On March 26, 2026, Burgschneider announced that the Brandywine Festival will hold its UK debut at Weston Park in September 2026.1
The festival
Brandywine is a five-day, four-night live-action roleplaying event set in the Shire under Burgschneider’s official Middle-earth Enterprises license. Guests inhabit Hobbit life across costume, food, music, and craft.1 The UK expansion follows the first annual Brandywine Festival, which Burgschneider says ran in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, in October 2025.1
The location
Weston Park is a working estate with rolling parkland, formal gardens, and historic buildings. Birmingham is the city of J.R.R. Tolkien’s childhood; the West Midlands countryside surrounding it is among the landscapes that shaped the Shire.1 Burgschneider’s CEO, Markus Böhm: “We are incredibly honored to bring The Brandywine Festival back to the land where the story took flight.”1