taking place on Sunday 14 June 2026 from 11:00 AM to 16:00 (4:00 PM), this highly anticipated event is a centerpiece highlight of the comprehensive Turner Sims Summer Festival weekend. Transforming the renowned concert hall and its sprawling, sun-drenched gardens into a buzzing hive of creative activity, the day is packed with interactive children’s theatre, drop-in craft pavilions, lively instrument workshops, and outdoor puppetry, offering an unforgettable, hands-on experience for music lovers of all generations.
Event Schedule and Timings
The family day offers an array of scheduled indoor theatre shows and ongoing outdoor activities throughout the afternoon. Plan your family’s afternoon around these featured performance blocks:
- 11:00 AM: Turner Sims Summer Family Day officially opens. Garden craft marquees and outdoor play zones are accessible to all families.
- 11:15 AM to 12:00 PM: Wonder Gigs (Indoor Show): An uplifting acoustic concert experience tailored specifically for babies, toddlers, and their grown-ups, featuring gentle melodies and multi-sensory props.
- 12:30 PM to 13:30 (1:30 PM): David Gibb’s Big Band (Main Stage Event): Join David Gibb for his brilliant, comedic musical production “Young MacDonald Wants a Farm,” packed with catchy indie-pop family songs and interactive storytelling.
- 14:00 (2:00 PM) to 14:45: Wonder Gigs (Indoor Show): A second afternoon opportunity for parents with very young children to enjoy the relaxing, sensory acoustic musical experience.
- 15:00 (3:00 PM) to 15:45: Youth Percussion Showcase: Head out to the garden marquee to watch dynamic live drumming and rhythm displays performed by talented regional youth players.
- 16:00 (4:00 PM): The family day festival officially concludes.
Interactive Workshops and Garden Activities
Beyond the main ticketed theatre stages, the Turner Sims lawn and foyer spaces transform into a lively, open-access creative hub featuring ongoing hands-on booths:
- John Hansard Gallery Pop-Up: Engage in free, drop-in creative art workshops led by specialist gallery educators, allowing children to design and build their own musical-themed crafts to take home.
- Garden Rhythm Workshops: Step inside the outdoor festival marquee to try your hand at a variety of percussion instruments under the guidance of friendly workshop leaders.
- Face Painting & Play Lanes: Treat the kids to vibrant summer face paintings or enjoy traditional outdoor family garden games scattered across the grass.
- Storytelling & Puppetry: Keep an eye out for pop-up acoustic musicians and walking puppets interacting with families across the school lawns between the main shows.
Ticketing and Admission Options
The festival operates under a highly accessible, community-focused admission model designed to welcome all local families:
- Free Garden Access: Entry to the main Turner Sims gardens, the John Hansard Gallery craft hub, the percussion tents, and the outdoor lawns is entirely free of charge, and no advance booking is required.
- Pay-What-You-Can Theatre Tickets: To ensure the indoor theatre performances remain affordable for everyone, tickets for David Gibb’s Big Band and the Wonder Gigs shows are offered on a flexible “Pay-What-You-Can” pricing structure. Simply choose the ticket tier that matches your budget when purchasing via the official Turner Sims box office.
How to Get to Turner Sims
The venue is located within the green spaces of the University of Southampton’s main campus at Turner Sims, Highfield Campus, University Road, Southampton, SO17 1BJ.
- By Bus: The campus is exceptionally well connected via public transport. The dedicated Unilink U1A, U1E, and U6 bus lines run highly frequent services directly from Southampton Central Railway Station and the city center straight to the Highfield Campus Interchange, located just a 3-minute stroll from the venue gates.
- By Train: Southampton Central is the main rail hub. Alternatively, Swaythling Railway Station is roughly a 20-minute flat walk from the campus grounds along marked pedestrian pathways.
- By Bicycle: Excellent cycling routes link the city center and the Common directly to Highfield, with multiple secure bicycle parking racks positioned outside the main concert hall entrance.
Where to Park
As the family day takes place across the weekend, parking on the university grounds is highly convenient and affordable for visiting drivers:
- On-Site University Car Parks: Parking is completely free of charge across the main Highfield Campus car parks all day on Sundays. Visitors can utilize the large parking lots located directly off University Road or Salisbury Road.
- Accessible Parking: Dedicated, level-access Blue Badge parking bays are situated directly adjacent to the main Turner Sims entrance canopy, providing smooth wheelchair access to the foyer, restrooms, and auditorium.
Explore More Summer Live Music
Looking to pair your weekend with incredible open-air performances right in the city center? Explore our comprehensive visitor guide to the Southampton Summer Sessions 2026 to find full star-studded lineups, gate opening times, and essential concert details.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need to buy a ticket to access the Turner Sims gardens?
- No, access to the Turner Sims lawns, the outdoor marquee rhythm sessions, and the John Hansard Gallery pop-up craft stalls is entirely free. You can bring your family to enjoy the outdoor festival atmosphere without booking in advance.
- How does the Pay-What-You-Can ticketing system work for indoor shows?
- To ensure world-class children’s theatre remains open to all, Turner Sims offers a range of pricing tiers for the indoor auditorium performances. When booking through the box office, you can select the price point that best fits your financial circumstances.
- What age groups are the indoor performances suitable for?
- The morning and afternoon Wonder Gigs sessions are specifically crafted for newborns, babies, and toddlers up to age 4. David Gibb’s “Young MacDonald Wants a Farm” production is highly interactive and perfect for children aged 2 to 7, though older siblings and adults will thoroughly enjoy the catchy songs as well.
- Can we bring our own food and have a picnic on the university lawns?
- Yes, families are warmly encouraged to bring along picnic blankets and packed lunches to enjoy on the green spaces. Light snacks, ice creams, and refreshments will also be available on-site near the foyer.
- Is the venue fully accessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs?
- Yes, the Turner Sims building and Highfield Campus grounds are fully accessible. There are ramped access pathways to the lawns, flat entrances to the main foyer, accessible restrooms, and dedicated pushchair parking zones on-site.
