Celebrating The Best Of Kent At Kent County Show 2025

Nikki Dorkings, General Manager of the Kent County Agricultural Society, said "Kent County Show 2025 has been a hugely successful event with increased footfall and a fantastic atmosphere around the Showground across all three days. It was an honour for the Kent County Agricultural Society to host a visit from Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh on Friday the 4^th of July. The three day showcase of the best of Kent featured local farmers and food producers, countryside pursuits, rural life and even camels!”

Over three days, livestock, horses, vintage vehicles, retail stands and much more, converged onto the Showground for a festival of the best of Kent. Visitors had the opportunity to discover fascinating aspects of rural life as they made their way around each of the Show’s educational and interactive sections.

Speaking at the end of the Official Closing Ceremony, Matthew Cullen, Chairman of the Society, commented: “The Kent County Show is a prime opportunity for local farmers, producers and the rural community to come together and show the general public from Kent and beyond what we do!

There’s been a real buzz around the Showground all weekend and we’re delighted to have received loads of really positive feedback.

It’s been an honour for me, in my first year as Chairman of the Kent County Agricultural Society, to welcome the many thousands of visitors, exhibitors, traders and volunteers to the Show this weekend and I thank them all for their ongoing support!”

Livestock remained a core part of the Show, and a favourite amongst visitors. Hundreds of cows, sheep and goats of all sizes, shapes, and colours took to the Showground from across the South East and beyond with their handlers, competing to take home the prize for ‘Best in Show’.

Opposite our Cattle rings, the Living Land Village offered an opportunity for people of all ages to learn more about food, farming and the environment. Visitors discovered how food is produced in the Garden of England and enjoyed daily performances from the famous dancing sheep in The Sheep Show, returning to the Kent County Show in 2025 by popular demand!

The Equine Village put on a stunning display of horses and riders competing in classes ranging from showjumping to in-hand showing, and not forgetting the incredible carriage driving in the Double Harness Scurry! In addition to the action in the rings, no trip to the Equine Village would be complete without stopping by to greet the gentle giants in our Heavy Horse Village or catch the entertainment from exhibitors such as The Bravo Show.

In the Kent YFC section, where the Kent Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs celebrated it’s 80^th anniversary in 2025, hundreds of young people aged 10-28 from around Kent displayed their hard work as they went head-to-head in livestock classes to show off their knowledge, handling skills and passion for what they do.

Our Garden Life section, housed in the Maidstone Exhibition Hall, saw spectacular exhibits in bloom, showcasing the talent of local schools, organisations, hobbyists and professionals alike! The wheelbarrow competition for local schools and youth groups returned after great success in 2024 and saw entries produce a planted wheelbarrow.

This year, the Countryside Village featured longstanding favourites such as the dog agility demonstrations and K9 Aqua Sports’ deck diving, as playing host to an array of displays and businesses offering a taste of rural pursuits, including fly fishing demonstrations and countryside talks.

A small snapshot of our Heritage Transport Show in April, the Heritage section played host to an incredible array of vintage cars and motorbikes, commercial vehicles, heritage tractors, steam engines and much more! The Kent Youth Trials Club team returned once again to put on their usual spectacular display of tricks in their practice arena and in the Heritage ring.

The Woodland Area saw a showcase of the skills and crafts of the woodland and forestry industry and allowed visitors to learn more about the county’s woodlands and the work needed to maintain and conserve them. Our Woodland Area also played host to the annual palemaking competition and the Woodland Awards.

Whilst rural life is at the very heart of the Kent County Show, no trip would be complete without a little retail therapy and a stroll around our main shopping avenues offered visitors the opportunity to discover local businesses of every variety! Produced In Kent offered visitors the opportunity to sample some of Kent’s finest produce and show their support for our local makers and growers. NEW for 2025, the Festival of Food provided a feast for all the senses, where visitors could discover delicious foods from artisan producers across Kent and beyond!

With a new layout in 2025, the Village Green provided the perfect sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the Show, an opportunity for visitors to rest their legs and enjoy a picnic or try something delicious from the array of cuisines on offer. The music trailer, kindly provided by Staplehurst Lorries, was back with a bang after proving hugely popular in 2024! Providing a central focus to the Village Green and a soundtrack to the Show, the music trailer saw local artists play to a packed audience throughout the show as well as providing a lively evening for Grooves On The Green, our NEW post-show party on Saturday evening for exhibitors, members, stewards and guests!

Last, but by no means least, the John D Wood & Co. Astor Ring was the place to be for the pinnacle of the Kent County Show’s schedule! The Grand Parade of Livestock on Saturday afternoon saw all the winners from the intense schedule of breed classes led out to the main ring, adorned with their rosettes and, for the lucky few, Champion’s Sashes. Joseph’s Amazing Camels put on a spectacular display across all three days to the delight of a packed grandstand!

The 95^th Kent County Show will take place on the 3^rd, 4^th & 5^th July 2026, with tickets due to go on sale later this year!

Find out more by visiting www.kcas.org.uk/kent-county-show/ or join our mailing list to stay up to date on all the latest news and upcoming events from the Kent County Agricultural Society:

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