This year’s Grasmere Sports, a popular traditional event in the English Lake District which attracts thousands of visitors a year, will be free to enter for all visitors after a major move by the organisers to ‘reduce costs and make the historic event more accessible to families and communities'.

Entry to the event, which will take place on Sunday 30th August 2026, will be free of charge, with a ‘modest’ parking fee set to be introduced instead, so that people can continue to ‘enjoy one of Cumbria’s best-loved cultural and sporting gatherings’.

On the decision to keep the event affordable, the Chair of Grasmere Sports, Paul Abbott said: “Everything is getting more expensive, and we don’t want that to stop people from enjoying Grasmere Sports. By removing the entry fee, we’re making it easier for families to come along and experience these wonderful traditional Lakeland sports.”

“If you can arrive on the 555 or 599 buses, walk, or cycle, you’ll be able to enjoy the sports completely free. We want to see as many people as possible enjoying this unique day in the heart of the Lakes.”

The event, which has been around for more than 170 years, features a range of traditional and outdoor disciplines, including Cumberland & Westmorland wrestling, fell running, tug of war, paragliding races (run jointly with Cumbria Soaring Club) and an ‘ever-popular’ dog show and hound racing.

The day will also include a range of non-sporting entertainment such as circus acts, a fun fair, The Wonder Wheelers (and their range of unusual bikes), Drum Nation (Cumbria-based samba drumming collective), Circus Avago and Sam the Scam.

On the event and its decision to become more accessible, local MP Tim Farron said: “Grasmere Sports is a jewel in the crown of our local calendar and a brilliant celebration of our heritage. I’m delighted that more families will now be able to come along without worrying about the cost.”

“I’ll be there as always for the fell race, though I can’t promise I’ll be anywhere near the front! It’s fantastic to see the event continuing to evolve while staying true to its roots.”

The decisions that have been made by the organisers highlight the focus of this year’s Grasmere Sports, which is to ‘encourage more people outdoors, strengthen community participation, and ensure the event remains sustainable for generations to come’.

For more information on Grasmere Sports & Lakeland Show visit: https://www.grasmeresports.com/ or follow @grasmeresports