Butlin's summer 2026: We crammed in a fortnight's worth of fun in four days with the Masked Singer, wresting and more

Leave any expectations of peace and quiet at the door.

Don’t come thinking about relaxation, don’t expect any form of healthy break, and don’t think there is downtime.

If you were to ask me for a Butlin’s survival guide, I think those would be near the top. But what would also be among the first bullet points would be this - just dive in, do as much as you can (and that will be a lot), and embrace the madness. Don’t stop. It’s great.

You can pack a fortnight’s worth of activities into four days at Butlin’s. Possibly more than two weeks’ worth. We came out of the Bognor site with our heads spinning - a crazy whirl of shows, laser tag, go-karting, swimming (lots of that) and more food and drink than you could shake a stick at. I didn’t leave the grounds at all in that time - there was no need to - and the children were in heaven.

I must admit, we were not Butlin’s newbies; this was our fourth stay, with a few day visits in between. It’s only an hour to get to Bognor from our house, so for a children’s treat it doesn’t involve a huge amount of travelling.

The place has acquired a slightly mystical air among our two children, and as they get older different aspects appeal more and more. At nine and six, no longer are the free-to-ride mini fairground rides and big soft play in the big top a huge draw - although they can be persuaded to have a dabble. The swimming pool’s main attraction is not the ankle-deep warm splash park any more, but the rapids that whisk you outside for a few minutes before throwing you into a plunge pool back indoors - and for nine-year-old Eddie, the enclosed Adrenaline waterslide which whizzes you down at speed.

Over four days I estimate I spent nine hours in the pool. I was wrinkled. But as it’s free to get into, with no booking needed, it’s one of the easiest attractions on site and at least for our two one of the most popular.

But that’s only one small part of what’s on offer at Butlin’s. We watched a live version of the Masked Singer, complete with celebrity contestants. We also saw Danny and Mick from CBBC and their Cirque du Hilarious Bonkers show, which was genuinely very funny for all ages, and not just for pre-teens. There were some pantomime-esque risqué jokes in there, which always works for the mums and dads.

Another show was Electric City - a cross between dance, acrobatics, circus-like tricks and neon lighting but much better and cooler than that description makes it sound - and Animals and Mythical Beasts by The Animal Guyz, which uses huge puppets and animal costumes to get across its environmental point. It also has some gooning about and some jokes, which is again to be welcomed.

We also took in Jack and the Beanstalk, proving that pantos can’t only be enjoyed at Christmas and, what was one of the most popular events of the week for many, Maximum Pro Wrestling.

Our children were not sure about the idea of this. We explained that it was fighting, but that nobody would get hurt (and that there was no need for audience participation!). They still looked a bit apprehensive when the lights went down and the walk-outs started, with all the fanfare and showmanship that you’d expect - but give it three minutes and the chanting, jumping up and down and fist-pumping kicked in and they were converts.

They loved it, and it was a really well-judged change of gear for Butlin’s compared to the other stage shows.

Those were all shows that needed booking, held in either the vast Studio 36 arena or on the Central Stage, but the big top was not without its allure - the Skyline Gang’s productions and the African dance troupe the Sarakasi All Stars were well worth dropping in for.

That list already feels as if it could have filled all our time, but aside from that we went ten-pin bowling, went to the outdoor fairground for the chairoplanes and the dodgems, and spent plenty of time in the hi-tech gaming area PlayXperience.

There we joined in a mass laser tag session - great fun, very sweaty and possibly my favourite activity of our stay - and played TechDarts - darts but with lighting gear that projects various screens on to the board and then detects where your arrow lands for a variety of games. There were a few rounds of Techputt - mini golf but again with an added tech bonus, this time that it counts your shots for you - and went into the VR-cade, which has lots of virtual reality machines.

These were all the things that you had to book for - but there were plenty of activities that you didn’t need to reserve - and at this point I’ll repeat the terrifying fact of nine hours in the pool, but there was plenty you could do in the dry. We spent hours in the fairground, on the chairoplanes and the swingboats, and queued up for the dodgems and the go-karts. It was too hot for the helter-skelter to open the week we were there, but there was plenty of trampolining to get stuck into.

As well as booking directly there are also plenty of Wowcher deals to be had for Butlin’s - check the list here.

We stayed in the onsite Wave hotel, and had dining passes which gave us access to the nearby restaurant for breakfast and dinner. This time round there was rarely much of a queue at the door - it feels as if the layout has been rejigged to create more space and I think there are more dining options elsewhere now - but the allure remains of as much fried breakfast as you like in the morning and a buffet in the evening. You don’t often need lunch.

On the final night I saw a man with a plate which was half Chinese food and half Indian food. He as clearly keen to try as much as possible and delighted with what was on offer. Which, to be fair, is quite a good metaphor for a Butlin’s stay. Reader, that man was not me. But I knew how he felt.