How much could families save from the summer VAT cut?

The summer holidays are an expensive time of year, with parents spending hundreds of pounds to keep the kids entertained.

How will a cut to VAT help families, and how much could you save? 

I’ll explain what is happening, how it works and which attractions are included to help you save money during the summer holidays. 

What is the summer VAT cut and which activities are included?

In May, the government announced it was introducing a temporary VAT cut of 5%, down from 20%, on eligible children’s meals and family leisure activities.
VAT stands for ‘Value Added Tax’, and it is collected by businesses and paid to the government.

The Great British Summer Savings scheme, which will cost the government £300 million, aims to help families cut the cost of summer holidays and runs from June 25 2026 to September 1 2026. It applies in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Children aged 5 to 15 will also be able to travel for free on local buses during August.

It’s up to businesses whether they apply the cut, but the reduced rate applies to:

• Eat children’s meals in restaurants
• Children’s and family tickets for cinemas, theatres, concerts, shows and exhibitions
• Admission tickets for children and adults to attractions like amusement parks, fairs, museums, zoos, soft plays, circuses, adventure parks and wildlife parks 

It will not apply if you purchase a season ticket. 

How much could it save your family this summer?

We have worked out how much it could save you based on a family of four, with two adults and two children.

The biggest savings are if you visit a theme park where the ticket prices are more expensive. For example, a family of four visiting Alton Towers for the day would save up to £22.28.

If you were eating out once a week at Pizza Express, each trip you’d save £1.44 over six weeks you’d save £8.64.

While an Odeon cinema trip would save you up to £1.30 per trip, if you went four times during the summer it would add up to £5.20.

Over the six weeks, if you were to visit two theme parks, eat out once a week and visit the cinema four times, it could add up to £58.40.

_{¹ For a full breakdown of what is included in each ticket or meal, see the notes at the bottom of this article.
² Savings based on a family of four, two adults, two children. Prices correct on June 15 2026. We calculated the summer saving total based on one theme park trip, two cinema trips and eating out once a week over six weeks.} 

How else can families save money this summer?

Free or £1 meals 

Lots of restaurant chains and supermarket cafes offer ‘kids eat free’ or £1 children’s meals over school holidays.
It’s worth checking the terms and conditions, as many of them are only available if you buy an adult meal or if you go on certain days or times. 

How to find discounts 

Lots of popular attractions and days out offer discounts. For example, if you register with Days Out Guide, you can get 33% off tickets to Chessington, Thorpe Park, Legoland and more if you have a valid rail ticket. Visit Days Out Guide’s website for more info. 

You could use loyalty scheme points to get discounts too. For example, you can use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to convert £5 worth of points into £10 worth of vouchers at places like Alton Towers, Chessington, Thorpe Park and Cadbury World. 

Find free local events

Your local council website should list free events running over the summer, such as classes or stay-and-plays at children’s centres.
Look at local Facebook groups and What’s App groups to find local events being organised by charities or existing groups.
Local libraries often have free baby classes, story time or Lego play afternoon sessions, some even put on films. 

There are over 30 free English Heritage sites to visit all over the UK, or find a free local farm. Dobbies offers free gardening workshops for 4-10 year-olds, and the LTA offers free tennis coaching and lessons on select dates. While a Blue Peter badge will get your child in for free at 200 attractions. 

Birthday boost 

If you or your child has a birthday coming up and you are looking for gift ideas, you could ask a family member or friend for a voucher or tickets to an attraction to help you manage the cost of the summer holidays. 

I think it’s a lovely gift, as a memory can last a lifetime and you could even invite them along for the day too. 

Childcare

You could team up with a mate to share childcare. For example, you look after their kids for a week, and then they repay the favour.

Don’t forget that you can use tax-free childcare for eligible holiday clubs and wraparound childcare, as long as you earn under £100,000.
It means you get £2 top-up for every £8 you add to your account, up to a maximum of £2,000 a year per child or £4,000 if they are disabled.
If you use an Ofsted-registered nanny or childminder, you can use tax-free childcare too. More information on the tax-free childcare government website. 

Grandparents could also top up their state pension national insurance contributions if they do help you out over the summer holidays by caring for their grandchildren under the age of 12. 

The Specialist Adult Childcare Credits scheme is worth up to £6,000 in total; more information is on the GOV website. 

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_{¹ Further information on what is included:}

• _{Alton Towers Resort, Chessington World of Adventures Resort and LEGOLAND Windsor Resort allow children under 90cm to enter free.}
• _{Thorpe Park allows children under 1.2 metres to enter free.}
• _{Harvester's Kids Meal Deal includes a main, side, dessert and unlimited salad bar.}
• _{Hungry Horse kids' meals include a main, sides, dessert and drink.}
• _{Nando's Nandinos meal includes a main, 2 sides and a drink or dessert.}
• _{Pizza Express Piccolo meal includes Dough Balls, a pizza, pasta or salad, dessert and a Bambinoccino.}
• _{Wagamama's Kids' Bento Box includes a main, sides, vegetables and dipping sauce.}
• _{Prices may vary by location, date and booking method.}

²_{Savings based on a family of four, two adults, two children. Prices correct on June 15 2026. We calculated the summer saving total based on one theme park trip, two cinema trips and eating out once a week over six weeks.} 

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