Grab your gear and mark the calendar, because on the 19th of July 2026, Airsoft Plantation in Billericay, Essex is turning twenty, and they are not planning to celebrate quietly. After two decades of muddy boots, smoking BBs and legendary game days, AP is throwing open the gates for the biggest bash in its history, and every single airsoft player, whether you have been coming since year one or you have never fired a shot on site before, is warmly invited to join the fun.

Airsoft Plantation has been the go-to game site for Popular Airsoft over the years, and it is our turn to give them support as they mark two decades of organising and hosting airsoft events in this part of England.

It all started when Steve (who also founded ROE Airsoft) wandered into the woods with nothing but an idea and a lot of ambition. He was then joined by John who, with the rest of the team, helped build something properly special, and the rest, as they say, is airsoft history. Two decades later, that little idea has grown into one of the coolest and largest purpose-built game sites in the whole of the UK, complete with kill houses, sniper towers, pill boxes, bridge sections, forts, a WW2 V1 missile launch site, a downed plane crash site and even a fully dressed Taiwanese style village. Honestly, the list of structures goes on longer than most people's Christmas wish list.

Airsoft Plantation's John Drury

To mark such a milestone, AP is going all out with giveaways that would make any player grin from ear to ear. Six lucky randomly selected players will walk away with free pistols, twenty players will bag themselves free walk ons, another twenty will get their money back, and there is a whopping five thousand pounds worth of top end raffle prizes up for grabs, generously donated by loads of airsoft suppliers who clearly know a good party when they see one. Simply put, this is AP's biggest ever raffle, and the prize list just keeps on growing.

Of course, no proper AP celebration would be complete without the games themselves, and this one promises to be an absolute cracker. Old and new marshals are coming together for the day to replay some of the site's most loved games from across the years, so whether you fancy a fast-paced scramble through the village or battle out on the scrub land, there will be something to satisfy every style of player.

For anyone who has not yet had the pleasure, Airsoft Plantation splits its terrain into woodland and scrub land, and both sides bring something different to the table. The woods are packed with structures built for realistic close quarters chaos, think border crossings, bridges, a maze and sniper pits tucked away for the sneaky long-range crowd. Out on the scrub, things open up into sprawling convoy games, downed pilot rescues and VIP missions, and sometimes complete with planes from a nearby airfield doing bombing runs overhead. It genuinely must be seen to be believed.

Between games, players can properly relax in AP's spacious safe zone, which is part covered, dressed head to toe in military style camo netting, and guarded by a genuine military Land Rover doubling up as, brilliantly, the barbecue. There is a fully equipped airsoft shop on site for any last-minute gear needs, plus a burger van serving up hot food, cold food, tea and coffee all day long, because let us be honest, a day of running about in the woods absolutely demands a decent burger afterwards.

Best of all, this is a proper walk on game day, so there is no need to prebook a single thing. Just turn up on the day, pay thirty quid and dive straight into the celebrations. Hire equipment is available for anyone who needs it, though that part does need booking in advance, so sort that ahead of time if you are travelling light. The day will run a touch later than usual to squeeze in all the festivities, but do not worry, everyone will still be home in plenty of time to catch the football final.

So, there it is, twenty years of muddy boots, brilliant games and an atmosphere that keeps players coming back year after year, all building up to what promises to be Airsoft Plantation's finest celebration yet. Whether you are a seasoned AP regular or a curious newcomer who fancies seeing what all the fuss is about, the woods of Billericay are calling on the 19th of July, and every airsoft player in the country is invited to come along and be part of the game site’s history.