Devonport Open Days 2025
Get ready for an action-packed day out at HM Naval Base Devonport and Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard this July.
Devonport Open Days, run by Babcock and the Royal Navy, will be held on Thursday 24 July for families of those working on site and on Friday 25 July for external visitors.
Dive into the excitement as you go behind the scenes at HMNB Devonport and Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard, where there will be seven themed zones, packed with activities and demonstrations featuring HM Royal Marines Band, MoD Police Dog Display, Wonderstruck Science Show and much more:
Zone 1
Royal Navy
Zone 2
Royal Marines
Zone 3
STEM
Zone 4
Sports
Zone 5
Food (including the Kitchen Theatre Demo Stage)
Zone 6
Water and Air Displays
Zone 7
Dockyard Bus Tours (day one only)
Tickets are free, with applications opening later this month.
A ticket link will be available from this website at 9am on Thursday 22 May 2025.
All employees of the MOD and Babcock at HMNB Devonport and Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard will be given a unique booking code. You can request up to six tickets for Thursday 24 July once ticketing opens on Thursday 22 May.
Tickets for Friday 25 July will be allocated by ballot. The online ballot will open at 9am on Thursday 22 May and close at midday on Friday 6 June 2025. Successful entries will be notified by email on Monday 30 June 2025.
The Devonport Open Day events are designed to allow the local community and future workforce access to specified areas of HMNB Devonport, a unique and complex site. We are looking to share with you a little insight to some of our work and our key partners who contribute to the delivery of some of the top UK defence programmes, right here in Plymouth on the banks of the River Tamar. The site will remain an operational HM Naval Base, home to sailors and commercial refit yard to ships and nuclear submarines, throughout the open day, so please be respectful of all signs and instructions from event staff who are looking to maximise your enjoyment and access, whilst maintaining everyone’s safety and security.
HMNB Devonport is a Nuclear licensed site protected under the National Security Act 2023 as a Prohibited place, which does not routinely permit access to non-UK Nationals. Therefore, attendance for Day 2 applicants will be restricted, with proof of British nationality (see list below for all guest 16 years and older) required at the point of entry and nationality proof aligning to your ticket application – the MOD reserves the right to refuse entry to non-UK citizens. As this is designed as an engagement event, we reserve the right to prioritise entrants against specific criteria where oversubscription occurs.
Acceptable proof of nationality:
- a British passport,
- a British birth certificate (with photo ID)
- a Certificate of Naturalisation (with photo ID)
- a British citizenship ceremony registration certificate (with photo ID)
Failure to present one of the above when asked, will result in entry to HM Naval Base Devonport being declined for the Open Day event.
More information is available below – please read this carefully before applying for tickets. Ticket holders must comply with all relevant statutes, safety announcements and venue regulations whilst attending the event.
Above all, safety will always be our highest priority in the planning and delivery of the Devonport Open Days events.
Keep an eye on this page or follow our Babcock – Nuclear sector LinkedIn page for the latest announcements. If you have any further questions, please email [email protected]
Frequently asked questions
The Devonport Open Days events will be held at HMNB Devonport and Babcock’s Devonport Dockyard and are a joint venture between the Royal Navy and Babcock International Group.
Thursday 24 July is for families of those working on site and Friday 25 July is for external visitors.
The event will run from 10am – 6pm each day, with last entry to the event site at 1pm on both days.
Tickets will be free of charge and will be available via a link from this website at 9am on Thursday 22 May 2025.
A unique ticket booking code for the Thursday 24 July event will be provided to all employees of the MOD and Babcock at HMNB Devonport and Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard. Bookings will be limited to a maximum of six tickets per application.
Tickets for Friday 25 July will be allocated by ballot. The online ballot will open at 9am on Thursday 22 May 2025 and close at midday on Friday 6 June 2025. Successful applicants will be selected and notified by email, along with their digital tickets, on Monday 30 June 2025.
Tickets will be emailed in digital format only to all successful applicants.
The Devonport Open Day events are designed to allow the local community and future workforce access to specified areas of HMNB Devonport, a unique and complex site. We are looking to share with you a little insight to some of our work and our key partners who contribute to the delivery of some of the top UK defence programmes, right here in Plymouth on the banks of the River Tamar. The site will remain an operational HM Naval Base, home to sailors and commercial refit yard to ships and nuclear submarines, throughout the open day, so please be respectful of all signs and instructions from event staff who are looking to maximise your enjoyment and access, whilst maintaining everyone’s safety and security.
HMNB Devonport is a Nuclear licensed site protected under the National Security Act 2023 as a Prohibited place, which does not routinely permit access to non-UK Nationals. Therefore, attendance for Day 2 applicants will be restricted, with proof of British nationality (see list below for all guest 16 years and older) required at the point of entry and nationality proof aligning to your ticket application – the MOD reserves the right to refuse entry to non-UK citizens. As this is designed as an engagement event, we reserve the right to prioritise entrants against specific criteria where oversubscription occurs.
