To foster intergenerational engagement and inclusive placemaking in public infrastructure, UK manufacturer Percussion Play is expanding its portfolio of engineered outdoor musical instruments. Founded in 2008 in Havant, Hampshire, and recognized with both the Queen’s Award and King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, Percussion Play exports TÜV SÜD-certified acoustic installations to over 60 countries across six continents. Built from marine-grade stainless steel, aluminum, hardwoods, and engineered polymers, the company’s instruments range from marimbas, chimes, and metallophones to nature-inspired sculptures such as the Butterfly, Ladybug, and Toadstool. Engineered specifically for year-round weather resistance and low-maintenance operation in parks, schools, healthcare facilities, and senior living communities, Percussion Play utilizes pentatonic tuning layouts to ensure harmonic musical creation regardless of user skill, age, or physical capability.
A brief description of the company and its activities
Percussion Play is a UK-based designer and manufacturer of outdoor musical instruments and musical play equipment. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Havant, Hampshire, the company designs, engineers, manufactures, assembles, and tunes one of the world’s most comprehensive ranges of outdoor musical instruments for parks, schools, visitor attractions, healthcare settings, libraries, public spaces, and inclusive play environments.
Recognised with both the Queen’s Award for Enterprise and the King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, Percussion Play exports its products globally and is widely regarded as a pioneer in the outdoor music sector. Today, Percussion Play instruments can be found in more than 60 countries across six continents.
Percussion Play instruments are constructed from high-performance materials including marine-grade stainless steel, aluminium, hardwoods, advanced composites, and engineered polymers. Wherever possible, materials and components are sourced within Great Britain, helping us maintain high standards of quality, sustainability, and manufacturing consistency.
Every product is independently certified by TÜV SÜD, the globally recognised testing and certification organisation, demonstrating compliance with internationally recognised safety, quality, and performance standards. This rigorous approach ensures the company’s instruments deliver exceptional acoustic performance, durability, weather resistance, and long-term reliability in demanding outdoor environments.
What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Our primary focus is the design and manufacture of high-quality outdoor musical instruments that combine acoustic performance, durability, accessibility, and visual appeal.
Working closely with landscape architects, play specialists, local authorities, schools, healthcare providers, and destination venues, we create installations that encourage creativity, social interaction, physical activity, and wellbeing.
A key part of our work involves designing and engineering instruments specifically for year-round outdoor use, balancing acoustic performance, structural integrity, accessibility, durability, and ease of maintenance.
What’s the news about new products/services?
In 2026, Percussion Play continued to expand its nature-inspired product range by introducing new instruments, including the Butterfly, Ladybug, and Toadstool. These combine playful sculptural design with durable engineering and accessible musical interaction, making them suitable for a wide range of public settings.
Alongside product development, we have continued to invest in research-led innovation. One significant project this year has been the Sounding Out study, which explored the impact of outdoor musical engagement in senior living communities. The findings are helping to inform both future product development and the wider conversation around wellbeing, inclusion, and outdoor engagement.
What are the ranges of products/services?
Percussion Play manufactures a broad range of outdoor musical instruments including:
- Marimbas and xylophone-style instruments
- Chimes and tuned percussion
- Bells and metallophones
- Drums and rhythm instruments
- Nature-inspired musical sculptures
- Wall-mounted instruments
- Musical ensembles
- Bespoke and custom-designed instruments
We also provide design consultation, specification support, project planning assistance, site layout recommendations, and custom product development.
Our instruments are manufactured using carefully selected materials including marine-grade stainless steel, aluminium, hardwood, GRP (glass fibre reinforced polymer), HPL (high-pressure laminate), HDPE, acrylic, and engineered polymers. Material choices are determined by acoustic performance, durability, corrosion resistance, sustainability, and maintenance requirements, enabling installations to perform reliably in environments ranging from coastal locations to heavily used urban parks and school playgrounds.
What is the state of the market where you are currently active?
The market remains extremely positive across many of our core sectors.
We continue to see strong demand from parks and recreation departments, schools, visitor attractions, libraries, healthcare providers, and senior living communities seeking innovative ways to encourage outdoor activity, social connection, and inclusive participation.
There is also growing recognition that outdoor spaces can deliver more than recreation alone. Increasingly, clients are looking for products that support wellbeing, placemaking, accessibility, and intergenerational engagement while delivering strong long-term value from an asset management perspective.
What can you tell us about market trends?
Several important trends are influencing both product development and customer demand:
- Greater emphasis on inclusive and accessible public spaces.
- Increased focus on intergenerational design that appeals to users of all ages.
- Growing awareness of the links between outdoor activity, wellbeing, and community connection.
- Demand for durable, low-maintenance infrastructure with long service life.
- Increased interest in evidence-based design, particularly in healthcare and senior living environments.
- Greater use of sensory and multisensory experiences within public realm projects.
- Demand for products that contribute to placemaking and destination appeal, rather than simply providing play value.
We are also seeing designers and specifiers placing greater emphasis on sustainability, material longevity, recyclability, and whole-life costs when selecting products for outdoor environments.
What are the most innovative products/services marketed?
Innovation at Percussion Play centres on the intersection of acoustics, engineering, accessibility, and placemaking.
Many of our instruments use precision-tuned aluminium notes that produce bright, resonant tones while maintaining excellent durability and corrosion resistance. Marine-grade stainless steel structures provide long-term performance with minimal maintenance requirements, even in challenging coastal environments.
One of our most significant innovations has been making music accessible to everyone. Through carefully engineered pentatonic tuning systems and note layouts, users can create harmonious music regardless of age, ability, or musical experience, removing traditional barriers to participation.
Our nature-inspired collection represents another area of innovation, combining engineered acoustic performance with sculptural forms that integrate naturally into landscaped environments.
We are also increasingly combining product innovation with research-led insights. Projects such as Sounding Out are helping us better understand how outdoor music can support social engagement, cognitive stimulation, and wellbeing in settings such as senior living communities. We have also collaborated with the Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC) and The Amber Trust to explore how outdoor music-making can be made more accessible and inclusive for children and young people with visual impairments.
What estimations do you have for the second half of 2026?
We remain optimistic about the second half of 2026.
Demand continues to be driven by investment in public spaces, inclusive recreation, education, healthcare, and visitor destinations. We also expect continued growth in senior living and wellbeing-focused environments as operators seek new ways to enhance resident engagement and outdoor experiences.
International markets remain an important area of opportunity for Percussion Play, particularly across North America and Europe. As awareness of the social, educational, and well-being benefits of outdoor music-making continues to grow, we anticipate sustained demand for high-quality, durable, and evidence-backed outdoor musical installations.
Our focus will remain on combining engineering excellence, innovative design, and robust manufacturing to create products that deliver lasting value and meaningful experiences for communities worldwide.
