Beaumaris Medieval Festival 2026: Times, Tickets and Family Guide

Beaumaris Castle's Medieval Festival returns for the August bank holiday weekend, filling the unfinished fortress with knights, musicians, jesters and living-history activity. The 2026 event runs from Saturday 29 to Monday 31 August, 10am to 5pm.

This guide brings the useful details together: what visitors can expect, current admission prices, accessibility, parking and how to make the day manageable with children. Event details can change, so check the live Cadw events listing before travelling.

What happens at Beaumaris Medieval Festival 2026?

Cadw says the castle will be transformed with knights, lords and ladies, musicians and jesters. Its current summer programme presents the weekend as an immersive family event rather than a quiet self-guided castle visit.

The setting does much of the work. Beaumaris is a concentric castle, with one ring of defences inside another, a moat and broad grassy wards. The building was never completed to its intended height, but that unfinished form leaves unusually clear views across its defensive layout.

The headline description is confirmed, but Cadw has not published a minute-by-minute programme on the pages checked for this guide. Treat individual activities and performance times as subject to change rather than planning your whole day around an unconfirmed demonstration.

Tickets and current admission prices

Cadw's current summer admission page lists adult entry at £10.90, juniors aged 5-17 and students at £7.60, seniors at £9.80, a one-adult family ticket at £24 and a two-adult family ticket at £34.90. Children under five enter free, while Cadw members are free.

Disabled visitors and a companion are also listed as free. Cadw offers a £1 ticket for people receiving Universal Credit and certain other named benefits, with eligibility evidence required. Online advance booking normally gives Cadw's best available price, but visitors should confirm that ordinary admission covers the festival before purchasing.

Prices and entry conditions are especially changeable. Use the official Beaumaris Castle page for the final amount and booking route.

A simple plan for visiting with children

1. Arrive near opening. An earlier start gives families time to explore before the busiest middle part of the day.
2. Check the activity board first. Note any timed performances before walking the walls.
3. Explore at ground level before climbing. Much of the castle can be appreciated from the wards, while wall walks involve steps and uneven surfaces.
4. Take a food break away from the busiest activity. Cadw lists picnic tables, but there is no on-site cafe.
5. Leave spare time for Beaumaris. The castle sits beside the town, waterfront and pier, so the visit need not end at the gate.

The castle is exposed to Welsh weather. Bring layers and waterproofs even if the morning looks settled, and choose footwear that can cope with grass, gravel and stone.

Accessibility, toilets and dogs

Cadw's access guide says the visitor centre has automatic doors and a low-profile desk. A wide wooden bridge leads to the outer ward, and much of the monument can be viewed at ground level. Two accessible parking spaces are available beside the monument, with more in nearby public car parks.

The wall walks and corridors are less accessible. They include narrow staircases, uneven surfaces and tight doorways. Grass can become slippery when wet, and the path near the moat needs care. Anyone who needs detailed support should read the official access guide or contact the castle before travelling.

There are no toilets inside the site. Cadw directs visitors to free public toilets about 50 metres away, including accessible facilities and baby changing. Dogs are welcome on short leads at ground-floor level.

Parking and public transport

The main town car park is opposite the castle, and another medium-to-large public car park is within a short walk. Bank-holiday demand may be heavy, so allow time for queues and avoid relying on the closest space being available.

For public transport, Cadw lists Bangor as the nearest railway station, about 15 kilometres away. Bus routes 53, 57 and 58 connect Bangor and Beaumaris, with a stop roughly 100 metres from the castle. Check the live journey with Traveline Cymru because Sunday and bank-holiday timetables can differ.

Why Beaumaris suits a medieval festival

Beaumaris was the final castle begun in Wales for Edward I, designed by James of St George. Work started in 1295 but the planned fortress was never fully finished as money and military priorities shifted. Its symmetry, moat, gate passages and layered wards make the defensive idea easy to read.

That is why the weekend can offer more than costume and spectacle. A visitor can compare the activity with the actual spaces around it, then notice where soldiers, supplies, gates and walls fitted into the design.