12 May 2025
Lights, camera, England! VisitEngland's latest set-jetting news
May 2025: England takes centre stages in the coming months with a spectacular line-up of new films and stage productions set to showcase our blockbuster storytelling, cinematic landscapes and scene-stealing landmarks. With iconic characters back on our screens and stages, Brits have plenty of opportunities to go behind the scenes, step into the spotlight and explore the locations behind the action.
Filmed in England: Blockbuster Movies
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, filmed in Derbyshire and London
21 May 2025
The eighth instalment of the Mission Impossible franchise will hit cinemas this month, with scenes filmed in Derbyshire and London – including daredevil stunts by Tom Cruise himself. The movie was shot on location at Middleton Mine in the Peak District, as well as Surrey and London with the Royal Albert Hall, Trafalgar Square, Natural History Museum and Houses of Parliament set to feature. Those inspired by the underground mine scenes can try their hand at caving in Peak District National Park, with Pure Outdoor offering expert-led caving courses to explore the region's mysterious world of horizontal caves and ancient mines. The seventh Mission Impossible film included extensive filming in the Lake District – the dramatic Buttermere Valley played a cameo role and is the perfect hiking spot for those wanting to experience the action themselves. Birmingham's Grand Central, situated above New Street Station, also starred in Mission: Impossible 7, and those looking to get their pulse racing in the heart of the Midlands can tackle indoor rock climbing at Solihull's Flash Climbing Centre. Fans can also follow in Tom Cruise's footsteps on the established sightseeing tour The Mission: Impossible Tour of London, which includes key filming locations from the blockbuster series – such as famous landmarks, hidden alleyways and the 17th Century pub where Ethan enjoys a pint in Mission: Impossible I.
www.missionimpossiblemovie.co.uk
The Salt Path, filmed on the South West Coast Path
30 May 2025
The inspiring story of Raynor Winn's journey along the South West Coast Path will soon grace the silver screen with The Salt Path shining the spotlight on the dramatic coastlines of south-west England. Filmed on location, Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs take the lead roles to tell the story of a couple who have recently lost their home, coupled with a diagnosis of a terminal illness, which leads them on a year-long coastal trek. Locations to look out for in the film include Cornwall's Padstow, Newquay and Rame Head; Devon's Clovelly and Hartland Peninsula; and Exmoor's Minehead, Porlock and Valley of the Rocks. While a 52-day itinerary is recommended to walk the entire 630-mile trail, the path can be also be enjoyed in smaller sections with plenty of day trip options (including pub walks and tearoom walks) and easy access routes for those with limited mobility. In summer 2025, hikers on the South West Coast Path will be able to access information and resources from a new visitor centre in Plymouth which will serve as a hub for adventure and outdoor enthusiasts and also feature exhibitions about the local landscape.
www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/about-coast-path/the-salt-path
20th Anniversary of Pride & Prejudice, filmed at Chatsworth House, Peak District
12 – 14 June 2025
The 2005 film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice saw Chatsworth House take the leading role as the iconic Pemberley. It is also believed that Jane Austen (who celebrates her 250th birthday in 2025) may have based her idea of Pemberley on Chatsworth House and written the novel while in the nearby town of Bakewell. This summer the stately home will be hosting a special Celebrating Jane Austen weekend (13 – 15 June) which includes Pride & Prejudice cinema screenings on the lawn, Austen 250 embroidery workshops, Regency afternoon teas and a Pride & Prejudice Summer Ball. Visitors to Chatsworth House may recognise the grand staircase and ceiling of the Painted Hall, where Lizzie Bennet (Keira Knightley) and the Gardiners start their tour of Pemberley, and the Sculpture Gallery, which was used in the scene where Lizzie sees the bust of Mr Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen). Further south, Bath will proudly present a special screening of Pride & Prejudice at Bath Abbey (13 September) offering an evening of period drama and elegance in the city that inspired Austen - and dressing in Regency attire is encouraged!
