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The first time we have visited Goodwoof in May 2026, not really heard of it before. Since we spent a weekend at the Goodwood Hotel last year, my husband signed up to their newsletter. He got fascinated by the festival for dog owners called Goodwoof (such a catchy name, isn’t it), thinking it would be great fun to take the kids and our dog, Luca for a special day out in Goodwood. So we booked tickets and off we went on an unusually cold Saturday in May. Luckily, the rain stayed away even thought the skies kept threatening us with darkest of the dark skies.
What is Goodwoof?
The Goodwoof Festival, held annually at the Goodwood Estate, near Chichester, has quickly become a beloved event for dog lovers and pet enthusiasts around the UK – and dare I say, even internationally. This year’s Goodwoof festival welcomed thousands of attendees and their furry friends for a weekend filled with joy, community, and plenty of woofs.
The festival hosts over 50 activities for any dogs and dog owners, this is not a beauty or agility competition for dogs. It’s a super fun festival for canine companions and their owners to enjoy a day together, good food, music, listen to interesting talks, craft tent for the kiddos – and more.
When is Goodwoof?
Held in May, the next festival is 15th-16th of May 2027.
Where is Goodwoof held?
Kennel Hill, Goodwood, Chichester PO18 0PN
How much the tickets cost to Goodwoof?
£32 for an adult – might seem a bit expensive, but once you are there, all the talks, workshops, activities are FREE. Including all the craft sessions for the children. You just have to pay for your food and drink, but like I said you can BYO.
Parking is also free, so is the shuttle service and buggies to the gate for those who really can’t walk for long.
Will my dog enjoy Goodwoof?
Well, this is an interesting question.
I found that the vast majority of the dogs didn’t care at all about all the other dogs in sometimes very close proximity. Luca was chilled, didn’t care about the other dogs at all. All dogs were very friendly, although I’ve seen some dogs with the “nervous dog” tag. Didn’t see any barking at each other, stand offs, nothing. Even at the event I found this slightly strange, I suppose? Not even the smell from the numerous food trucks seemed to bother them.
Did they enjoy it? Yes it looked like so, mainly because of the full attention of the owner all dogs are striving for.
However, if your dog doesn’t like crowds and is very nervous – Goodwoof is probably not for them.
What did we think about Goodwoof?
It’s a super hyped event, for a few reason. It’s a very posh event, so some people are a bit overdressed and there’s plenty of insta-girlies taking photos everywhere for their luxury lifestyle account. However, it’s a really enjoyable and memorable day out with the children and the dog. It’s a perfect family day festival (not that much loud music) but also couples with their dogs will equally enjoy it. It’s so well organised (everything is top notch, can’t fault the event organiser team on a single thing) and really there is a lot to see and do.
Firstly, the location is the Goodwood Estate, near the Goodwood House, so as prestigious as it gets.
Food options
An array of food trucks offering everything from gourmet burgers to artisanal coffee for the humans. There is something for every diet and taste. Generally, festival type food, but nothing too exotic… mostly burgers, breakfast things, steak houses, ice cream, donut etc. Also food trucks featuring the Goodwood Estate’s Butchery and local produce.
It’s not to bad if you arrive before 12:30-ish and after 2pm but during the main lunch window I had to queue 35-40 minutes for food. It’s busy, there are many people.
You can take picnic though, which we did so we were not starving, just wanted one nice burger for the boy. Unfortunately, the bottle of fizz we wanted to take in with us has been sent back to the car: no alcohol, only food and soft drinks allowed. No biggie.
There are lots of wooden picnic tables with benches to eat. We managed to find one when we arrived to park grandma at.
Dog activities
From various agility corses and mini races, there are some real fun to be had with their owners cheering the dogs on. You can test your dog’s speed, agility and brain power on obedience trials and other races. There was something for every type of dog, regardless of age or skill level.
There was a yoga (DOGA) with your dog in the Relax Tent – Luca can never do that, just too excitable – which looked fantastic. Also paw-powered pilates and other Reiki for dogs.
Educational talks
Goodwoof emphasized education through various workshops and talks, so they had the Wellness Centre & Stage with expert dog trainers, veterinarians, and pet nutritionists shared their knowledge on topics ranging from training techniques to healthy diets and canine behaviour.
At other tents you could learn really interesting things like
- canine massage masterclass
- canine first aid
- loose leash walking masterclass
- lost dog behaviour
Shops
The vendors at Goodwoof Festival showcased some of the best and newest pet products on the market. From high-end dog food brands and pet insurance to eco-friendly toys, there was an abundance of options for every pet owner.
The highlights were in 2026:
- doggy spa
- independent dog brands with everything a dog need and beyond
- Jelly Cat shop (looooooooooooooooooooooong queue)
- Fortnum & Mason pop up shop (it’s a posh event…)
Charity organisations
Many charities were invited an involved at Goodwoof. We made sure we visited our favourite Greyhound Rescue and donated some money. We get lovely greyhound cuddles in exchange. They are the sweetest, greyhounds are my soulmate dogs.
Kids entertainment
We enjoyed the art cafe and made a bandana with block print for Luca. There were lots of other craft tables, tent big enough to entertain a crafty kid all afternoon! This family-oriented approach emphasizes Goodwoof’s commitment to inclusion for all, making it a fantastic experience for visitors of all ages.
Chill zone
One section of the meadow was turned into a chill zone with live music lounge, dog astrology (yes, for real), face painting and temporary tattoos. Really lovely vibe and less busy – my kind of part of the festival!
Literary zone
We didn’t have the capacity (2 kids and the dog!) to sit still and listen for long, but famous people had talks and book signing like Clare Balding and Sir Michael Morpurgo.
Barkitechture
A fantastic exhibition where student architects display their dog house designs, this year all themed Dogs in Space. We were really amused by the designs: equally clever and cute. This is also a kennel design competition and charity auction.
Breed meets
Special hourly speed dating with your fellow breed owners just for the fun of it.
The highlights of Goodwoof
For us, a couple of things really stood out from a jam packed fun day.
- visiting the Greyhound Rescue tent – like I said above
- meeting with Shaemus, Princess Catherine’s Irish Wolf Hound and his handler – they were just there to support the event and so people took photos with them
- chocolate strawberries – yumm
- Luca on the slalom agility course – really funny
- the big Snoopy house – great photo opp for dogs responding well to the “STAY” command (not Luca)
- lots and lots of friendly 4 legged friends!
- the shuttle ride from and to the carpark on a double decker packed with doggos
