The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground will reopen to the public from 10am on 5 August 2026, following completion of the £3 million refurbishment. Some of the original equipment, including the large sailing ship, had reached the end of its life and required full replacement.

Visitors to the renewed playground can now experience a brand new 17 by 12 metre Galleon, moored on a sandy beach, with two crow’s nests, a large tunnel slide and a play telescope. The new Treehouse features three towers of different heights, a four metre tunnel slide and an accessible walkway with talk tubes, musical instruments and games including tic-tac-toe. A brand new waterplay area includes a larger-than-life crocodile sculpture, 12 metres long from head to tail, with dams running across its body so children can control the flow of water. The waterplay area is currently switched off in line with the Thames Water hosepipe ban. A redesigned area for younger children features timber houses, play ships and a large sandpit.

Accessibility has been central to the renewal, with wheelchair accessible spaces in both the Galleon and the Treehouse, a new accessible path, and raised tables in the waterplay and sand areas. Sensory planting has been added and the musical area upgraded, alongside a range of new interactive play features.

Sustainability was also a key consideration throughout, with new wooden play equipment built using timber from sustainably managed European forests. The new waterplay feature has been designed so that runoff water can be collected and reused for irrigation.

The Royal Parks charity has also upgraded and expanded the playground’s toilets, almost doubling the total number and adding two accessible toilets, to better serve the large numbers of visitors the playground receives each year.

Updated: 4 August 2026

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The Royal Parks charity will undertake a £3 million renewal of the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens, which opened in 2000 to commemorate the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Since its opening, the playground welcomes more than one million children and their carers annually, but after nearly 25 years of play, many of the playground’s features have reached the end of their life. The renewed playground will retain the characteristics of the existing Peter Pan-inspired playground but will provide more accessible and inclusive play, as well as challenging physical play, so that children of all abilities can enjoy creative and imaginative play together.

The Royal Parks have now revealed the initial designs for the new and improved Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, including a virtual walk-through of the proposals.  A new Galleon, constructed with sustainably-sourced timber over three levels, with wheelchair accessible spaces, will replace the existing pirate ship. The Galleon will include an additional ‘crow’s nest’ and a double storey ‘stern’ with a ship’s wheel and a telescope.

A new multiple-level Tree House Encampment constructed with sustainably-sourced timber will provide opportunities for children to climb and play at different heights and includes areas accessible to wheelchairs. Three towers at different heights will provide different levels of challenge, while other features include a suspension bridge, a tunnel slide, a rope bridge and a see-saw bridge with a slide.

A redesigned and improved Mermaid Fountain will expand the water and sand play area. The new designs will allow runoff water to be collected and reused for irrigation.

New tree planting for shade and biodiversity, together with sensory, allergy-friendly and pollinator-friendly planting will improve the playground’s natural setting, alongside new seating and paths which will improve access for all.