We have an exciting line up of events and activities to enjoy in the Garden this summer from open-air music to family trails – scroll down to find out more about things to do in Cambridge!
But if you are planning to visit at any point over the summer, you can wander through a range of plantings, explore our collections or discover the weekly Plant Picks, selected by our Head of Horticulture. We also have a range of free family and adult trails, available everyday to collect and follow from our Tickets Offices.
We hope you enjoy your visit!
Festival of Plants: Saturday 8 June 2024, 10am – 5pm
The Festival of Plants is a fun-filled, fact-finding day out, celebrating the wonder of plants. There’s something for everyone to enjoy: from families to photographers, gardeners to budding plant scientists or anyone looking to spend an uplifting day in beautiful surroundings when the Garden is full of summer colour.
Sounds Green: every Wednesday evening in July, 6.15– 8.30pm
Relax with family and friends and enjoy an evening of live, open-air music from Cambridge Summer Music every Wednesday evening in July.
- 3 July – Prime Brass
- 10 July – Arun Ghosh Quintet
- 17 July – Hannah Horton
- 24 July – Mighty Like The Blues
- 31 July – Cores Do Samba
For Families:
🌻 Mystery History Family Trail: uncover the hidden stories of the Garden on this exciting adventure! The trail runs from 23 May – 15 July.
🌻 Family Saturdays Programme: enjoy free plant and wildlife themed crafts on the first Saturday of every month. This summer why not take part in:
- Herb Planting: Saturday 1 June.
- Moth Mobiles: Saturday 6 July.
- Lavender Love: Saturday 3 August.
🌻 Summer of Botany Family Activities: join us for a Summer of Botany at Cambridge University Botanic Garden with family trails and activities throughout the summer.
- Order of the Golden Lily Family Trail – Thursday 18 July – Monday 2 September.
- Herbarium Sheets: Collecting Nature’s Treasures – Tuesday 23 July, 1-4pm.
- Sun Print Art: Capturing Plant Shadows – Tuesday 30 July, 1-4pm.
- Plants on the Move: Build your own Wardian Case – Monday 5 August, 1-4pm.
- Fossil Fun: Exploring Ancient Flora – Tuesday 13 August, 1-4pm.
For Adults:
🌻 Free Expert Led Tours: join a tour every Sunday at either 11.30am or 2pm, as our expert guides lead visitors through the Garden’s seasonal highlights.
🌻 International Garden Photographer of the Year competition:
This free-to-enter competition themed ‘Weird and Wonderful in CUBG’ is open to all adult visitors to the Garden and will run across the summer until 2 September.
🌻 Science on Sundays: come and discover the fascinating world of plant science in just 30 minutes! Science on Sundays is a free, informal and monthly series of talks, sharing the latest discoveries in plant science and research with our visitors.
🌻 Adult Learning Courses: the Garden offers a wide range of workshops and courses, providing a perfect place to develop an understanding of plants, learn more about garden history or get creative. Courses include making a hand-tied bouquet, learning to classify plants and making flower collages.
Cambridge Nature Festival:
The Garden is hosting an exciting mix of nature-based activities and events as part of the Cambridge Nature Festival.
🌻 Fenland Folklore and Flora – Sunday 25 May, 2-3pm. A bookable talk covering subjects from herbal remedies to thatching, celebrating Cambridgeshire botany.
🌻 Early Morning Nature Wanders – Tuesday 28 May, Thursday 13 June and Wednesday 26 June, 6.30 – 7.30 am. Explore our collection of plants and their associated wildlife before anyone else arrives on an early morning nature wander.
🌻 The Importance of Peatlands – Saturday 15 June, 2-3pm. A talk by Brian Eversham from the Wildlife Trust about the importance of peatlands.
🌻The Great Fen – Sunday 23 June, 2-3pm. Listen to Henry Stanier from the Wildlife Trust talk about fenlands and the Great Fen, one of the largest restoration projects of its type in Europe.
The Garden is open every day 10am – 6 pm in June, July and August.
Browse in the Garden Shop or enjoy a refreshing drink or tasty treat at the Garden Café.
Unless stated on the event pages, tours, talks and trails mentioned are free and included with Garden admission.
Visit our What’s On pages to find out what else is on offer and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all the latest updates.
