Summer job vacancies in the UK have fallen sharply year-on-year in 2026, according to new figures from Indeed, but employers across holiday parks, festivals, farms, and hospitality are still scrambling for staff. Brits are being urged to apply now to secure seasonal roles before peak season.
Holiday Parks and Campsites
Holiday parks are among the biggest summer recruiters in coastal and rural areas, taking on extra staff for the school holidays and tourism rush. Roles include reception, housekeeping, bar work, maintenance, and entertainment. Haven and Parkdean Resorts are currently hiring across the UK. Haven offers summer jobs in activities, leisure, hospitality, and housekeeping, while Parkdean Resorts has announced a big seasonal recruitment drive covering chefs, receptionists, security officers, lifeguards, and bar staff.
Main recruitment often starts from January to April, but extra vacancies can still pop up through May, June, and July if employers are short-staffed.
Hospitality: Pubs, Restaurants, Cafes, and Hotels
Hospitality is often the easiest place to start for local work. Pubs, restaurants, cafes, hotels, and tourist venues all get busier over summer, especially in seaside towns, beauty spots, and city centres. Typical roles include waiting staff, bar staff, kitchen porters, hotel housekeeping, café assistants, takeaway and kiosk staff, and breakfast staff.
Summer hospitality recruitment often ramps up from March onwards, and employers continue hiring right through June, July, and August in many places.
Festival and Events Work
Summer brings short-term jobs linked to music festivals, food events, race days, sporting events, and outdoor concerts. These jobs can mean long shifts, late finishes, and unpredictable weather. Typical roles include bar staff, catering assistants, event stewards, ticketing and gate staff, cleaners, build and breakdown crew, and hospitality staff.
Applications often open from February to May, but some employers recruit right up to the event season. Festaff, a festival staffing site, recruits for stewarding, wristbanding, and information-point work.
Visitor Attractions, Theme Parks, and Tourist Sites
Theme parks, zoos, heritage sites, and family attractions need more staff during summer, especially once schools break up. Typical roles include admissions and ticketing, ride or attraction attendants, food and drink staff, gift shop and retail assistants, cleaners, and guest services. Recruitment often starts in late winter and spring, but some operational and catering roles stay open into summer.
Summer Camps, Childcare, and Activity Jobs
For people with childcare, teaching, coaching, or youth work experience, summer camps and activity schemes offer better-paid and better-structured seasonal work. Roles include camp leaders, sports coaches, teaching and activity assistants, arts, drama or music leaders, welfare and pastoral staff, and admin support. Many summer camp roles are advertised from January to April, with some vacancies remaining open into May and June. Barracudas is currently hiring for its activity camps.
Farm Work, Fruit Picking, and Packing Jobs
Agricultural work remains a big part of the seasonal labour market. Depending on location, farms may need staff for fruit and vegetable picking, packing produce, helping in farm shops, or supporting pick-your-own sites. This work can be physically hard, with early starts and repetitive tasks. Recruitment varies by crop, from late winter through summer. Specialist agricultural jobs board 4xtrahands regularly lists temporary and seasonal vacancies.
Lifeguard and Leisure Roles
Pools, leisure centres, holiday parks, and hotel complexes often need extra staff over summer, and qualified lifeguards can be in demand. Roles include lifeguards, pool attendants, activity assistants, and leisure centre support staff. Roles often appear from spring onwards, and if a qualification is required, time must be factored in to complete it.
Warehouses, Delivery, and Temporary Logistics
Not all seasonal jobs are tied to tourism. Summer brings extra demand in some warehouses, food businesses, and delivery operations, while many employers need temporary cover for permanent staff taking annual leave. Roles include warehouse operatives, packers, stock replenishment, delivery drivers, and driver's mates. Temporary hiring often increases in late spring and summer.
Where to Find Summer Jobs Now
Useful places to check include Haven jobs, Parkdean Resorts jobs, Festaff, Barracudas, 4xtrahands, Indeed, and the government's Find a Job service. According to a report by Reuters based on Indeed data, UK summer job vacancies are down sharply year-on-year in 2026, so it is worth applying early and checking multiple sources.
As a rough guide, apply early for holiday parks and tourism jobs (January to April), summer camps (January to April), and festival work (February to May). Spring is prime time for hospitality, visitor attractions, farm work, and leisure roles. However, some employers keep recruiting through June, July, and even August if staff leave or demand rises.
Who Summer Jobs Suit Best
Seasonal work suits students, parents wanting part-time or school-hours work, teachers and school staff, people between jobs, retirees, and anyone returning to work after time out. The right role depends on transport, hours, physical demands, and customer interaction.
Before accepting a role, check how you will get there, whether shifts include evenings and weekends, how physical the work is, whether pay is hourly or output-linked, how long the contract lasts, and whether specific clothing, footwear, or qualifications are needed.
