Summer Series returns to the American Museum & Gardens

This summer, the American Museum & Gardens presents a new season of outdoor theatre and evening events. As the sun begins to set over the Limpley Stoke Valley and the gardens take on a golden glow, the Museum’s much-loved Summer Series returns, bringing together open-air theatre and relaxed evenings filled with live music, food and sweeping views across the surrounding countryside.

Set against the backdrop of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, these evenings offer a rare chance to experience the gardens after hours. Guests are invited to settle in with a blanket or chair, enjoy something from the Garden Deli or BBQ and bar, and soak up an atmosphere that blends culture, landscape and long summer evenings.

The outdoor theatre programme opens in June with Shakespeare’s Othello, performed by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, an all-male cast bringing one of the Bard’s most gripping tragedies vividly to life. In July, Pantaloons Theatre Company present a playful and inventive take on Sherlock Holmes & The Hound of the Baskervilles, combining live music, humour and audience interaction. August welcomes a family-friendly highlight: a lively musical adaptation of The Jungle Book, filled with original songs, well-loved characters and plenty of energy.

Alongside theatre, the Garden Lates series offers three relaxed evenings of Americana-inspired live music. From folk traditions and Celtic influences to country, bluegrass and blues, each event pairs a different local band with the chance to unwind in the gardens, enjoy great food and drink, and take in the spectacular valley views as day turns to dusk.

Summer Series 2026 Programme:

Garden Lates – Last Night’s Fun 5 June | 5.30–8.30pm A vibrant folk ensemble blending Celtic traditions with English and American influences, featuring fiddle, accordion, whistle, banjo and more.

Garden Theatre – Othello 12 June | 7pm The Lord Chamberlain’s Men present Shakespeare’s powerful tale of jealousy, manipulation and tragedy in a compelling open-air performance.

Garden Theatre – Sherlock Holmes & The Hound of the Baskervilles 17 July | 6.30pm A fast-paced, humorous and inventive retelling of the classic mystery, with live music and audience interaction.

Garden Lates – Jonnie Melancholy and the Sad Cowboys 24 July | 5.30–8.30pm A six-piece band delivering country, bluegrass and transatlantic folk with rich harmonies and a wide-ranging repertoire.

Garden Theatre – The Jungle Book 9 August | 6.30pm A high-energy, family-friendly musical adventure following Mowgli and friends through Kipling’s much-loved jungle world.

Garden Lates – The Strays 28 August | 5.30–8.30pm A lively mix of Americana, country, blues and soft rock, driven by three-part harmonies and an infectious, feel-good sound.

Food and drink will be available at all events, with guests encouraged to bring their own seating or picnic blanket for a relaxed outdoor experience.

Tickets and further information are available via the American Museum & Gardens website: www.americanmuseum.org/whats-on