This summer The Game Fair returns to Ragley Hall in Warwickshire for the seventh time in its 65-year history. More than 120,000 visitors are expected to attend from Friday 28 July to Sunday 30 July and the event promises to be a fantastic celebration of fieldsports and country life. The jam-packed itinerary includes exciting displays, thrilling competitions, educational demonstrations and plenty of chances for visitors to have-a-go for themselves. There’s something for the entire family, from rifle enthusiasts to fishing fanatics, clay shooters to foodies and more.
Here’s our guide to the top 10 things to see and do at The Game Fair 2023 to help you plan your visit:
The Shooting Line
The Game Fair boasts the most comprehensive outdoor exhibition for game and clay shooting held anywhere in the UK. Run again this year by E.J. Churchill, visitors can take part in competitions, have-a-go at clay shooting and watch some fantastic demonstrations. As always, BASC will be on hand providing one-to-one lessons for 30 minutes and a shorter ‘Shooting Experience’ for newcomers that lasts 10 minutes. The CPSA will be offering visitors have-a-go clay shooting at 10 targets with an instructor.
Enjoy a VIP experience at the Investec Enclosure
By upgrading your ticket to one of four VIP packages (bronze, silver, gold or platinum), you will have exclusive access to the Investec Enclosure and Garden, with forward parking, a cash bar, lounge area, VIP toilets, a shop-and-drop facility and the chance to meet and greet celebrities such as TV chef James Martin and comedian Paul Whitehouse. Packages start from £99 per person.
Go celebrity spotting
The Game Fair is set to welcome three famous faces to Ragley Hall this July, and there are several ways you can make sure you spot them. TV chef James Martin is back once again to host lunch in the Investec Enclosure plus he will be taking part in a gundog demonstration with his beloved spaniel Cooper in the Main Arena with leading trainer Jason Mayhew, and former international cricketer Matt Prior. Lifelong fisherman, river campaigner and beloved comedian Paul Whitehouse is set to appear at The Game Fair on Sunday 30 July to host its Sunday lunch, meet fellow fishermen and raise awareness of Britain’s declining rivers. A regular visitor to The Game Fair, Paul loves nothing more than watching the casting demos. Mancunian actor, angler and environmentalist Jim Murray is also making an appearance on the Sunday to promote Activist Anglers, a new initiative designed to empower and educate anglers on how they can make a difference and protect waterways.
Be inspired by the BASC Wild Food Theatre
The BASC Wild Food Theatre will gather some of Britain’s top game chefs to give live cookery demonstrations throughout the weekend, sharing their cooking secrets and championing the use of game and sustainable produce. The perfect place to get inspiration for future dinner parties or whet your appetite before heading to the Food Hall to sample the amazing array of food and drink on offer, the BASC Wild Food Theatre also educates visitors on the provenance of the food and sustainability and best practice from chefs and those who shoot, fish, hunt and forage.
Falconry demos
Run by Charlotte Hill, CJ’s Birds of Prey will hold exciting demonstrations showing the capabilities of different birds of prey. They will be bringing 30 different birds in total.
The ever-popular gundogs
Watching a perfectly trained gundog at work is a unique experience, showcasing the amazing bond between handler and canine. The Game Fair has been holding prestigious gundog test events for over 60 years and this year’s event sees the Euro Challenge and Home International competitions return once again. Alongside displays and competitions there are exhibitors, breeders and trainers on hand ready to share their words of wisdom on anything from feeding a new puppy to ironing out training issues. Plus, you might want to snap up a treat or new bed for your beloved four-legged companion.
Make your own ice cream with the Salcombe Dairy
The perfect attraction for families (and big kids) the Salcombe Dairy brings a taste of the West Country to The Game Fair – and the chance for people to make their own ice cream. Their interactive ice cream factory will keep children amused, churning out the brand’s award-winning, traditionally made Devonshire ice cream in an array of flavours. The Salcombe Dairy makes its ice cream with milk from a local farm, rich double cream and only the most delicious ingredients.