www.chatsworth.org / www.visitpeakdistrict.com
28 Years Later, filmed in Bristol, North Yorkshire and Northumberland
20 June 2025
Filmed in Bristol, Yorkshire and Northumberland, the third film in director Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later saga transforms the likes of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal into a post-apocalyptic dystopia – a chance to see one of England's best-loved UNESCO World Heritage Sites as never before. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Jack O'Connell and Ralph Fiennes –who were spotted at local restaurants and attractions during filming – the movie explores the aftermath of a devastating 'rage virus', with its protagonists still locked in a battle to survive 28 years after it hit. With filming taking place on Northumberland's Lindisfarne island, visitors can join local guide Mary Gunn on a Hidden Holy Island Guided Walk to get under the skin of this beauty spot, then stay overnight at the vast Kielder Forest, a natural adventure playground. Within easy reach of Bristol is Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, which provided suitably dramatic landscapes for 28 Years Later. The gorge offers rock-climbing, free-falling, caving and escape room experiences to satisfy adventurers.
F1, filmed on location at Silverstone, Northamptonshire
25 June 2025
As Formula One celebrates its 75th birthday this year, Brad Pitt will star in new film F1 shot on location at Silverstone in 2023 and 2024. The Apple Original movie will see Pitt play a former driver returning to the circuit for fictional team APXGP, with British actor Damson Idris as his rookie team-mate. British racing driver Lewis Hamilton has been listed as executive producer, alongside Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski as director. The British Grand Prix brings motorsport's biggest names to the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire every summer, and there's plenty of action to be had year-round at the neighbouring Silverstone Museum, including state-of-the-art simulators and Scalextric tracks. Alternatively, see more F1 cars up-close at the New Forest's National Motor Museum, showcasing Britain's motoring heritage. Daring drivers can put their off-road skills to the ultimate test on a Land Rover Driving Experience, with muddy ditches, rocky hills and swirling streams available at eight locations across England. Or the whole family can go full throttle at an F1 Arcade in London and Birmingham.
www.silverstone.co.uk/news/f1-movie-release-date-cast-plot-silverstone-filming
Jurassic World: Rebirth, filmed at the Old Royal Naval College and Sky Studios Elstree, London
2 July 2025
Like the filmmakers behind Napoleon, Bridgerton, The Crown and many more, the Jurassic World Rebirth team chose London's Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, as their backdrop. A trip to one of England's natural history museums brings Jurassic World's beasts to life – come face-to-face with Stan the T-Rex at the Manchester Museum or take part in a 'Dino Snores' sleepover or a Dino Disco at London's Natural History Museum. In Dorset, the upcoming Lyme Regis Fossil Festival (14 – 15 June) will host specific dinosaurs talks on the Jurassic Coast, while year-round dino discoveries are waiting at The Dinosaur Museum in Dorchester and the Etches Collection Museum of Jurassic Marine Life in Kimmeridge – home to the world's finest single collection of Late Jurassic age fossils. England's other dinosaur attractions include ROARR!, Norfolk's dinosaur-themed adventure park with dozens of dino rides; Essex's prehistoric playground Jurassic Pier (aka Clacton Pier) which has life-size dinosaur statues and a 4D dino cinema experience; and Dinosaur Isle Museum on the Isle of Wight, which offers immersive exhibitions as well as fossil walks along the beach.
www.universalpictures.co.uk/micro/jurassic-world-rebirth
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, filmed at Highclere Castle, Hampshire
12 September 2025
The eagerly awaited third (and final) Downton Abbey movie hits cinemas in September 2025 and will once again star Hampshire's iconic Highclere Castle as Downton Abbey. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will see plenty of faces returning from the franchise's past, with the cast including Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery and Dominic West. Located in the heart of 5,000 acres of Hampshire's countryside, visitors to Highclere Castle can explore the Jacobean manor house's 13th Century gardens before wandering through some of the 300 stately rooms that feature in Downton Abbey. Upcoming events taking place at the castle include an evening of hampers, champers and fireworks at the Battle Proms Concert (2 August) and the 80th VE Day anniversary special event Weekend to Remember (19 – 20 September).
