THE A–Z
Every odd event,
A to Z.
All 145 events in one list, with where they happen and when to go. Names starting “World” or “The” are filed under the word that follows — so bog snorkelling lives under B.
A
- Abbots Bromley Horn Dance Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire · Wakes Monday: the Monday after the first Sunday after 4 September
- Allendale Tar Bar’l Allendale, Northumberland · 31 December 2026
- Alnwick Shrovetide Football Alnwick, Northumberland · 9 February 2027
- Ambleside Rushbearing Ambleside, Cumbria · Usually the first Saturday in July
- Appleby Horse Fair Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria · 3–9 June 2027
- Armagh Road Bowls (Ulster Championships) Keady and lanes around Armagh, County Armagh · Ulster finals usually in July; club fixtures through spring and summer
- Atherstone Ball Game Atherstone, Warwickshire · 9 February 2027
B
- Ballyclare May Fair Ballyclare, County Antrim · A week in mid to late May, with the horse fair on the Tuesday
- Bampton Morris Day of Dance Bampton, Oxfordshire · 31 May 2027
- Battle Bonfire Battle, East Sussex · 7 November 2026
- Bawming the Thorn Appleton Thorn, Cheshire · 19 June 2027
- Beltane Fire Festival Calton Hill, Edinburgh · 30 April 2027
- Biggar Hogmanay Bonfire Biggar, South Lanarkshire · 31 December 2026
- World Black Pudding Throwing Championships Ramsbottom, Greater Manchester · Usually the second Sunday in September, outside The Oaks pub on Bridge Street
- Blackawton International Festival of Wormcharming Blackawton, Devon · Early May, usually the Sunday of the early May bank holiday weekend
- Bodmin Riding and Heritage Day Bodmin, Cornwall · Usually the first weekend of July; await the next programme
- World Bog Snorkelling Championships Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys · August bank holiday weekend
- Braemar Gathering Braemar, Aberdeenshire · 4 September 2027
- Brambles Bank cricket match The Solent, Hampshire · Once a year on a very low spring tide, usually late summer; time set by the tide
- Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival Bridgwater, Somerset · 7 November 2026
- Bridport Hat Festival Bridport, Dorset · Usually the first Saturday in September
- Britannia Coconut Dancers of Bacup Bacup, Lancashire · 27 March 2027
- Burning of the Clavie Burghead, Moray · 11 January 2027
- Burning the Clocks Brighton, East Sussex · 21 December 2026
- Burntisland Highland Games Burntisland, Fife · 19 July 2027
- The Burryman South Queensferry, Edinburgh · 13 August 2027
C
- Carhampton Wassail Carhampton, Somerset · 16 January 2027
- Castleton Garland Day Castleton, Derbyshire · 29 May 2027
- Ceremony of the Keys Tower of London, London · Every night of the year at 9.30pm (free tickets, released in batches and snapped up fast)
- Chepstow Wassail and Mari Lwyd Chepstow, Monmouthshire · A Saturday in mid to late January, from about midday into the evening
- Cilgerran Coracle Races Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire · Saturday near 19 August, during Cilgerran Festive Week
- World Coal Carrying Championship Gawthorpe, West Yorkshire · 29 March 2027
- Comrie Flambeaux Comrie, Perthshire · 31 December 2026 – 1 January 2027
- World Conker Championships Southwick, Northamptonshire · 10 October 2027
- Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling Cooper’s Hill, near Gloucester · 31 May 2027
- Cotswold Olimpick Games Dover’s Hill, Gloucestershire · The Friday after the spring bank holiday
- Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppet Festival Covent Garden, London · 9 May 2027
- World Crazy Golf Championships Hastings, East Sussex · Usually in June
- World Custard Pie Championship Coxheath, Kent · 12 June 2027
D
- Derry Halloween Derry~Londonderry, County Londonderry · 28 October – 1 November 2026
- Doggett’s Coat and Badge Race River Thames, London · Once a year in late summer, timed to the tide; recently early September (2026: Wednesday 2 September)
- Dunmow Flitch Trials Great Dunmow, Essex · 15 July 2028
- Duns Summer Festival Reivers Rideout Duns, Scottish Borders · Usually early July during Duns Summer Festival
E
- Ebernoe Horn Fair Ebernoe, West Sussex · 25 July 2027
