2026 Mid-Somerset Show coming to Shepton Mallet

By Laura Linham 27th Jul 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 1 hour ago

The Mid-Somerset Show will return to Shepton Mallet on Sunday, 16 August 2026, bringing one of the South West's best-known agricultural days out back to the edge of town. The show opens to the public from 9 am, with classes and ring events expected to finish by around 6 pm.

Organised by the Mid-Somerset Agricultural Society, the show is held every year on the third Sunday in August. It attracts more than 2,500 exhibitors and around 17,000 visitors, which is quite a crowd for one field, even by Somerset's very committed standards.

The show is billed as the largest free admission agricultural show in the UK, although car parking charges apply. Visitors using sat nav are asked to use the postcode BA4 4LY, while the showfield postcode is BA4 4GF.

There is a strong agricultural core to the day, with livestock classes covering sheep, pigs and cattle. The programme also includes equine classes, heavy horses, donkeys, eggs and fodder, the Cheese Awards, the Somerset Cider Championships and the Honey Show.

The marquees will be busy too, with a flower and veg show, floral art, home craft classes, baking, handicraft, photography, art and children's classes. There will also be an open dog show, a fun dog show and displays of vintage and classic vehicles.

Around the showground, visitors can expect attractions including The Sheep Show, terrier racing, a bird of prey display, Shetland pony racing and a horse jumping team relay. There will also be cheese board demonstrations, an acoustic stage, donkey rides, axe throwing, archery and a have-a-go gun dog scurry.

Trade stands will be spread across the site, including food, handmade craft and shopping areas. Rural craft displays will also feature, keeping the show rooted in the farming and countryside traditions that have made it a fixture in the local calendar.

Dogs are welcome at the show, provided they are with responsible owners and kept on non-retractable leads. Owners are asked to clean up after their dogs, and dogs are not allowed inside the Food and Cheese Hall, the Arts and Crafts marquee or the Honey Tent.

The public can enter the site before 9 am, but organisers warn there will still be vehicle movement while traders, lorries and car parking traffic arrive from 6 am.