There’s nothing quite like events in England. Where else can you take a dip in a hot tub after dancing the night away at a masquerade ball, sing along with rock stars while dressed as an octopus and catch up with famous writers and chefs in a glorious seaside setting. Film, food, music, comedy, street art, theatre, literature, vintage lifestyle and even worm charming are all checked off at English events and festivals. Want to keep it traditional? England invented the social season and the summer calendar of events in the UK is peppered with opera in gardens and major sporting fixtures including horse racing and rowing.
Events
There’s nothing quite like events in England. Where else can you take a dip in a hot tub after dancing the night away at a masquerade ball, sing along with rock stars while dressed as an octopus and catch up with famous writers and chefs in a glorious seaside setting. Film, food, music, comedy, street art, theatre, literature, vintage lifestyle and even worm charming are all checked off at English events and festivals. Want to keep it traditional? England invented the social season and the summer calendar of events in the UK is peppered with opera in gardens and major sporting fixtures including horse racing and rowing.
19 reasons to visit England in 2019
Featured
England is packed with exciting events and things to do in 2019; see the highlights and start planning for next year!
June events: Revel in music at Westonbirt Arboretum for Forest Live
England’s forests turn into atmospheric music venues for Forest Live, offering an eclectic range of artists & an amazing night out.
Location: Westonbirt near Tetbury, Gloucestershire
October Events: Read and be merry at the Ilkley Literature Festival
Book lovers simply can’t miss this prestigious literature event in the Yorkshire Dales, that's taking place between 4 and 20 October.
Location: Ilkley, West Yorkshire
August events: Steampunk Festival
Lincoln was voted the world’s most steampunk city - find out why at the annual Steampunk Festival.
Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
September events: Steam into autumn at North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Get on board the North Yorkshire Moors Railway this autumn with a varied diary of events offering a great way to spend time with family and friends.
Location: Pickering, North Yorkshire
May events: Discover your creative side at the Hertford Arts Festival
Enjoy works from local artists and unleash your own creativity at a series of events in Hertford.
Location: Hertford, Hertfordshire
Pay homage to the written word in South Shields
Step inside The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, a state-of-the-art venue in South Shields.
Location: South Shields, South Tyneside
Get back on track at Tramlines Festival
Tramlines Festival rolls into Sheffield each summer, bringing the party to Hillsborough Park with four stages of lots of top musical acts.
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Be inspired by authors at the Hexham Book Festival
Hexham's annual celebration of all things literary features some of the country's best writers in a suitably beautiful setting.
Location: Hexham, Northumberland
May events: Gear up for the Tour de Yorkshire
Hold onto your helmets as one of the best sporting events in May rolls into Yorkshire for the early May bank holiday weekend.
Location: Yorkshire
Step into another world at Boomtown
Immerse yourself in a festival with an entire storyline behind it, and become part of the next chapter of the tale.
Location: Winchester, Hampshire
May events: Taste Yorkshire’s best at the Food Lovers Festival
Known as Yorkshire's Food Capital, the usually quiet village of Malton comes to life when this tasty festival rolls into town.
Location: Malton, North Yorkshire
October events: Get lost in words at the Isle of Wight Literary Festival
Visit the Isle of Wight between 10-13 October for the Isle of Wight Literary Festival, and you can help honour the great literature that was inspired by the island.
Location: Cowes, Isle of Wight
Have a bloomin’ lovely time at the Harrogate Flower Show
Get your green fingers ready this prestigious gardening event in April, one of the biggest of its kind in the UK.
Location: Harrogate, North Yorkshire
August events: Step back in time at the Lytham 1940s Wartime Festival
Come and enjoy the atmosphere and immerse yourself in heritage, entertainment, re-enactment and have-a-go fun.
Location: Lytham Green, Lancashire
November events: Take a Christmas cookery class with a celebrity chef
Explore the world of Christmas food and drink with Michelin-starred celebrity chefs at the Taste of Christmas event in London’s Docklands.
Location: London
December events: Start off your Christmas season in Chester
Visit Santa, sip on mulled wine and spend the weekend celebrating all things festive in the beautiful city of Chester.
Location: Chester, Cheshire
November events: Celebrate Mozart with world-class cultural events in Bath
If Mozart is music to your ears then don’t miss a spectacular celebration of the musical genius at the annual Bath Mozartfest this November.
Location: Bath, Somerset
Lose yourself at the legendary Glastonbury Festival
Experience a weekend of music, arts and comedy at the south-west’s most iconic farm, where festival-goers have been flocking in their thousands since the seventies.
Location: Pilton, Somerset
August events: Embrace Beatleweek at the legendary Cavern Club
Get swept up in Beatlemania as fans from all over the world descend on the city where it all started.
Location: Liverpool, Merseyside
August events: Mosh to the biggest acts at Reading and Leeds Festivals
Head to Bramham Park in Leeds or Little John’s Farm in Reading for three days of unbeatable live music.
Location: Reading and Leeds
Arts and cultural events
Rejoice in English culture at one of the many shows and fairs held throughout the year.
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