Egremont Crab Fair and Gurning World Championships

A fair with several locations

Local reporting on the 2026 programme describes activity on Main Street and on the Crab Fair field at Baybarrow Road. The gurning contest is part of the wider fair rather than the whole day. Obtain a new programme before choosing your arrival time or deciding which ticket you need.

The story behind it

Egremont’s fair is one of the oldest in Britain, tracing its roots to a market charter granted by Henry III in 1267 that included an annual fair. The name has nothing to do with seafood: the Lord of Egremont began a tradition of handing out crab apples, and the fair has been named after them ever since. Over the centuries it gathered other attractions, including greasy pole climbing, Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling, street dancing and a parade along Main Street. Its most famous contest is the World Gurning Championships, in which entrants pull the most grotesque face they can manage. The fair was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid and again in 2022 after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, before returning in 2023.

Watching the gurning

The organiser maintains a competition hall of fame, while local coverage describes the World Gurning Championships as the fair’s concluding event. Confirm the next contest’s actual venue, admission and spectator capacity separately from the outdoor fair. A town-centre event listing alone does not establish an evening seat.

Taking part

Fancy entering something? Find out who runs that particular contest and how to register before you join a queue. The fair’s official website keeps its main fair information separate from its getting-involved pages, and there’s far more on the programme than the famous gurning. Ask whether you need to enter in advance, whether there’s a category for your age, and whether the fee covers just the competition or entry to the venue as well. Rules from another village fair won’t necessarily apply here.

If you’re going for gurning glory, practise your face by all means — but hold off on an elaborate costume until you know what’s allowed. The organiser’s hall of fame makes great background reading, though photos of past champions aren’t an entry form or a rulebook. Happier in the audience? You can still follow the judging and cheer every grimace. If your group is a mix of competitors and spectators, agree where to meet afterwards so a registration queue doesn’t split you up for the rest of the afternoon.

Practical bits

Roads, parking and getting between events

The 2026 reporting describes a Main Street closure, use of Chapel Street Car Park by the fairground and a shuttle to the fair field. Those arrangements explain why simply driving to the centre may not work. Recheck current closures, available car parks and any shuttle instead of following last year’s instructions.

Entry and access

Some parts of the 2026 fair had separate admission arrangements. Ask whether the activities you want are included together, and check any competitor registration independently. For access needs, establish the surface and distance at each venue, plus toilets and accessible viewing: the street, field and contest venue can require different plans.

Food and drink

Plan food around the part of the fair you’re going to. Moving from the street activities to the field and then on to an evening contest makes it easy to miss a meal, especially if your first choice is busy. No stall list, menu or dietary information has been published for the next fair yet. If a particular diet or regular mealtime matters, bring drinking water and a suitable snack, and look for up-to-date catering information rather than going by photos from a previous year.

For a café break away from the crowds, Florence Arts Centre has a café, gallery and garden at the former iron ore mine. Check which days it opens and when the kitchen serves before heading over; it isn’t fair catering and may not be serving when an evening competition ends. If you want dinner in town afterwards, book with the restaurant directly and allow for the journey back from the fair field or contest hall. Keep the booking flexible, so a late-running event doesn’t turn the final round into a race for your table.

Questions people ask

Is the next fair date announced?

The official homepage still gives 19 September 2026. No later date has been announced yet, so check with the organiser before you book.

Does the fair ticket include a seat at the gurning?

Probably not. Check the next gurning venue, admission and audience capacity separately from the outdoor fair.

Can I enter a competition on the day?

Entry rules for the next fair haven’t been published. Ask about the activity, age category, deadline and any separate fee before travelling to compete.

Is Florence Arts Centre part of the fair?

No — it’s a separately run attraction at the former mine. Check its own opening times and events calendar; your fair admission won’t cover activities there.

Plan your trip

Stay the night

Search places to stay in and around Whitehaven. Add your dates once the next one is confirmed. Rooms near popular events go early, so check cancellation terms.

Find a place to stay on Booking.com

Nearest station: Whitehaven

Whitehaven and St Bees stations are both a few miles away on the Cumbrian Coast line; Main Street closes on fair day, so check car parks and any shuttle before you set off.

Check trains on Trainline

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Where it is

The pin shows the approximate area. Open in OpenStreetMap

Make a weekend of it

Florence Arts Centre shows you another side of Egremont, at the former Florence Mine. It mixes art with its industrial setting, and offers ramped access, level public spaces and a wheelchair-accessible toilet. Check its own calendar if you’d like a workshop or heritage visit — these are separate activities, not part of a café stop. It’s a good choice for a quieter part of your trip.

If you’re staying longer, Muncaster Castle and Estate in the western Lake District is another option. There’s the castle, the gardens and the Hawk and Owl Centre, with different experiences and seasonal events. Decide what you want to see and check which ticket covers it; not every specialist experience is included in a general visit. Give Muncaster a day of its own instead of dashing back for a gurning final whose start time hasn’t been confirmed. Both attractions keep their own opening calendars, separate from the fair programme.

Odd things nearby

Grasmere Rushbearing 20 miles away, A Saturday in mid-July, usually the second Saturday (formerly near St Oswald’s Day, 5 August)
Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show 20 miles away, 29 August 2027
Ambleside Rushbearing 23 miles away, Usually the first Saturday in July

Also in September

Braemar Gathering Braemar, Aberdeenshire
World Stone Skimming Championships Easdale Island, Argyll
Widecombe Fair Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Devon
Abbots Bromley Horn Dance Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire

Featured in 39 Weird British Traditions Worth Travelling For, Autumn Oddities: 11 Strange UK Events.

About this guide

Check before you go. Confirm the next fair date and gurning venue, public admission, competition entry, road closures and access at each location. The 2026 programme is historical context only.

About the date. Organiser homepage lists fair date 19 September 2026, now past.

Researched from the sources below and last checked on 22 October 2026. We haven’t visited every event or tested every journey, and the organiser’s own information always wins.