Goose Fair lights up the Forest for ten days of rides, mushy peas and tradition

Ask anyone who grew up in Nottingham about their favourite autumn memory and the chances are Goose Fair will come up. This year the much loved fair returned to the Forest Recreation Ground for ten days, from Friday 25 September to Sunday 4 October 2026, with more than 400 rides and attractions and free entry for all.

Few local traditions can match its history. A royal charter granted by King Edward I in 1284 referred to the city's fairs, and Goose Fair has been staged in Nottingham since at least then. The name comes from the geese that were once driven on foot from Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to be sold, and the first recorded use of the name dates from 1541. The fair moved from the Old Market Square to the Forest Recreation Ground in 1928, and it now draws huge crowds, with 493,200 visitors recorded in 2024.

The 2026 fair began at noon on 25 September with the traditional opening ceremony by the tram stop at Gate 8, where the Lord Mayor of Nottingham rang the silver Goose Fair bells. The ceremony also featured the Djanogly City Academy choir and a reading by Sheldon Chadwick, a poet, researcher and seventh-generation showman.

Thrill seekers had plenty to talk about. Elevate 85, an 85 metre ride and the tallest ever seen at Goose Fair, made its first appearance, alongside the new looping ride Psycho and the return of Skyfall, the 80 metre drop tower that debuted in 2025. Old favourites were there too: the Waltzers, Dodgems and Gallopers, plus hook-a-duck and hoopla. The Cake Walk is a particular treasure, as it is the only ride still operating that featured when the fair was held in the Old Market Square.

Goose Fair has always been about more than rides. Mushy peas and Cocks-on-Sticks remain the traditional favourites, and Goosey, the fair's goose, keeps watch from the Mansfield Road roundabout. Quieter SEND sessions on the Sunday lunchtimes helped make the fair welcoming for children and adults with special educational needs and disabilities.

Councillor David Mellen, Nottingham City Council's executive member for leisure, culture and tourism, summed up the mood before the gates opened: "We can't wait to see the fairground lights return and welcome everyone back for another memorable year."

Details of next year's fair will appear on the Visit Nottinghamshire website.