Great British Summer Savings VAT cut takes effect

The Great British Summer Savings scheme began on 25 June 2026, cutting VAT from 20% to 5% on children's meals in restaurants and on tickets to attractions including theatres and soft play¹. The scheme was launched at ODEON Milton Keynes, alongside Sir Keir Starmer and children from local schools, according to Odeon Cinemas Group's managing director for the UK and Ireland¹. The government announced the scheme on 21 May 2026².

The reduced rate applies across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to children's menu meals served in restaurants for consumption on the premises; children's and family tickets for cinemas, theatres, concerts, shows and exhibitions; and admission tickets, for both children and adults, to attractions including amusement parks, fairs, museums, zoos, soft play centres, circuses, adventure parks, nature reserves, wildlife parks and observation attractions¹. Free bus fares in England for children aged five to fifteen also form part of the scheme¹. One consumer write-up states that free local bus travel for children aged 5 to 15 in England runs from 1 August to 31 August³.

Businesses decide whether to pass the full saving on to customers through lower prices, and the scheme does not apply to season tickets³. There is no fixed list of participating brands or attractions, according to one write-up³. More than 2,100 eateries and attractions across the UK were listed on the government's deal finder website as of 28 August 2026¹.

Figures published by HM Treasury on 28 August 2026 set out what participating businesses reported:

Separate analysis published on 25 June 2026 by Confused.com estimated that a family of four combining two theme park trips, weekly meals out and four cinema visits over the summer could save around £58.40⁴. It put the saving on a single Alton Towers day out at up to £22.28 on tickets, a weekly Pizza Express meal at £1.44 a visit, and an Odeon cinema trip at around £1.30 a visit⁴. The same research, based on a survey of 1,100 UK parents of 5 to 16 year olds conducted between 15 and 17 June 2026, found families planned to spend an average of £518 on days out and activities over the six-week school holidays⁴.

Why it matters for households

The reduction applied at the point of sale on eligible items from 25 June 2026, so households buying a children's meal to eat in, or a qualifying ticket, paid the lower rate where the business passed it on¹. Because participation was voluntary and there was no fixed list of participating businesses, the size of any saving depended on the venue and on whether it chose to reflect the cut in its prices³. The scheme did not cover season tickets⁴.

The cut ran alongside wider price pressures. Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs inflation was 2.8% in the 12 months to June 2026, down from 3.0% in May, with restaurants and hotels at 4.4%⁵. In the 12 months to July 2026, CPIH rose to 3.1% and CPI to 2.9%, the first increase in either rate since March 2026, driven mainly by housing and household services after a change in the Ofgem energy price cap; Ofgem estimated an average dual fuel direct debit bill of £1,862, a rise of £221². Restaurants and hotels inflation eased to 4.0% in July².

What happens next

The scheme ends at midnight on Tuesday 1 September 2026¹. HM Treasury said support would continue through measures announced in the previous month, including a £2 cap on bus fares in 2027 and removing VAT from electricity bills, and a 20% cut in business rates for pubs, social clubs and live music venues¹. Further inflation figures for August 2026 are due on 16 September 2026².