Acceptable proof of nationality:
- a British passport,
- a British birth certificate (with photo ID)
- a Certificate of Naturalisation (with photo ID)
- a British citizenship ceremony registration certificate (with photo ID)
Failure to present one of the above when asked, will result in entry to HM Naval Base Devonport being declined
All ticket holders for the Thursday and Friday events will need to show their tickets along with photo ID on the day to gain entry onto the Park & Ride buses at the Park & Ride locations and at the event entrance. MOD and Babcock employees will be required to show their staff pass in addition to a digital ticket to gain entry to the Thursday event.
Children under the age of 16 do not require photo ID.
It is advisable to also print copies of your tickets in the event of electronic device failure or it runs out of battery.
When applying for tickets all attendees over the age of 16 will be required to enter their full name, address, and date of birth into the ticket booking site.
Infants up to the age of 2 years old do not require a ticket.
If you experience any technical issues with the website during the booking process or have any queries about it, please contact [email protected].
For any other ticketing issues please reach out to [email protected].
If you are attending the event as part of a group it is advisable to nominate a lead booker, who will need to provide a name and address for each individual attending. It is essential to use the same address to ensure that your entire group is admitted (if successful in securing tickets).
There will be no public parking on-site at HMNB Devonport and ticket holders, including staff, are encouraged to use the Devonport Open Days FREE Park & Ride service from Milehouse, Coypool and Roborough Park & Ride sites.
Ticket holders can arrive at the event site by foot and signposts will direct visitors to the event entrance at the Camels Head area of the site. Devonport Open Days event entry will not be permitted via any other Dockyard entrance gate other than at Camels Head.
The first Park & Ride buses will depart from the Milehouse, Coypool and Roborough Park & Ride sites at 9.30am and will continue running throughout the day.
HMNB Devonport car pass holders may use their normal car parking allocation outside of the Devonport Open Days site but will not be able to access the event through any other gate than Camels Head event entrance gate.
Accessible Lanyards are a simple tool for you to voluntarily share that you have a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent. If you do need additional support or assistance please email [email protected].
Any Accessible Lanyards ordered will be available for collection at the ticket check and bag search area on the day. They will not be issued in advance.
There is wheelchair access at the site although certain attractions will not be suitable or accessible for wheelchair users.
Visitors with limited mobility, those with heart or respiratory problems and those that suffer from vertigo, may find access to certain attractions more challenging. However, we do not want anyone to miss out, so if you are in any doubt whatsoever about venue accessibility, we recommend that you contact the event office via email [email protected] to discuss your particular requirements.
Event Stewards will be on hand to help anyone who needs it. If you’re looking a little lost, don’t be surprised if they approach you – they are there to help. If you notice something that doesn’t seem right, please tell them and they will do the rest. We work closely with the MOD police and event security officers to ensure everyone can enjoy the event safely and securely.
Accessible and public toilets will be available throughout the event site on ground level.
Guests are asked to keep personal possessions to a minimum to assist with security searches at the point of entry. A bag or other bulky items could lead to you being delayed during the security checks on entry.
Event attendees shall be required to always keep their personal belongings with them, and we accept no liability for damage to, or loss of, personal belongings.
All ticket holders will be subject to security and ID checks that will be conducted at the Park & Ride sites and at the main event entrance to HMNB Devonport.
We do not accept any responsibility for any loss including (without limitation) theft of any property occasioned on our premises save for any damage caused by our negligence in which circumstances our liability shall be limited to the amount of our insurance for such losses.
No pets are allowed into the event unless it is a Guide or Assistance dog.
The unauthorised commercial use of cameras, video, or sound recording equipment is strictly prohibited at the Devonport Open Days event, and such items may be confiscated.
Digital cameras are not permitted on the event site.
Mobile phone cameras are permitted on the event site for private use only.
There is nowhere that a drone can be legally used in and around Devonport Royal Dockyard.
The Devonport Open Days events are unlikely to be cancelled due to bad weather, but the possibility cannot be completely ruled out.
Special effects may include, without limitation, sound, audio visual, and pyrotechnic effects.
If ticket holders have any concerns about special effects which may be featured at the event, contact the event office via email [email protected]
The event site will be split into seven Zones:
- Zone 1 – Royal Navy
- Zone 2 – Royal Marines
- Zone 3 – STEM
- Zone 4 – Sports
- Zone 5 – Food (including both concessions and the Kitchen Theatre Demo Stage)
- Zone 6 – Water and Air Displays
- Zone 7 – Dockyard Bus Tours (day one only)
The Devonport Open Days event site covers a large area and lots of walking will be required so please wear suitable footwear and consider pushchairs for younger children.
Hot and cold food and drinks will be available to purchase at the event. We encourage you to bring a light picnic, such as a sandwich lunch. No cutlery to be brought to the event.
Suitable seating will be available within the Food Zone for families to enjoy their picnics while watching the Kitchen Theatre demonstration stage.