Southampton Cocktail Week
29th August - 7th September, city wide
Sip, savour and celebrate some of the best cocktail venues in the city with Southampton Cocktail Week. For just £5, you will receive an official wristband giving you access to unique cocktail creations, special offers, and exciting masterclasses all week long. Find out more here.
Love The Old Town
1st - 30th September, Old Town
A month-long celebration showcasing the businesses, experiences, events, food, drink and other local gems that make the city’s heritage quarter so special. Throughout the month, you can enjoy exclusive offers, giveaways and insider tips to help you make the most of your time in the Old Town. Learn more here.
Southampton events in September
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Heritage Open Days, Multi-venues, 12th - 21st September (FREE)
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Southampton International Boat Show, Mayflower Park, 19th – 28th September
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Music in the City, City Centre, 13th - 14th September (FREE)
- Harbour Lights Picturehouse
- Nov 18, 2025 - Dec 15, 2025
- Mayflower Studios
- Jan 21, 2026 - Jan 24, 2026
Affordable eats for children
Southampton’s restaurants and cafés offer plenty of family-friendly dining options—especially for those with little ones in tow. To make your next meal out easier, we’ve rounded up the best local deals where kids can eat for free or at a low cost. Take a look here.
Dine the al fresco way!
Don on your suncream. It's time to eat and drink the alfresco way! Southampton has over 200 restaurants, pubs & bars with outdoor seating. The Social, La Regata, Oasis Bar, Franco Manca, and O'Neill's are just some of our suggestions. We also have a few cheeky rooftop bars at the likes of Revolutions, Giddy Bridge, HarBar on 6th and Funky Flamingo to get you a few inches closer to those rays. Head over to our alfresco dining page for a list of local spots with outdoor seating here.
Keeping hydrated
If you are looking to catch up with some friends over a couple of drinks, head over to the city centre for a delightful array of cafes, pubs and restaurants to quench your thirst. Wander down to Old Town, where you'll find trendy bars such Mailroom and Rita's Cocktail Bar, and cosy pubs like Duke of Wellington and The Grapes with their warm and inviting atmospheres. Indulge in a chilled craft beer at the quirky microbreweries such as Dancing Man Brewery, London Road Brewhouse, and BrewDog, or savour a signature cocktail at One-0-Four, Monarch Cocktail Bar, or at Deluxe One Oxford.
Don't forget to stay hydrated as you explore! The Refill app offers a great map that shows you which local venues offer free water bottle refills.
Take a stroll through the parks
Southampton has several award-winning greenspaces to choose from to get out and enjoy the warm weather. In fact, Southampton has five central parks, each with their own unique themes and features such as the Queen's Peace Fountain and wisteria pergola in East Park or colourful flowerbeds and The Cenotaph in Watts Park. Central parks also include Hoglands Park, Houndwell Park, and Palmerston Park. For more information about city park, click here.
Why not treat the family to an impromptu picnic in the park? If you do not feel like a packed lunch, why not stop by one of the many local restaurants offering takeaways such as Kwackers, Muse Coffee Co or German Doner Kebab? Or head to Marks & Spencer's, Poundland, or ASDA to stock up on snacks.
A little retail therapy
If you are visiting Southampton or need to do your holiday shop, the city has all your favourite brands at Westquay Shopping Centre, Marlands Shopping Centre, West Quay Retail Park and along the high street. Plus you'll find a number of independent retailers in East Street, High Street and Bedford Place. See our shopping page.
Travel by bus for less this summer
This summer, you can travel to the city for less with the return of Bluestar's 5 for £5 offer! Between 1st - 31st August, you can enjoy unlimited travel when you buy a group ticket on Bluestar and Unilink services, or First Solent’s X4 and X5 services within the city, for up to five people. For those travelling into the city from outside the Southampton Zone, single fares are still capped at just £3. You can buy these tickets on the Bluestar app or from their drivers. To learn more click here.
Planning for your summer cruise
Heading on a cruise this Southampton? Head over to our cruise page for information on cruise terminals, getting to Southampton, and locations offering a left luggage service around the city.
Work on a cruise ship? Then you'll want to head over to our cruise crew page for exclusive discounts, shops to get your gifts, and locations offering free WIFI to catch up with family and friends.