www.universalpictures.co.uk/micro/downton-3
Joe Lycett's United States of Birmingham, West Midlands
Streaming on Sky Max and NOW TV
An official itinerary to celebrate the new Joe Lycett's United States of Birmingham series has launched, with the comedian and regional tourism experts promising the ultimate alternative way to experience the city. Self-appointed Second City Ambassador Joe Lycett has created his '10 Things You Need to Do in Birmingham' check list, which includes trying a balti in the city's original Balti Triangle, experiencing the famous number 11 bus service and paying homage to Bird's Custard in Digbeth. It also features Birmingham favourites such as the Black Sabbath bridge, the city's canals and the Pen Museum in the Jewellery Quarter, home to the Queen Mother's pen. The pen was loaned to Lycett to sign 'Friendship Agreements' with officials from other Birminghams during the four-part series, which chronicles Lycett's mission to put his beloved home city on the global map by heading to North America, which has no fewer than 18 Birminghams. Lycett explores the history of each Birmingham and their cultural commonalities with his own Birmingham in the West Midlands.
www.visitbirmingham.com/united-states-of-birmingham
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 20th anniversary, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London
15 May – 8 September 2025
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire live action movie, this month Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is bringing the Triwizard Tournament to life. The special experience goes behind-the-scenes of the fourth film, featuring the competitor wizarding schools arrival at Hogwarts – look out for the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students' seen-on-screen blue dresses and fur accessories – and wizarding journalist Rita Skeeter's self-writing quill poised to write her next poison piece. There'll also be a brand-new Backlot Stage, comprising a digital screen, a stage and tiered seating, where Interactors will reveal the Secrets of Special Effects. Also new for the Studio Tour, those who are brave enough are invited to take their name from the free Activity Passport and put it into the Goblet of Fire which will be waiting for them in the wand room. England is bursting with mystical Harry Potter filming locations, head to The Shambles, York's own wonky timber-framed version of Diagon Alley, discover Lacock Abbey's Witch's Cauldron in Wiltshire, or creep around the cloisters of Gloucestershire Cathedral to explore Hogwarts first-hand.
The Great Pottery Throw Down at Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent
Now – 24 October 2025
Fans of Channel Four's The Great Pottery Throw Down now have a chance to see ceramics crafted by the on-screen potters, with the launch of a new exhibition at the home of the series, Gladstone Pottery Museum. As part of Stoke-on-Trent's centenary celebrations, the exhibition displays creations from episode seven of series eight in which the contestants were challenged to create bird baths honouring the six towns of Stoke-on-Trent. Visitors will also be able to watch live demos and see traditional pottery skills in action, as well as try their hand at throwing a pot, crafting a bone china flower and decorating their own ceramic piece. The Gladstone Museum celebrated its 50th anniversary this spring, having been officially opened to the public by the Duke of Gloucester on 24 April 1975.
Wicked: For Good
21 November 2025
After the spellbinding success of the first Wicked live-action film, which received 10 Oscar nominations, the world is eagerly awaiting act two of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's journey down the Yellow Brick Road. While the second movie's filming locations are still under wraps, Wicked part one featured plenty of enchanting English landscapes. Seven Sisters Country Park, home to a series of chalk cliffs along the Sussex Heritage Coast, took centre stage in the opening scene and offers dramatic sea views and walking trails (such as the South Downs Way). The village of Ivinghoe, part of the Chiltern Hills, was transformed into Munchkinland, featuring colourful cottages and the iconic Yellow Brick Road. Beyond its connection to Wicked, the Ivinghoe Beacon offers stunning panoramic views and marks the start of the Ridgeway National Trail, whilst Waddesdon Manor, a short drive from Ivinghoe, is a French Renaissance-style château famed for its opulent interiors, art collection and landscaped gardens, as well as its appearances in The Crown, Queen Charlotte, and Cinderella (2021). The vibrant tulip fields of Norfolk also had a starring role in the first Wicked film, with Belmont Nurseries, the UK's largest tulip grower, cultivated nine million tulips to transform their fields into a kaleidoscope of hues to evoke Oz. For an English flower-filled experience, Confetti Flower Field in Wick, Worcestershire, opens for just a few summer weeks a year (tickets go on sale on 6 June 2025), revealing acres of delphiniums in shades of blue, pink and purple.
www.universalpictures.com/movies/wicked-for-good
England Takes the Stage: New Live Performances
Shakespeare's Hamlet Reimagined with Radiohead, Manchester & Stratford-upon-Avon
Now – 28 June 2025
Shakespeare's great tragedy will collide with Radiohead's seminal album in the Royal Shakespeare Company's new 2025 production Hamlet Hail to the Thief. Thom Yorke, Christine Jones and Steven Hoggett have collaborated on a dynamic new version of Hamlet where the famous play will be soundtracked by Radiohead's Yorke and performed live by onstage musicians and actors. The show premiered at Factory International, Manchester with a run of performances from now until 18 May and will then transfer to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon (4 – 28 June).
