The Migration Festival 2026 returns to Careys Secret Garden, near Wareham, with two winter weekends exploring migration through people, wildlife, and the natural world, running from 30 January to 15 February 2026.
The festival’s second weekend, Bringing Nature Back (13-15 February), will be headlined by Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin, appearing together in a special live talk examining their recent investigation into illegal bird slaughter in Cyprus. The event shines a light on the challenges facing migratory birds and the urgent need for conservation action.
Rooted firmly in Dorset, Purbeck and Poole Harbour, Bringing Nature Back offers a rich mix of talks, walks, comedy and hands-on workshops set across the gardens and wider Careys estate. Visitors can expect guided osprey tours, bird ringing demonstrations, rewilding walks, and insights from Birds of Poole Harbour on nature recovery across the local landscape.
The weekend also features leading voices in conservation and environmental storytelling alongside creative and family-friendly events. Highlights include Tilly Ingram Theatre’s entertaining live performance, The Hide, nature-inspired workshops, film screenings, a light-hearted bird quiz, and plenty of activities for children, making it an accessible and welcoming festival for all ages.
The festival opens next weekend with Radical Friendship (30 January – 1 February), a three-day programme exploring migration as a shared human experience through art installations, talks, workshops, film, food, and comedy.
“The Migration Festival is deeply meaningful for us,” said Simon Constantine of Careys Secret Garden. “It’s a celebration of creativity and a chance to reflect on the courage and resilience behind human and wildlife migration, raising awareness of issues that matter.”
Together, the two weekends make up the Migration Festival, examining migration through both human experience and the natural world.
