The Zone Returns to Lincoln for a Third Summer – Expanding Across the City with Zone Go
/A summer of opportunity for young people across Lincoln—with more free creative spaces, more places to belong and more ways to get involved than ever before.
TL;DR
The Zone returns to Lincoln City Square from Wednesday 22 July to Saturday 15 August 2026, offering 20 days of free creative activities, games, workshops and hangout spaces for 11–18s.
For the first time, Zone Go – a new mobile version of The Zone – will tour estates and neighbourhoods across Lincoln from Monday 3 August to Friday 4 September 2026, adding 25 more days of free youth provision across the city.
Designed with young people following conversations with 1,500 local young people in 2022 and 2023, The Zone was created in direct response to calls for more safe, welcoming and exciting places to spend time.
The summer programme builds on the success of 2025, when The Zone welcomed over 2,000 visits from young people across the holidays, come rain or shine. Since launching in 2024, The Zone has welcomed almost 3,000 visits from young people in Lincoln.
The Zone in Lincoln’s City Square
After growing from a Lincoln pilot into a nationally touring model, The Zone returns home this summer bigger than ever.
The award-winning pop-up youth space returns to City Square from Wednesday 22 July to Saturday 15 August 2026, offering young people aged 11–18 a packed programme of free creative workshops, games, performances, activities and relaxed hangout spaces throughout the summer holidays.
This year also marks the launch of Zone Go – a new mobile version of The Zone designed to bring creativity, games, music, art and hangout spaces directly into neighbourhoods across Lincoln. Together, The Zone and Zone Go will deliver 45 days of free youth provision across Lincoln this summer, supported by trained Youth Arts Workers, professional artists and youth leaders.
Created by Zest in collaboration with modular design specialists AirClad and Inflate, The Zone transforms everyday public spaces into vibrant, welcoming environments where young people can connect, create and be themselves. The City Square setup includes a colourful custom-built trailer, inflatable hangout spaces and outdoor decking – all purpose-designed to create a visually exciting and genuinely welcoming space for young people.
Zone Go - Zest’s mobile youth space will tour Lincoln’s communities this summer
Built around a newly designed van and inflatable structures, Zone Go has been developed to reach more young people closer to home, especially in areas where access to city-centre provision can be more difficult. Bringing the creativity and welcome of The Zone directly into neighbourhoods across the city, the new touring setup represents the next stage in the project’s evolution.
The Zone first opened in City Square in 2024 following extensive conversations with local young people about the future of Lincoln and the urgent need for more spaces designed for teenagers. After welcoming nearly 1,000 visits during its first summer, the project returned in 2025 and more than doubled its reach, welcoming over 2,000 visits from young people across the holidays.
Now entering its third year, The Zone continues to grow from a Lincoln idea into a nationally recognised model. Following a successful 2025 East Midlands tour, The Zone and Zone Go will visit towns and cities across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and beyond throughout 2026 – while continuing to return home to Lincoln, the city where it was first imagined.
At the heart of the programme is youth leadership. The 30 young people who attended most regularly in 2025 have been invited to join the Zone Ambassadors group, helping shape the summer programme and supporting on-site delivery. From activity ideas to the atmosphere of the space, young people remain central to making The Zone feel like it genuinely belongs to them.
“The Zone was built in Lincoln, for the young people of Lincoln. It came directly from young people telling us they needed more places to go, more things to do, and more spaces where they could feel welcome, safe and completely themselves.
What is really special now is seeing something created here in Lincoln start to gather attention across the country – while the city continues to invest in it, believe in it and bring it back home for local young people. That feels meaningful and ambitious.
This year is a real partnership moment with City of Lincoln Council. Their support means thousands of young people across Lincoln will be able to access purpose-built spaces created with them in mind – not only for arts and culture, but for joy, connection, confidence, and simply having somewhere brilliant to be during the summer holidays.”
“The Zone has become a fantastic part of the summer holidays in Lincoln and a brilliant example of what can happen when we listen to young people and invest in the things they tell us they need.
As a council, we are committed to creating opportunities for young people and helping make Lincoln a place where they can thrive. We are proud to support The Zone and Zone Go, ensuring more young people can access free activities, build confidence and meet new people, and explore their creativity this summer.”
The Zone
📍 City Square, next to Cornhill Market LN5 7DU
📅 Open 22 July – 15 August 2026
⏰ Open Tuesday to Saturday: 11:00 – 17:00
🎉 Join us for the Launch Party! Friday 24 July: 2pm - 5pm
🧋 The first 20 young people to check in at The Zone in City Square each day between 22 July and 1 August will receive a FREE Bubble Kiss bubble tea.
💰 Free entry for ages 11–18
Zone Go
📍 Touring Lincoln
📆 3rd August - 4th September 2026
⏰ All locations open 12pm - 5pm
💰 Free entry for ages 11–18
Mondays (excluding 31st Aug)
St Giles YMCA Youth Centre, LN2 4ND
Tuesdays
Lincoln Arboretum, LN2 5RT
Wednesdays
Ermine Sudbrooke Drive Community Centre, LN2 2DD
Thursdays
Moorlands Community Centre, LN6 7NH
Fridays
Birchwood Leisure Centre, LN6 0JE