- Edenbridge Bonfire Edenbridge, Kent · 7 November 2026
- World Egg Throwing Championships Swaton, Lincolnshire · Last Sunday in June, as part of Swaton Vintage Day (27 June 2027 if the pattern holds)
- Egremont Crab Fair and Gurning World Championships Egremont, Cumbria · Third Saturday in September
G
- Galashiels Braw Lads’ Gathering Galashiels, Scottish Borders · 3 July 2027
- Glastonbury Holy Thorn Cutting Glastonbury, Somerset · A schoolday in December before Christmas; the date varies
- Goathland Plough Stots Day of Dance Goathland, North Yorkshire · 16 January 2027
- Golden Spurtle World Porridge Championship Carrbridge, Highland · 2 October 2027
- Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show Grasmere, Cumbria · 29 August 2027
- Grasmere Rushbearing Grasmere, Cumbria · A Saturday in mid-July, usually the second Saturday (formerly near St Oswald's Day, 5 August)
- World Gravy Wrestling Championships Bacup, Lancashire · Late summer, recently on the August bank holiday Monday
- Great Knaresborough Bed Race Knaresborough, North Yorkshire · 12 June 2027
- Great Wishford Grovely Day (Oak Apple Day) Great Wishford, Wiltshire · 29 May 2027
- Grimaldi Clowns’ Service Haggerston, London · 7 February 2027
H
- Hallaton Bottle Kicking & Hare Pie Scramble Hallaton, Leicestershire · 29 March 2027
- Hastings Bonfire Hastings, East Sussex · A Saturday in mid-October (Saturday 17 October in 2026)
- Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green Hastings, East Sussex · 30 April – 3 May 2027
- Hatherleigh Carnival tar barrels Hatherleigh, Devon · 14 November 2026
- Hawick Common Riding Hawick, Scottish Borders · 10–12 June 2027
- Haxey Hood Haxey, Lincolnshire · 6 January 2027
- Helston Flora Day Helston, Cornwall · 8 May 2027
- Hen Galan in the Gwaun Valley Cwm Gwaun, Pembrokeshire · 13 January 2027
- World Hen Racing Championship Bonsall, Derbyshire · Usually the first Saturday in August, at the Barley Mow pub
- Heptonstall Pace Egg Play Heptonstall, West Yorkshire · 26 March 2027
- Holywood May Day Holywood, County Down · Early May bank holiday Monday
- Hungerford Hocktide (Tutti Day) Hungerford, Berkshire · 6 April 2027
- Hunting the Earl of Rone Combe Martin, Devon · 28–31 May 2027
- Hurling the Silver Ball, St Ives St Ives, Cornwall · 8 February 2027
I
- Ickwell May Day Ickwell, Bedfordshire · 3 May 2027
- Irvine Marymass Irvine, North Ayrshire · 21 August 2027
J
- Jedburgh Ba’ Game Jedburgh, Scottish Borders · 11 February 2027
K
- Kingsteignton Ram Roasting Fair Kingsteignton, Devon · 31 May 2027
- Kiplingcotes Derby Kiplingcotes, East Riding of Yorkshire · 18 March 2027
- Kirkwall Ba’ Game Kirkwall, Orkney · 25 December 2026
- Knutsford Royal May Day Knutsford, Cheshire · The first Saturday in May
L
- Langholm Common Riding Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway · 30 July 2027
- Lanimer Day Lanark, South Lanarkshire · 10 June 2027
- Lewes Bonfire Night Lewes, East Sussex · 5 November 2026
- Lichfield Greenhill Bower Lichfield, Staffordshire · 31 May 2027
- Links Market Kirkcaldy, Fife · Six days from a Wednesday in mid-April
- Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza Llandudno, Conwy · 1–3 May 2027
- Llangynwyd Mari Lwyd Llangynwyd, Bridgend · 13 January 2027
- Loony Dook South Queensferry, Edinburgh · 1 January 2027
M
- Maldon Mud Race Promenade Park, Maldon, Essex · 30 May 2027
- Man v Horse Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys · A Saturday in June
- British and World Marbles Championship Tinsley Green, West Sussex · 26 March 2027
- Marshfield Mummers (Old Time Paper Boys) Marshfield, Gloucestershire · 26 December 2026
- Minehead Hobby Horse Minehead, Somerset · 30 April – 4 May 2027
- World Mountain Bike Chariot Racing Championship Llanwrtyd Wells area, Powys · A Saturday in August
N
- Nos Galan Road Races Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf · 31 December 2026
- Nottingham Goose Fair Nottingham, Nottinghamshire · Late September into early October; next dates unconfirmed
O
- Olney Pancake Race Olney, Buckinghamshire · 9 February 2027
- Oranges and Lemons Service St Clement Danes, Strand, London · Around the third Thursday in March
- Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels Ottery St Mary, Devon · 5 November 2026
- Ould Lammas Fair Ballycastle, County Antrim · Late August: a weekend of events followed by the main fair days on Monday and Tuesday
- Oxenhope Straw Race Oxenhope, West Yorkshire · First Sunday in July, starting at noon (4 July 2027 if the pattern holds)
- Oxford May Morning Oxford, Oxfordshire · 1 May 2027
P
- Padstow ’Obby ’Oss Padstow, Cornwall · 1 May 2027
- Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest Festival City of London, London · A Sunday in late September (2026: Sunday 20 September)
- World Peashooting Championship Witcham, Cambridgeshire · 10 July 2027
- Peter Pan Cup Christmas Day Swim Hyde Park, London · 25 December 2026
- Planting the Penny Hedge Whitby, North Yorkshire · 5 May 2027
- World Pooh Sticks Championships Sandford-on-Thames, Oxfordshire · Usually a Sunday in late May
- Portrush RNLI Raft Race Portrush, County Antrim · Usually late May
R
- Real Ale Wobble Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys · 14 November 2026
- Ripon Hornblower: Setting the Watch Ripon, North Yorkshire · Every night of the year at 9pm in Ripon Market Square (free)
- Rochester Sweeps Festival Rochester, Kent · 1–3 May 2027
- Rowell Fair Proclamation Rothwell, Northamptonshire · 24 May 2027
- Royal Shrovetide Football Ashbourne, Derbyshire · 9–10 February 2027
- Rye Bonfire Rye, East Sussex · 14 November 2026
S
- Saundersfoot New Year’s Day Swim Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire · 1 January 2027
- Scalloway Fire Festival Scalloway, Shetland · 8 January 2027
- Scarborough Skipping Day Scarborough, North Yorkshire · 9 February 2027
- Sedgefield Ball Game Sedgefield, County Durham · 9 February 2027
- Selkirk Common Riding Selkirk, Scottish Borders · 18 June 2027
- World Snail Racing Championships Congham, Norfolk · Usually a Saturday in mid-July, from 2pm
- St Briavels Bread and Cheese Dole St Briavels, Gloucestershire · 16 May 2027
- St Columb Hurling St Columb Major, Cornwall · 9 February 2027
- Stilton Cheese Rolling Stilton, Cambridgeshire · Spring Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May (2025: Sunday 25 May; 2026: Saturday 24 May)
- World Stinging Nettle Eating Championship Marshwood, Dorset · Every summer, usually in June
- World Stone Skimming Championships Easdale Island, Argyll · 11 September 2027
- Stonehaven Fireballs Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire · 31 December 2026 – 1 January 2027
- Swan Upping River Thames, Sunbury to Abingdon · Five days, Monday to Friday, in mid-July (2026: 13-17 July)
T
- Tenby Boxing Day Swim Tenby, Pembrokeshire · 26 December 2026
- Tetbury Woolsack Races Tetbury, Gloucestershire · Spring bank holiday Monday (late May)
- Tichborne Dole Tichborne, Hampshire · 25 March 2027
- Tissington Well Dressing Tissington, Derbyshire · 6–12 May 2027
- World Toe Wrestling Championship Ashbourne, Derbyshire · Usually a Saturday in July or August
- Tom Bawcock’s Eve Mousehole, Cornwall · 23 December 2026
- Turning the Devil’s Stone Shebbear, Devon · 5 November 2026
U
- UK Wife Carrying Championships Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway · Mid-July, as part of Kirkcudbright Country Fair (first held in 2026)
- UK Wife Carrying Race Dorking, Surrey · 14 March 2027
- Up Helly Aa Lerwick, Shetland · 26 January 2027
W
- Wenlock Olympian Games Much Wenlock, Shropshire · June and July each year, with the main athletics day on a Sunday in mid-July and the Wenlock Mile in September
- Whitby Goth Weekend Whitby, North Yorkshire · 30 October – 1 November 2026
- Whitstable Landing of the Oysters Whitstable, Kent · Usually in September as part of Whitstable Rocks Oyster Festival
- Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire · 15–17 January 2027
- Whuppity Scoorie Lanark, South Lanarkshire · 1 March 2027
- Widecombe Fair Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Devon · 14 September 2027
- Wirksworth Well Dressing Wirksworth, Derbyshire · Around the late May spring bank holiday weekend
- World Worm Charming Championships Willaston near Nantwich, Cheshire · A Saturday in June
Y
- Youlgreave Well Dressing Youlgreave, Derbyshire · 19–24 June 2027