Browse art and antiques in the LAPADA Pavillion
LAPADA (The Association of Art & Antiques Dealers) will showcase an exquisite range of fine art, furniture, jewellery, and antiquities in a dedicated pavilion just of the Main Arena. Confirmed exhibitors include Greenstein Antiques, Sarah Colegrave Fine Art, Shapiro and Co, Art of the Imagination, The Hunt Gallery, Ellis Fine Art, Plaza Jewellery, Howell, Carlton Clocks, Thomas Spencer Fine Art, Timewise Vintage Watches, Blackbrook Gallery, Haynes Fine Art and Pushkin Antiques.
Thrills, spills and jaw-dropping skills in the Main Arena
A jam-packed itinerary ensures there’s always something to keep visitors entertained at the Main Arena. The action will include competitions, educational demonstrations and thrilling displays, with confirmed entertainment for 2023 including the Shetland Pony Grand National, hound parades, scurry driving, mounted Pony Club games and gundog demonstrations.
As well as these 10 must-see highlights of The Game Fair, there’s also the incredible shopping on offer. Over the three days, The Game Fair becomes one of the biggest retail areas in the UK with nearly 1,000 stands and truly something for everyone. All the big country brands will be in residence, with exciting new product launches and unbeatable show-only deals, alongside a number of small independent retailers and artisans.
The Fishing Village
The Game Fair has fishing at its core. The lake is a focal point, providing the opportunity for visitors to catch a fish, with instruction from the Canal & River Trust, or learn how to cast a fly rod with the Association of Advanced Professional Game Angling Instructors. More seasoned anglers can try their hand at various casting competitions, run by the British Fly Casting Club. See far how you can cast with the Spey and trout distance events or test your skills with the popular accuracy competition. There will be categories for different rod sizes and for male, female and junior casters.
The Landing Stage, The Game Fair’s fishing theatre, returns with a full schedule of films, talks and experiences. This will include an antique tackle roadshow, plus some well-known names in fishing like Marina Gibson will be on hand to share stories and pass on tips, along with Colin Macleod and Henry Giles making guest appearances in the book signing area.
The skilled Veniard fly tying team will be showcasing their art throughout the weekend, demonstrating their extraordinary skill while offering tips and chatting about their favourite techniques and patterns.
Visitors who are keen to take a closer look at some of the native fish found in Britain’s rivers and lakes can visit a tank curated by the Environment Agency with a selection of native coarse fish species. There will also be myriad angling exhibitors offering visitors the chance to book their next fishing holiday, choose a new rod or reel or browse a selection of new tackle.
Meanwhile, the ever-popular casting pool – reimagined this year as an English chalkstream – will be the perfect place to watch expert demonstrations from the likes of Hywel and Tanya Morgan, Marina Gibson, Scott Mackenzie, AAPGAI’S Brian Towers, Graham Simpson and Neil Barcock plus some of the Untamed Anglers.
Sussex Yeomanry
The Sussex Yeomanry, a mounted skill-at-arms demonstration team, will delight visitors at The Game Fair with impressive displays of equestrian skill with an historical twist. During a thrilling 30-minute display in the Main Arena on all three days. six experienced riders and horses from the Sussex Yeomanry will showcase the challenging maneuvers used to develop the skills of the cavalry in times gone by. They include tent pegging, removing a three-inch-wide peg from the ground with a lance or sword, shooting balloons with air pistols, and perfectly timed drill riding and jumping. The team’s horses are specially trained for these performances, and the skill and agility of the partnerships are impressive to watch. Afterwards, the audience will have the chance to gather at the arena fence to meet the riders and their star horses. Don’t miss this unique blend of history, horsemanship and entertainment.
Need to know
Where: Ragley Hall, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 5NJ.
When: Friday 28 July to Sunday 30 July (8am to 6pm; to 7:30pm on the Friday. Stands and attractions open from 9am).
Ticket Prices:
- Adult: £29 in advance for one day (gate price £35) or £58 for three days (three days for the price of two)
- Family (2 adults and up to 3 children): £69 in advance (gate price £80) for one day or £140 for three days
- Children (8-16): £10 in advance for one day and £30 for three days
- BASC members receive complimentary admission across all three days