Raise a whisky toast to The Great Gatsby, London's West End
Now – 7 September 2025
Get ready to experience the roaring 20s with Tony Award-winning musical The Great Gatsby staging a summer run at the London Coliseum featuring an all-star West End cast. This story of extravagance and longing is based on the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel about the mysterious Jay Gatsby and his riotous mansion parties attended by the rich and famous of New York. Flowing drinks feature heavily, with whisky being the tipple of choice for The Great Gatsby's main antagonist Tom Buchanan – and those looking for a unique English whisky experience can head to Ad Gefrin Anglo-Saxon Museum and Whisky Distillery in Northumberland. Launched in 2023, Ad Gefrin is a £10.5m visitor centre, bistro and distillery which re-awakens a 200-year-old local tradition of whisky distilling.
The Railway Children stage production, Keighley & Worth Valley Railway in West Yorkshire
16 July – 7 September 2025
Mike Kenny's enchanting stage adaptation of E Nesbit's classic novel has won thousands of admirers since it premiered in 2008. And now, during Bradford's reign as UK City of Culture 2025, the Olivier Award-winning production will take an immersive ride along West Yorkshire's Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, familiar to millions from the iconic film adaptation. To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the first steam railway passenger journey, audiences will ride this historic railway on a steam train before watching the new performance at a purpose-built auditorium in Oxenhope's Engine Shed.
www.bradford2025.co.uk/event/the-railway-children
Return of The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale – Theatre Royal Plymouth, Devon
4 – 11 October 2025
The critically acclaimed The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale will commence its inaugural season at Devon's Theatre Royal Plymouth this autumn – after touring the US, New Zealand, Australia and Asia. Told from the Hobbits' perspective, director Paul Hart's production is a large-scale interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic trilogy, with a 32-strong ensemble of actors and actor-musicians. As the Hobbits celebrate Bilbo's eleventy-first birthday in the Shire, he gifts his nephew Frodo his most precious belonging – a gold ring. It launches Frodo on a perilous quest across Middle-earth to the darkest realms of Mordor, to vanquish evil with his loyal Fellowship. www.lotrmusical.com
Launch of Paddington: The Musical, London
1 November 2025
McFly's Tom Fletcher is composing the music and lyrics for a new Paddington stage musical, adapted from Michael Bond's beloved books and film series. Currently in development, the musical is scheduled to debut at The Savoy Theatre on 1 November 2025. Fletcher, known for his success with McFly and children's storybooks, will use his musical talents to capture the magic of Paddington's adventures and mishaps with the Brown family.
In London, Paddington fans can already step into his world and embark on an adventure at The Paddington Bear Experience on the South Bank. This family-friendly immersive attraction has themed rooms to explore, interactive games and character interactions – culminating in a special Windsor Gardens street party to celebrate Paddington's Marmalade Day Festival.
www.paddington.com/gb/experiential/stage-shows
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Notes to editors:
- VisitEngland's comprehensive What's New in England 2025 overview can be downloaded here
- Registration to the VisitBritain asset library is required to download images. Register here.
- Film and TV shows are powerful motivators for travel. VisitBritain's research shows that more than 9 out of 10 potential visitors to the UK are keen to visit a film or TV location during their trip. VisitBritain's 'Starring GREAT Britain' campaign launched in January 2025, is harnessing this trend using films and TV shows to inspire more visitors to choose Britain, to explore more and come now. With our destinations the real star of the show, we are showcasing a welcoming, dynamic and diverse Britain.
For more detail and to receive our latest press materials please visit www.visitengland.com/media-centre / www.visitengland.com
