Culture
English culture encompasses everything from vintage fashion to futuristic architecture crowned with swish rooftop restaurants and bars. Culture old and new fuses effortlessly in our big cities, where Victorian museums host cutting-edge modern artists. And you’ll find hoards of cultural activities in the countryside and along the coast too. Follow sculpture trails hidden in woodlands, walk in the footsteps of your favourite fictional characters on a film or literature tour, catch a film screening in the grounds of a Tudor mansion and stop by one of numerous art galleries popping up in seaside resorts on your cultural holidays.
August events: Leicester's Caribbean Carnival
Join the annual Leicester Caribbean Carnival in August for a celebration of culture and tradition full of music, colour and dance.
Location: Leicester, Leicestershire
August events: SO Festival
Lincolnshire’s coastal district of East Lindsey is transformed into an international arts venue during this annual summer festival.
Location: Skegness, Lincolnshire
October events: Get giddy at the Nottingham Goose Fair
The Goose Fair is one of Europe’s largest travelling fairs and is one of Nottingham’s oldest traditions, dating back more than 700 years.
Location: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
October events: Get merry on local brews at the Robin Hood Beer Festival
With its fine selection of beer and cider stalls, many of which offer local produce, Nottingham's Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival is a great place for drink connoisseurs.
Location: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
October events: Laugh out loud at Birmingham Comedy Festival
Watch stand-up performances from some of the world’s top comedians, then learn the tricks of the trade for yourself.
Location: Birmingham, West Midlands
Add Stratford Literary Festival to your list of things to do in April
Be in the company of celebrity authors and best-selling writers at this lively literary event in the UK.
Location: Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire
July events: Warwick Folk Festival
For four days each summer, Warwick is awash with the sights and sounds of folk music from across the world.
Location: Warwick, Warwickshire
July events: Buxton International Festival
Take your seats and enjoy a summer celebration of music, art, opera and literature on the edge of the scenic Peak District.
Location: Buxton, Derbyshire
December events: Step inside Worcester’s Victorian Christmas Fayre
Worcester's Christmas Fayre is the West Midlands' leading Victorian-themed street market.
Location: Worcester, Worcestershire
December events: Walk in Nottingham's magical Winter Wonderland
A traditional Christmas-card scene is recreated in Nottingham's Old Market Square every winter – the perfect place to get into the festival spirit.
Location: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
May events: Don your tweeds for the Nottinghamshire County Show
May is usually your first chance to enjoy the spring sunshine, so spend it wisely with an action-packed day at the Nottinghamshire County Show.
Location: Newark, Nottinghamshire
Enjoy a feast of live music and sporting events in Nottingham
Prepare to rave about Nottingham’s headline music festivals and be bowled over by the city’s world-class sporting events.
Location: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
December events: Experience a quintessentially English Christmas
Visit the small market town of Much Wenlock for festive trinkets, handmade gifts and sweet and savoury snacks at its Christmas Fayre.
Location: Much Wenlock, Shropshire
Head to Birmingham for a summer of festivals
This summer the streets, parks, bars and squares of Birmingham will be filled with melody as the city plays host to some fantastic music festivals.
Location: Birmingham, West Midlands
June events: Celebrate the written word at Stoke Literary Festival
Housed within a working factory, the Stoke Literary Festival is a surprisingly scenic spot for a literary celebration.
Location: Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
August events: Lost Village Festival
Take a trip into the surreal landscape of large-scale, interactive theatre performance art. In the woods. With DJs.
Location: Norton Disney, Lincolnshire
