Centre court
The opening of Van Kampen Gardens at Hampton Court, Herefordshire, is marked by a midsummer festival weekend of non-stop music, theatre and children's workshops.
• Open Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 11am-5pm. Wed-Sun 1pm-5pm. Admission £5/under 6 free/6-13 £3/family £12. Hope-under-Dinmore, Leominster (01568 797777).
Theatre of dreams
Visit the home dressing room on an hour's tour of Manchester United, then linger in the museum.
• Open 9.30am-5pm daily. Tours 9.40am-4.30pm, book in advance or on day, 0161-868 8631. Museum only: £5/£3.50/family £14; with tour £8/ £5.50/family £22. Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, Manchester.
Reel thing
Scotland's Royal Highland Show highlights the agricultural calendar, with pedigree livestock, flowers, showjumping and crafts.
• Open Sat 7am-8pm, Sun 8am-7pm. Admission: Sat £15/£7.50, Sun £12.50/£7. Between A8 and Edinburgh Airport (0900 8030 444).
Brunel's kingdom
Steam, the museum of the Great Western Railway, tells the story of the GWR through famous locomotives, live actors and posters.
• Open daily 10am-6pm, 8pm on Thurs. Admission £4.80/£3/family £13. Kemble Drive, Swindon, Wilts (01793 466646).
Wild West
Find Sumatran tigers in Forest zone, the cheetah in Savannah zone and the Ape Centre discreetly camouflaged at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park.
• Open daily 10am-6pm. Admission £6/£4.90/family £21.80. Totnes Road, Paignton, Devon (01803 527936).
Country living
The two-day annual Middlesex County Show brings out the best of British farming, with arts, crafts, showjumping, morris dancing, falconry and veteran cars to boot.
• Open Sat/Sun 9.30am-6pm. Admission Sat £6/£2.50; Sun £7/£3. The Showground, Park Road, Uxbridge (020-8866 1367).
Hip hop
David Bowie, John Martyn and Ladysmith Black Mambazo join circus, theatre, cabaret and poetry at Glastonbury's Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts. All welcome, from children to (new) ageing rockers.
• June 23-25. Admission: £87 including access to all entertainment tents and camping, under 14s free accompanied by adults. Glastonbury, Wilts (01159-129129).
Hot air
Drift down to Southampton's Balloon and Flower Festival. A mass lift-off at 6pm on Friday is followed by a "nightglow" and two more days of flights and flowers.
• June 30-July 2. Free. Southampton Common (023-8083 3333).
