12 Very Fun Experiences To Tick Off Your British Bucket List In 2018
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If you’re looking for fun, look no further than the UK. From culturally cool London to beloved Brighton, Britain remains a key spot to tick off your bucket list.
We’ve got your needs covered with some of Britain’s most interesting, adventurous, delicious and festive 2018 experiences. Read on for our picks.
Flyboard At Docklands
If you’ve ever lamented that you’re not Tony Stark from Iron Man, head for London’s Docklands and make the dream come true (in part).
Flyboarding is all the rage at the moment, and at Docklands, aspirational superheroes can strap water thrusters to their feet and wrists and somersault across the water up to 10 metres above the surface. The iron suit and billions of bucks aren’t included, but it’s a good time nonetheless.
When: May – July 2018
Head To Liverpool Sound City
For a taste of the largest international music, digital and film shindig in the UK, there’s no better place to be this summer than Liverpool.
Held over the May Bank holiday, Sound City takes over the city’s intimate and iconic venues with a roster of incredible live performances from over 250 emerging new acts and headline names. It’s a massive party and you’re all invited.
When: May 5 – 6, 2018
Experience The Arcadia Festival
Fans of the iconic Glastonbury festival (sadly not on this year) might remember that 50-tonne mechatronic rave spider with fireballs shooting from its industrial-sized talons.
That’s the work of Arcadia, a performance art collective that fuses sculpture, architecture, recycling, pyro, lighting, circus and music into massive performance and dance spaces.
This year, in lieu of Glastonbury (and to celebrate its 10th anniversary), Arcadia is treating local masses to an epic celebration at Olympic Park, where Tesla performers will shoot two million volts of lightning from their bodies, fireballs will ignite 50 feet in the air, eyes will feast, beats will pound, and minds will be well and truly blown. Don’t miss it.
When: May 5 – 6, 2018
Chase The Cheese
For a neat little trip outside the city, make your way to Coopers Hill near Gloucester, where the world-famous Cheese Rolling And Wake is a guaranteed fun day out.
On the spring bank holiday in May each year, nine or so pounds of local cheddar is hurled down a steep hill, pursued by a rowdy mob of international competitors. First to the finish line wins the cheese in a testament to the fact that some of the best events truly are the simplest.
When: May 28, 2018
Party At Parklife Manchester
Since the days of 24 Hour Party People, Manchester has been synonymous with a raging live music scene.
Given that it’s still a go-to for excellent clubbing, nightlife and good times, it’s little wonder that Parklife continues to thrive in the northern hub.
One of the UK’s most iconic, most popular and most famous weekenders, Parklife’s 2018 line-up is one to end all line-ups. Do yourself a favour, check it out and get amongst it.
When: June 9-11, 2018
Check Out All Points East
This massive new addition to the UK summer festival calendar looks like an institution in the making, what with Björk, Lorde, The National, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Patti Smith, LCD Soundsystem, War on Drugs, Future Islands, XX, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and The National heading up the main stage slots.
Get your tickets now: All Points East is the newest and perhaps most exciting London summertime shindig.
When: May 25 – June 3, 2018
Get A Taste Of The Gin Festival
As if there wasn’t already a tonne of reasons to get over to Bristol, this summer, gin lovers can relish in the UK’s first, biggest and best gin festival.
The festival showcases rare and authentic tastings, live music, artisan food and enough local and international gin to sink a small vessel.
Choose from Friday evening, Saturday afternoon or evening sessions, or head for all three and make it a Bristol gin weekender.
When: May 25 – 26, 2018
Enjoy British Summer Time At Hyde Park
Just when you thought London couldn’t possibly handle another massive festival, there’s British Summer Time.
Held at iconic Hyde Park over two weekends in July, BST 2018 features some huge headliners including Roger Waters, The Cure, Eric Clapton, Bruno Mars and Paul Simon, with heaps of acts to follow.
When: July 6 – 14, 2018
Go To Festival No. 6
What are you doing in September? Heading to Wales for Festival No. 6, of course. Billed as a ‘festival like no other’, the festival is held in the coastal hub Portmeirion.
It’s a multi-award winning music, arts and culture fest: a fusion of iconic and emerging artists, performing in a Mediterranean-inspired fantasy village surrounded by magical Welsh woodlands and mountains.
Beck called it the coolest, most surrealist, funkiest, freakiest, best festival in the world, so it’s worth a look on that recommendation alone. Expect a blend of music, screenings, live rescores, performance art, installations, talks, cabaret, comedy, excellent food and drink, and a visual setting like no other.
When: September 6 – 9, 2018
Take A Road Trip To Brighton Pavilion
Keen on a cheeky road trip while in the UK? Head south for Brighton and revel in Britain’s most beloved and historic seaside hub.
Lap up the mock-Mughal architectural grandeur of King George IV’s Royal Pavilion, wander along the Brighton Pier, shop to your heart’s content through The Lanes, and take in colourful Kemp Town – all within a two-hour drive of London.
When: Year-round
Tick Edinburgh Fringe Off Your Bucket List
A city of grandeur, epic hills and perpetual culture, Edinburgh is always a good choice. But in August each year, the Scottish hub peaks thanks to its cherished month-long fringe festival: the largest arts festival in the world, with over 50,000 performances across 300 different city venues.
The Royal Mile and inner-city swells with punters for the whole month, and you ought to be one of them. Music, comedy, theatre, street performers and general shenanigans await, in one of the most enchanting cities in the world.
When: Aug 3 –27, 2018
Ice Skate Somewhere Incongruous
Ice skating at London’s Natural History Museum? At historic Somerset House? At palatial Hampton Court?
When the temperature plunges after all that summer fun, Londoners like to head for some of their most regal architectural icons to strap on the skates and take a spin around a few fun winter pop-up ice rinks. For a dose of stately wintertime glory from November onwards, head for these three fabulous venues and get dizzy on the ice.
When: Nov 2018 – Jan 2019
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(Lead image: Festival No. 6/Facebook)
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There are plenty of fun experiences to discover in Britain. Set off on a trip to find your Great Britain. Find out more here.
