Chatham Waters Summer Social Returns – Celebrating Community on a Growing Waterfront and 2026 Line Up Reveal

The Chatham Waters Summer Social is set to return for its fourth year, bringing a vibrant programme of creativity, wellbeing and community activity back to the waterfront and continuing to grow in scale and ambition each summer.

Curated and hosted by Peel Waters, the free event which will take place on Thursday 25th June 4pm-7pm, has become a firm favourite in Medway’s summer calendar. Previous years have seen everything from pop-up mobile saunas and vintage London Routemaster buses to performances from the Music Man Project Kent and bustling independent markets – each reflecting the evolving character of Chatham Waters as a destination.

Mobile museums, filmmaking workshops, live music, mini golf and cocktail making lessons

This year’s event builds on that success, with a diverse line-up designed to inspire, entertain and connect. Visitors can step back in time with Chatham Historic Dockyard’s mobile museum van and human library, sharing stories from the docks alongside fascinating archive imagery.

Looking ahead, the University of Kent and The Docking Station will offer hands-on filmmaking and animation workshops, alongside immersive VR experiences that showcase the future of innovation at Chatham Waters.

Families can enjoy Medway Council’s Library Service on wheels, with colouring activities and story time with the librarians, while Chatham Waters Care Home will host both an interactive Dementia Bus experience and relaxing armchair yoga sessions for all ages and abilities to take part in – creating opportunities for learning, awareness and wellbeing.

Across the day, there will be planting workshops and pot decorating with Peel Waters’ landscapers, mini golf and garden games, as well as a cocktail-making and tasting experience with District KCL. Live music from local group Largo will provide the soundtrack, while Gurkha Fire will host Nepalese street food sampling workshops and  Poco Loco Medway serves up street food favourites including tacos, loaded nachos, churros and frozen margaritas.

Continued delivery and growing community at Chatham Waters

This year’s Summer Social is proudly supported by Chatham Waters Care Home and Way of Life, reflecting key milestones in the evolution of the destination. Chatham Waters Care Home is set to complete and open this summer, while Way of Life celebrates five years since The Kell welcomed its first residents – both highlighting the continued delivery and growing community at Chatham Waters.

Located on a revitalised former industrial site, Chatham Waters has already seen significant investment in new homes, workspaces, leisure facilities and high-quality public realm. This includes the waterfront promenade – where the Summer Social takes place – offering a welcoming space for residents, visitors and the wider community to come together and enjoy relaxed waterside views.

Whether you’re coming to explore, relax or simply soak up the atmosphere, the Chatham Waters Summer Social is a celebration of a place and a community that continues to evolve.

The Chatham Waters Summer Social takes place on Thursday 25^th June 2026, 4pm-7pm, along the waterfront promenade and is free to attend.

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Peel Waters would like to thank Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, Chatham Waters Care Home, Crittenden Groundworks, District KCL, The Docking Station, D2 Facilities, Gurkha Fire, Medway Council, Poco Loco, the University of Kent and Way of Life for their time and support.