Open-air theatre, film, comedy, food, family fun and more take over Chester’s Grosvenor Park this summer with four fabulous shows set to entertain and enchant audiences.

See Outlaws: A Robin Hood Story for a merry adventure and Let The Sun Shine! for a music-filled summertime treat

Enjoy a rollicking rags-to-riches Restoration romp in the company of Nell Gwynn

And youngsters and their families are invited to take a trip to Neverland with Peter Pan in an interactive walkabout show

This summer, Storyhouse in the Park will transform Grosvenor Park into a cultural playground for two months, packed with open-air theatre, live comedy, Moonlight Flicks cinema nights, yoga sessions, murder mysteries, street food celebrations and family activities, alongside four major theatrical productions.

The 2026 Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre season, presented by Storyhouse, will run from 27 June to 6 September.  Tickets are on sale on Friday 27 February at 12pm priced from £20.25 for Storyhouse Members / £22.50 non-members.

Gangs of New York playwright Kieran Lynn returns to the outdoor theatre-in-the-round with a bold, feelgood reimagining of one of Britain’s greatest legends. Outlaws: A Robin Hood Story opens on Friday, 3 July and runs until Sunday, 23 August.

Set in Sherwood Forest, this modernised take features Robin, Maid Marion, the Merry Men and the Sheriff of Nottingham in an Ocean’s Eleven-style heist to steal the King’s jewels. Packed with humour, romance and political bite, the story champions misfits outsmarting the powerful and stealing from the rich to give to the poor.

Expect thrilling fight scenes, rewritten folk versions of well-known songs and lots of audience interaction in raucous, party-like outdoor experience.

The production is directed by Hannah Noone (The Snow Queen, Cinderella).

Then Let The Sun Shine! with Helen Redcliffe’s uplifting transformational drama which runs from Friday, 10 July to Sunday, 23 August.

Set in 1969 and directed by Rob Green and Lucy Thatcher, this coming-of-age story unfolds in a conservative UK town on the brink of cultural change. When a Woodstock-inspired festival arrives, fear and resistance gradually give way to collaboration, connection and joy.

Following teenager Harry Bottomley and a cast of townspeople whose lives are transformed, the show explores themes of self-expression, freedom and finding your voice.

Featuring live amplified music throughout, the audience becomes part of the festival itself in a communal and joyful celebration of music, youth and change. The show is suitable for audiences aged 12 and up.

Meanwhile this year’s enchanting walkabout family show is Peter Pan.

Taking place from Tuesday, 28 July to Thursday, 13 August, children under eight and their families are promised a vibrant interactive adventure. Staying close to the classic Disney-style storytelling, the show features Peter Pan, Wendy, John, Michael, Tinkerbell and Captain Hook.

Audiences become part of the action – even forming the crocodile – as they journey through Neverland. With water pistol fights, pirate antics, Lost Boys vs Pirates, walking the plank and plenty of playful audience participation, this daylight production delivers high-energy, family-friendly fun.

And the open-air season ends with a further theatrical treat in a co-production with Shakespeare North Playhouse and Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake.

Nell Gwynn, being staged from Friday, 21 August to Sunday, 6 September, is a bawdy feminist comedy with music and dancing, telling the true-ish tale of the orange seller turned Restoration celebrity, actress and mistress of Charles II. Set in 1660s London, the production is a rags-to-riches story packed with wit, irreverence and heart.

Featuring real historical figures and events (with generous embellishment) the show celebrates a woman who broke boundaries and claimed her place on the English stage. Bold, funny and unapologetically grown up, this production is aimed at existing Storyhouse audiences and fans of classic adaptations and is a co-production with Shakespeare North Playhouse and Theatre by the Lake.

The festival site will once again feature the popular tepee bar, with a wider variety of food choices than ever before, craft beers and frozen cocktails, alongside a vibrant Street Food Weekend (27–28 June) launching the season with live music and free entry.

Across the summer, visitors can also enjoy:

·        Moonlight Flicks – the return of Storyhouse’s atmospheric open-air cinema nights

·        Live comedy evenings

·        Thrilling Murder Mystery events

·        Outdoor yoga sessions in the park

·        Rhyme Time and Library Craft sessions for families

Whether audiences are coming for Outlaws: A Robin Hood Story, a glass of wine under the stars, a family craft morning or a late-night film screening, Storyhouse in the Park promises a summer-long celebration of culture, community and creativity.

Storyhouse creative director Suzie Henderson said today: “Storyhouse in the Park and Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre is the undisputed jewel in the crown of our summer programme, and we have a fantastic line-up of theatrical adventures for 2026 which I know are going to captivate theatregoers of all ages.

“Kieran Lynn’s The Gangs of New York was a huge hit when it was premiered in the park two years ago, so I’m absolutely delighted to announce we are staging his latest thrilling escapade, this time Outlaws: A Robin Hood Story, a bespoke new story for Chester audiences.

“In addition, Storyhouse head of producing Helen Redcliffe has turned playwright to deliver the second unmissable production of the Grosvenor Park season, the irresistible Let the Sun Shine! Which, of course, we’re sure it will after last year’s glorious summer. And we finish the two-month open-air programme with a third main stage show, the rip-roaring Nell Gwynn, a new co-production with the wonderful Shakespeare North Playhouse and Theatre by the Lake.

“Meanwhile our annual interactive walkabout shows for young children and their families have proved increasingly popular. This year we’re taking a trip to Neverland alongside Peter Pan, Wendy, Tink and the Lost Boys in a production which promises to be an exciting and magical experience.

“What makes Storyhouse in the Park so special is that it’s more than just theatre. It’s a space for families to spend time together, for friends to meet for comedy or a film under the stars, for people to try yoga in the sunshine, or solve a murder mystery after dark. Grosvenor Park becomes a cultural home for the whole city across the summer and we can’t wait to welcome you!”

For more details on the Storyhouse in the Park season visit www.storyhouse.com