VAT cut on family days out this summer: what gets cheaper and when

The government has announced something genuinely useful for families this summer. From 25 June to 1 September 2026, VAT will be cut from 20% to 5% on a range of family activities and children's meals, as part of the Great British Summer Savings scheme. That is seven weeks of cheaper days out, covering everything from theme parks and zoos to cinema trips and soft play, timed to run across the school summer holidays.

The catch, and it is worth being upfront about this, is that businesses are not legally required to pass the saving on to customers. The government is urging businesses to reflect the VAT reduction in the prices families pay, but individual venues are free to set their own prices. The saving only lands in your pocket if the venue reduces the price accordingly. That said, with cost-conscious families being the target audience for most of these attractions, the pressure on businesses to pass it on is real, and many of the major operators have already confirmed they will.

Here is exactly what is covered and what is not.

What is included in the VAT cut?

The 5% VAT rate applies from 25 June to 1 September 2026 and covers the following;

Children's meals in restaurants

Children's meals served in restaurants for consumption on the premises qualify for the reduced rate, provided they are served from a dedicated children's menu and are marketed, presented and priced as children's meals. Takeaway meals do not qualify, but a children's meal eaten at the table does.

Children's and family tickets for cinemas, theatres and shows

Children's and family tickets for cinema, theatre, exhibitions, shows and concerts are included. Where a family ticket is sold for a single price and includes at least one child admission, the reduced rate can apply to the whole ticket, including the adult admissions within that package. Standalone adult tickets for the same venues remain at 20%.

Admission to family attractions

This is where the biggest savings are for most families. Admission tickets, for both children and adults, to a range of attractions are included;

• Amusement parks and theme parks

• Zoos, wildlife parks and nature reserves

• Aquariums

• Museums (where not already VAT-exempt)

• Soft play centres and indoor play facilities

• Circuses

• Adventure parks

• Observation attractions

For qualifying family attractions, the reduced rate applies to the right of admission only. Food, merchandise and upgrades sold separately keep their normal VAT treatment. So the entry ticket gets cheaper, but the ice cream inside does not.

What is not included?

Sporting activities, whether taking part or spectating, and the use of sports facilities are excluded from the reduced rate. Swimming pools, gyms, football coaching sessions and sports events are not covered.

Takeaway food does not qualify. Season tickets or passes that allow entry outside the 25 June to 1 September window are also excluded unless they are priced the same as a standard single-entry ticket for the qualifying period.

How much could your family save?

Where a business passes on the full VAT saving, the government estimates a family of two adults and two children could save around £7 to £10 on a zoo or theme park visit, around £3 to £4 on a cinema trip, and around £2 to £3 on a children's meal in a restaurant.

Those are modest individual savings, but they add up across a summer. A family that visits a theme park, a zoo, two cinema trips and eats out a handful of times between 25 June and 1 September could realistically save £40 to £60 compared to what the same activities would have cost at the full 20% VAT rate, assuming businesses pass the saving on in full.

Smart Plus account holders: stack the VAT saving with PlusSave

If you hold a thinkmoney Smart Plus account, PlusSave gives you a way to save on top of the VAT cut rather than instead of it.

PlusSave lets you buy digital gift cards for a range of restaurants and leisure venues at a discount and spend them immediately at full face value. There is no waiting for cashback to clear, no points to accumulate and no minimum spend. You buy the card at a lower price, use it at the venue, and the saving is immediate.

With the VAT cut reducing admission and meal prices from 25 June, using a PlusSave gift card at a qualifying venue on top of the reduced VAT rate means you are effectively getting two layers of saving on the same day out. For a family spending £100 at a qualifying restaurant or bar venue, the 12% PlusSave discount brings the cost to £88 before the VAT cut is even factored in.

Right now, venues available through PlusSave include Cineworld, Go Ape, Merlin attractions, Theatre Tokens, All Bar One, Browns and O'Neills. The full list of available venues is updated regularly. Find out more and browse what is available at thinkmoney.co.uk/current-account/smartplus/