Billed as “a great community event for all the family”, Guernsey’s South Show takes place this Friday and Saturday with more evidence of its resurgence over the past 20 years.
2003 was the last time the agricultural and horticultural event took place in the fields behind Les Camps in St Martin’s.
Declining participation and attendance numbers meant the show couldn’t continue in such a grand format with no show being held in 2004, before the new-style South Show was held at the parish school in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
It then moved to its current home at the Professor Shaw Community Centre.
2025 proved that the current set up is popular with more than 1000 exhibits entered into the various home-grown and crafted categories available.
Organisers say the long list of registered entries for 2026 include exhibits for the home grown and arranged flowers, fruit, and vegetable classes, as well as floral art, adults’ and children’s arts and crafts, baking, and home brewing, including the “ever-popular Sloe Gin showdown!”.
Anyone registered to enter an exhibit must take them to the Show ground, at the Professor Shaw Community Centre in St Martin’s on Thursday between 15:30 and 21:00 or before 09:00 on Friday morning, so they are ready for judging before the show opens to the public at lunchtime.
The 2026 South Show
The South Show always kicks off Guernsey’s ‘show season’ with the West Show next week and the North Show and Battle of Flowers at the end of August.
This year’s South Show takes place between 13:00 and 19:00 on Friday 14 August and between 11:00 and 16:30 on Saturday 15 August.
The 2026 event is supporting the Guernsey Welfare Service, which operates a food bank and other services for the island.
A great community event for all the family!
south show organisers
While entries for the various competition categories are only open to people living in the south of the island – St Peter Port, St Martin’s, St Andrew’s, and the Forest – anyone can attend with non-member entry costing £4 for adults and £1 for children.
As in recent years, the competition entries will be exhibited indoors with other events held outside, including live music, interactive games, and entertainment.
The South Show hosts the Island Dog show on the Saturday, with the Guernsey Blind Association joining the GSPCA this year with a demonstration of the abilities of trained guide dogs.
Saturday will also see free face painting and bubble demonstrations for children, with a performance by the Majorettes, and family friendly games.
“It’s the perfect day out for the family, and a safe, welcoming space for all ages and abilities,” said John Ogier, South Show President.
“The Community Centre is fully accessible and ideal for those who prefer a quieter, more relaxed atmosphere, while the field events will interest the whole family,” he added.
Mr Ogier said the 2026 South Show is supporting the Guernsey Welfare Service, which runs the island’s food bank and other services.
“We are very conscious that in these days of rising prices and high housing costs, that there is an increasing need for GWS services, even amongst working families.
“Their stand will have representatives from the Welfare Service, please do take a moment to include this in your visit to the Show.”
Looking back
For more than 100 years the South Show was staged in fields near St Martin’s football club.
It had started life as the ‘St Martin’s Cottage Garden Society’.
Formed in 1909, it was the forerunner to today’s South Show.
Following the First World War, the show grew and in the 1920s the Forest joined St Martin’s in being part of the event.
In the 1930s, St Peter Port also joined in, and the show was renamed as the ‘Guernsey Southern Agricultural and Horticultural Society’, which remains its official name.
The show was not held during the Occupation, but returned in 1946, when St Andrew’s also joined.
During the South Show’s heyday it hosted the Miss Guernsey competition, as well as visiting acts including daredevil motorbike stunt groups.
Mr Ogier said youngsters would be invited to join the stunt groups.
“That would not be permitted today!” he added.
By the late 1990s the number of people entering the tent exhibition classes had started to dwindle, along with the number of people attending the two-day show.
This was also reflected at other similar events, but the South Show was hardest hit by declining numbers according to news reports from the day.
In 2003, the last South Show was held in the fields and it was decided that the show would not be staged in 2004.
After a brief period at St Martin’s Primary School, the South Show started to grow as an event again and needed a new home.
From 2008 onwards, the show has been held at the St Martin’s Professor Shaw Community Centre.
Aside from 2020, when numerous events were cancelled due to the Covid pandemic, the South Show has been held every year since 2008, with increasing numbers of entries reported in recent years.
