Newark Showground occupies around 150–200 acres of the former RAF Winthorpe Airfield, situated north-east of Newark town, Nottinghamshire. The airfield operated from 1940 to 1959, supporting RAF Bomber Command and Polish squadrons during World War II. In 1964 it was acquired by the Newark and Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society, and soon after opened for agricultural and community events.
Owned by one of the oldest agricultural societies in the UK (founded 1799), the site only gained prominence as a major events venue under CEO Adrian Johnston in the late 1990s. It features a mix of indoor pavilions and vast outdoor runways and grass zones: roughly 84 acres internal campus and surrounding 66 acres of runway, all offering heavy-duty infrastructure including water, electricity, toilets, showers, WiFi, parking and camping amenities.
The Nottinghamshire County Show, originally the “Newark Show” since 1868, was held on May 10, 2025, attracting 16,500 visitors, with highlights including livestock competitions, MakeBakeGrow, motorbike stunt shows, VE Day parade, equestrian contests, family activities and aircraft flypast.
It holds events such as: The Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show, founded in 2002, is now among the UK’s largest vintage machinery events, drawing around 10,000 attendees in 2025. The venue hosts Europe’s largest antiques & collectors fair held bimonthly, with up to 1,500 dealers and thousands of visitors every edition. In 2019, it staged the European Juggling Convention; prior years included the Vegan Camp Out festival (2018 and 2019) with over 5,600 and 7,500 attendees respectively.
Beyond headline fairs, the showground facilitates over 500 events annually, including dog shows, equestrian meets, wedding receptions, business conferences, garden shows, hobby fairs, and community gatherings.
Conveniently located just off the A1, A46 and A17, it’s easily reachable by road and rail. The venue injects an estimated £45 million into the local economy annually and generates significant economic activity through visitor spending and community engagements.
Photos courtesy of Newark Showground.
