Show dates: Thursday 22nd to Saturday 24th October 2026 at Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, UK
On 2nd May The Lord Lieutenant of Surrey presented the National Honey Show with the Kings Award for Voluntary Service. This is the highest award a voluntary group can receive and is the equivalent of an MBE for the organisation. Huge congratulations to all our wonderful volunteers who have rightly been recognised for
their contributions to the show.
If you have given an afternoon to check entry badges, guard exhibits, shepherd visitors to lectures, transport and assemble our show kit and so much more, this award recognises your contribution. You should be very proud. The award was presented at the picturesque apiary of Reigate Beekeepers Association (you can find a short video on our YouTube channel) in the presence of local dignitaries including the High Sheriff of Surrey and a who’s who of high-profile people from the beekeeping world. Many of our volunteers were present and received Kings Award badges from the Lord Lieutenant. If you are one of our wonderful volunteers but were not at the May presentation then make sure you attend the opening ceremony for the 2026 show at 12noon on Thursday 22nd October when Mrs Caroline Breckell MVO DL will present you with a ‘KAVS’ badge to recognise your contribution.
Of course we will be celebrating throughout the October show and some of our classes will have a Kings Award theme. Have a look at the Decorative Class 31, a Decorative Design in Honeycomb built by bees class 118 and the Decorated Honey Cake class 181. There’s nothing to stop you giving any other appropriate class a Kings Award theme. How about getting together with your association members to plan a shop window display. Previous entries have been amazing.
In 2025 the first and very worthy winner of our new President’s Award for unsung heroes was Bill Fisher who has done so much to develop the show bench displays and the general layout of the show. Congratulations Bill. Who will it be this year?
We have a great line-up of world class speakers and practical workshops. As usual we will have our extensive trade show where you will find beekeeping bargains and innovations to enrich your beekeeping.
We are very grateful to our patron the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers, The CB Dennis Trust and the many beekeeping associations, individuals and our hugely supportive traders who make our show possible. To those of you considering sponsorship, be it prize money for a class, sponsoring a lecture or helping with the considerable cost of staging the show, please contact me and I will tell you how you can help.
The show team is looking forward to welcoming you to Sandown Park in October, seeing your fantastic exhibits and celebrating the Kings Award for Voluntary Service.
In 2025 we had yet another record of 2,658 entries from 356 entrants. Can you beat that again this year? Of course you can!
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
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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
Venue Information
The National Honey Show venue is at Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey KT10 9AJ
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 is a major electric vehicle charging hub with 42 fast and rapid charge bays 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 2026 traders
