New Forest & Hampshire County Show 2026 — Notes from the Stand

At the end of July we packed up the stand and headed east to Brockenhurst for three days at the New Forest & Hampshire County Show — one of the largest and best-loved country shows in the South of England, held every summer at The Showground at New Park in the heart of the New Forest National Park. This year's show ran from 28th to 30th July 2026 across three hot, sunlit days.

Unlike our stand at the antiques fairs, this one was pure LuckyCoin Curio — a full display of our handcrafted metal balance sculptures and nothing else. It was a good chance to let the pieces speak for themselves in their own space, without the enamel signs and vintage clutter that usually surround them.

The weather was properly hot all three days — the kind of country-show sunshine that keeps everyone in a good mood and slows the whole day down to a gentler rhythm. Footfall was strong, the atmosphere was as friendly as we've ever known it, and we had a stream of visitors from morning until close.

The horse-themed sculptures were far and away the favourites — no great surprise at a show with international show jumping, native pony classes and generations of equestrian tradition running through it. Several of our horse and rider pieces found new homes with local riders and collectors, and a few went off to be given as gifts.

The other unexpected pleasure of the three days was how much children loved the sculptures. Kinetic pieces are made to be gently pushed, and they pulled younger visitors in every time — small hands nudging a figure, watching it rock, then coming back for another go with a parent or grandparent in tow. We probably answered "but how does it work?" a hundred times, and enjoyed every one of them.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the stand, said hello, watched a piece move, or took one home. It was a proper reminder of why we do the shows — the conversations, the shared curiosity, the pleasure of seeing a piece in someone's hands for the first time.