Armed Forces Day 2026

Doors open at 10am and the event closes at 5pm.

To help manage queues at our entrances, please do not arrive before your allocated time slot. Once you are at the event, you are welcome to stay until we close.

No tickets will be available on the day.

This event is free to enter. All tickets must be pre-booked in advance. No tickets will be available on the day.

There will be two pedestrian entrances to The Historic Dockyard Chatham on Saturday 27 June:

1. Our usual visitor entrance by Western Avenue – for Blue Badge Holders and Pedestrians from St. Mary’s Island direction
2. Main Gate – Our Main Gate on Dock Road will be a pedestrian entrance on this day for those walking from Chatham Town Centre

Please ensure you have your vehicle registration details with you to speed up entry. You should have received an email with your booking reference which can be displayed either on a smart phone/tablet or can be printed out.  If you do not have this to hand, please make a note of your reference number to speed up access.

Parking at The Historic Dockyard Chatham is limited and will be prioritised for Blue Badge Holders and Veterans.  Please remember your blue badge or UK Armed Forces Veteran card as these will be checked on arrival.

Additional free parking has been arranged at the University of Greenwich and the University of Kent (Pembroke). Pay and display parking is available locally, you can find details here: https://www.medway.gov.uk/directory/8/find_a_car_park

We recommend you use public transport to arrive at the Historic Dockyard as it will be busy.

Pedestrian access to the event is via the Main Visitor Entrance of the Historic Dockyard (Western Avenue) and Main Gate (Dock Road).

Arriva buses operate in the Medway Towns.  Please use buses 100, 101, 162, 190, 191 and 121 to attend this event from Chatham Town Centre.  Other bus lines passing the site include 116, 191, 100 and 151.  Drop-off points are either Dock Road (Main Gate) or Chatham Maritime (Main Visitor Entrance) depending on the service.

Parking for Blue Badge holders will be reserved at the front of the Main Visitor car park. Please follow the signs on arrival and have your blue badge on display to speed up your access.

Free bus travel on Armed Forces Day is available via Arriva, for serving armed forces personnel (both regular and reservists), veterans and cadets. When you board one of their buses simply show the driver your ID card or veteran’s badge.

For up-to-date information on local buses please visit the Arriva website and enter ‘Chatham Historic Dockyard’ as your destination.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham’s nearest train station is Chatham Station which is regularly served by Southeastern High Speed travelling to/from London St Pancras as well as regular services via London Victoria and Charing Cross.

Our Main Gate on Dock Road will be your nearest entrance when coming from Chatham Station. There are many local bus routes and taxi services available (5 to 6 minutes by car), or it is a 25 minute walk.

Please be aware that random bag searches will be in operation. Shirts are required to be worn. We have the right to refuse admission.

This event includes air raid sirens, explosions and the sound of gunfire. You may wish to bring ear defenders with you, or speak to a member of staff if you have concerns.

Yes, The Historic Dockyard Chatham is wheelchair friendly but please lookout for the railway tracks to ensure wheels do not get stuck. Please see our Accessibility page for our Accessibility guide.

We do recognise hidden disabilities. Our staff recognise sunflower lanyards and these act as a discreet sign to indicate that an individual may need additional assistance or support. 

A quiet room will be made available near the Main Entrance in the ‘Plan Your Visit’ area.  The area will be calm and comfortable and designed to provide a space away from the noise and bustle of the main event.

Your booking time is the time you have been allocated to arrive at the event.  Please note it is likely to be busy and queues are likely, so you may need to factor that in to you arrival time. You are welcome to enjoy the Mess Deck Restaurant and shop if you arrive earlier.  

Tickets must be pre-booked online and will be available from Wednesday 6 May 2026. No tickets will be available on the day.

Please do not worry. Come to one of our entry points as soon as you are able and we will be able to process your ticket and allow you entry to the event.

We have a play area immediately outside the arrivals area and our shop and the Mess Deck Restaurant will be open.  

There is not a family ticket for the event. Please select the number of adult and child tickets you require.  

Whilst tickets to Armed Forces Day are free, you still need a ticket to gain entry.

Our front of house team will be happy to help you purchase an annual ticket on the day of your visit.

Please contact our team via info@chdt.org.uk who will be able to give you your reference number. Alternatively, as they may be busy on the day, upon arrival just let them know you have lost your ticket and from a few details such as your name they will find them on our system. Please check your junk email just in case the email confirmation has gone to that folder.

Please make note of the reference number before you arrive. Our team will then check in the number of people on show.

No, you will not receive a paper ticket. When you make your booking you will be sent an email confirmation containing a unique booking reference. You will need to bring your booking reference on the day of your visit. 

No, you do not need to print your booking confirmation. You just need to have your booking reference number to hand when you arrive at The Historic Dockyard Chatham.  

Please email info@chdt.org.uk stating the name the booking has been made under, the email address used for the booking and the date of your booking. We can look up your booking and send you the reference number.  

Please email info@chdt.org.uk stating the name the booking has been made under, the email address used for the booking and the date of your booking. We can look up your booking and send you the reference number.  

The following is a list of attractions that are open and closed:

HMS GANNET will be open during Armed Forces Day. HMS CAVALIER and HM Submarine OCELOT will be closed.

You are welcome to bring your dog along, but please ensure they are on a leash at all times. Dogs are not allowed inside galleries or food outlets, except for assistance dogs. Please be aware that the site will be busy and noisy. For everyone’s safety, we kindly ask that you do not leave your dog unattended and strongly advise against leaving them in your car, even briefly. Owners are expected to take responsibility for their pet and attend to its needs.

This is a taster day for the people of Medway to explore The Historic Dockyard Chatham. We of course would love you all to return to visit us again where you will have this opportunity. There will be a chance for you to purchase tickets after or during the event.

This is a separately ticketed experience, and will not be running during Armed Forces Day. You are able to purchase tours at the event or online for a future date.

Absolutely, our Mess Deck and Wagon Stop Restaurant will be open with a range of treats and light meals.  

There will also be additional catering outlets available as well as outdoor and indoor picnic areas to use.

Alcohol cannot be brought onto site but can be purchased and consumed from one of our bars for over 18s.

There are several toilets in the Mess Deck restaurant, including an accessible facility and baby changing facilities.  Additional toilets will also be open across the site.

Yes, we can make our Changing Places toilet available to anyone who might need to use the facility. Please ask a member of staff on the day.

No additional tickets will be released once they have sold out. The Historic Dockyard Chatham is a closed site and must operate within strict capacity limits to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the event. No tickets will be available on the day.

If ticket holders are no longer able to attend the event, please contact info@chdt.org.uk and tickets can be released back into the allocation.

There will be no tickets available on the door on the day of the event.

An additional allocation of tickets has been made available for Armed Forces and Veterans, with tickets being released on 27 April 2026.

Please contact eventsteam@medway.gov.uk if you have any questions or require any further information. Alternatively, please visit your local Medway Library for assistance.