Dragonfly festival At Washington Wetland Centre

Dragonfly Festival FAQs

Tickets

Is the festival included in the price of my WWT Washington entry ticket?

Yes! The festival is free with your entry ticket to WWT Washington with lots of daily activities included.

Do I need to book my ticket and how do I book?

For the best value tickets, festival visitors can book online and via our mobile app. Or you can turn up and pay on the day.

Is the festival included with my WWT membership?

Yes! The festival is free with your WWT membership with lots of daily activities included.

Dates and opening times

Are there activities on every day, or just on specific dates?

There is a festival line-up of activities and events that you can enjoy daily from 18 July to 31 August 2026. Family favourites like pond dipping, minibeast hunting and dragonfly wild walks are available during the school summer holidays and for those looking for something a bit different we have headline events available during set dates. Check out our events on our What's on page for further details.

What times does the festival run each day?

The festival runs during opening times 10am – 5.30pm (last entry is at 4.30pm) Find out more about our opening times. Some experiences and events run at set times / dates within our opening times.

Will the festival still go ahead if the weather is bad?

On a sunny or a soggy day, WWT Washington is the perfect place, with something for everyone to enjoy. Find out more about things to do come rain or shine. If we have extreme weather, we may need to close certain elements of the experience including the canoe safari trail. Please check our Facebook page or call us on 0191 416 5454 on the day you intend to visit to ensure you are not disappointed.

Directions and parking

How do I get to WWT Washington?

Visit our Directions page for ways to get to WWT Washington.

What are the parking arrangements and I do have to pay for parking?

We have a free car park for visitors to WWT Washington, which includes 6 designated disabled spaces. Visitors can also be dropped off at the main visitor centre by coming down the vehicle path to our centre.

Family

What family-friendly facilities do you have at WWT Washington?

Our festival is great for families looking to make special memories this summer. From pond dipping, den building, minibeast hunting, dragonfly crafts and more, there’s fun for all ages. Enjoying a visit to our wetlands is easy for families with free parking, a children’s play area and a visitor centre with café (high chairs available) and changing facilities, gift shop and everything else needed for a great day out, whatever the weather.

Is the festival just for kids?

Our festival line-up has been designed with all ages in mind, with activities and events for everyone to enjoy. Festival goers, young and young-at-heart, are invited to come together and experience something a bit different. At the height of summer, during the school summer holidays and during weekends there will be more events and activities aimed at families. In September you’ll find more events and activities for adults to enjoy. Check out our events page for further details.

Do I need to bring anything special?

No. Any equipment needed for activities and events will be provided (unless otherwise stated). For our water-based play area, we recommend you bring a change of clothes and towel for children. For little ones, we have changing facilities on site so you can also bring swimsuits and we ask that they wear swim nappies.

Accessibility

Is the festival accessible?

We want everyone to enjoy our Dragonfly Festival at WWT Washington and have access to our wonderful wildlife-filled wetlands. Our site has free accessible car parking, accessible, buggy and wheelchair-friendly paths on our inner circle, free mobility scooter hire and a visitor centre with accessible toilets. Find out everything you need to help you plan your visit. Our friendly and welcoming team are on hand, should you have any questions before or during your visit.

Can I bring my dog?

Unfortunately, we can’t allow dogs or pets of any kind at WWT Washington. Our site is home to an array of wetland birds and mammals who can be a little shy and easily distressed by dogs and other animals. We welcome trained assistance dogs on leads but are unable to allow other dogs or animals into our car parks or around our site. Please note that there may be some areas or exhibits that trained assistance dogs cannot access due to animal welfare and/or biosecurity requirements. Please ask on arrival for details. Please do not leave your dog in your car whilst visiting.

Food and drink

Will food and drink be available?

We have a selection of hot and cold food, snacks, drinks and ice cream available for you to buy to fuel your wetland adventure. Find out more here about our Waterside Café. If you’d prefer, you can also bring your own food to enjoy at the picnic benches around our wonderful wetlands. We do ask those visitors to refrain from eating their own food in our café areas as this is reserved for those purchasing our food.

Get involved

How can I share my festival experience?

We hope you make special memories with us at our festival this summer. We’d love you to share your wetland adventures with us so we can see what fun our festival goers (young and young-at-heart) have had! Follow us and tag us in your pictures on social media Instagram and Facebook using @WWTWashington and add our hashtags:
#WWTDragonflyFestival
#WWTWashington

As this is our first-ever Dragonfly Festival, your opinion really matters to us. Look out for festival feedback opportunities on-site, where we’ll invite you to share your thoughts, ideas and feedback about your experience.

Where can I find out more about dragonflies?

Before or after your visit, we hope you are inspired to find out more about these fascinating creatures. We can help you become a dragonfly expert – let’s buzz through some fun facts, answer your burning questions, and help you start spotting and identifying dragonflies like a pro. Dive in.