Show dates: Thursday 22nd to Saturday 24th October 2026 at Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, UK
National Honey Show receives the Kings Award for Voluntary Service
Back in November 2025 we received the fantastic news that the National Honey Show had received the Kings award for Voluntary Service – the highest award a voluntary group can receive and the equivalent of an MBE for the organisation. Well-deserved recognition for all our wonderful volunteers without whom we couldn’t stage the show.
The award was presented to the show on 2nd May 2026 by His Majesty the Kings Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, Michael More-Molyneux at the Reigate Beekeepers’ Association apiary in Surrey. It was a magical occasion with a star-studded guest list including the High Sheriff of Surrey, other local dignitaries and a who’s who of the great and good from the world of beekeeping. Many of our volunteers were presented with Kings Award badges by the Lord Lieutenant.
Many more of our volunteers were unable to attend so we will be continuing our celebrations at Sandown Park in October. If you are one of our wonderful group of volunteers do make sure you are at the 2026 show to celebrate with us and receive your badge.
Plans for the 2026 show are well advanced and we have already released the schedule of classes. You can see it in the schedule menu at the top of this page. Now’s the time to think about the classes you could enter. In the schedule drop down menu you will also find a separate list of all the junior classes – to save our younger entrants from ploughing through over 200 classes! Some of our classes will have a Kings Award theme. There’s nothing to stop you giving other classes the Kings Award treatment. How about getting together with your association members and planning a shop window display?
If you would like to be one of our volunteers or to be a judges steward there will be instructions on how to apply in our programme which will be released around mid-summer. Everyone is welcome and even if you only check entry badges on the door or guard a show bench you will be doing a vital job without which we couldn’t run the show.
It’s a great opportunity. You give us half a day of your time and we give you free entry for the day so you get to enjoy the show for free!
Put the dates in your diary – Thursday 22nd to Saturday 24th October and start planning your entries.
Come and join the fun!
Bob Maurer, Chair, National Honey Show.
National Honey Show overview
Highlights of the 2025 show
DOORS OPENING TIMES
Thursday 22nd October
Lectures and Restaurant 9.00am – 6.00pm
Trade Hall 12:00 noon – 6.00pm
Honey Show 2.00pm – 6.00pm
Friday 23rd October 9.00am – 6.00pm
Saturday 24th October 8.30am – 4.30pm
ADMISSION
National Honey Show Members: FREE
Non-Members: Day tickets £16.00 (or £48.00 for the 3 days)
Accompanied Children, 16 yrs and under: FREE
National Honey Show Newsletter
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2025 was our biggest year so far!
We wondered how we would manage to compete with our record-breaking centenary show in 2023 but you all rose to the challenge with a magnificent entry of over 2,600 exhibits – an all-time record!
Workshops
The National Honey Show holds a number of workshops and demonstrations to assist new or less experienced exhibitors in the art and skills of preparing some items for honey show classes and to help raise the general standard of exhibits as well as other beekeeping related topics.
Competitive Classes
The Competitive Classes booklet is available for download and entries are open.
Late entries may be made until 13th October with a single late entry fee of £10.
Venue Information
The 2025 National Honey Show venue is at Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9AJ, UK.
Directions to Sandown Park
From London, take the A3 and follow the brown venue signs to Sandown Park’s London then exit onto the A307 and follow the brown venue signs. Alternatively, from the M25, exit at Junction 10 and follow the A3 towards London then exit onto the A307 and follow the brown venue signs.
If using a Sat Nav, please enter ‘Portsmouth Road’ rather than the Sandown Park postcode – this will bring you to our main car park which is just off the A307 (Esher High Street) and is directly in front of the main entrance.
Visit AA Route Planner to plan your journey.
For electric car users, there are four Polar “fast charge” points in operation in the main car park.
Esher rail station is just a 10 minute flat walk from the main entrance. Visitors should turn left out of the station onto Station Road and then right at the T- junction to join the A307 Portsmouth Road. The entrance to Sandown Park is on the right hand side.
Alternatively there is a taxi rank at the station.
For all National Rail enquiries please call 08457484950 or visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Please note that Esher rail station is located outside of Zones 1-6 and that Oyster Cards are not valid when travelling to Esher. A paper ticket must be purchased in advance of travelling.
Sandown Park has a helipad; visitors wishing to arrive by helicopter should please contact us in advance by calling 01372464348.
London airports Heathrow and Gatwick are approximately 12 and 25 miles away by road respectively.
Parking
For Honey Show attendees, parking is free in the centre of the racecourse, which you can reach from the More Lane entrance. Alternatively there is free parking in the main car park during the National Honey Show.
Coach parking is free – just follow the Sandown Park signposts on all approach routes and park in the area off the Portsmouth Road.
There are allocated disabled parking spaces in the main Portsmouth Road car park, which is free of charge to all blue badge holders. The parking is very close to the main entrance and the grandstand.
Dogs are not permitted on site unless they are assistance dogs. Camping is not permitted.
Some of the 2025 traders
