Date announced
Unusual race · Wales
Real Ale Wobble
Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys
A mountain bike ride through mid-Wales hills where finishers swap beer tokens for real ale.
14 November 2026
ROUND-UP GUIDE · 12 EVENTS
Odd Wales.
Wales has plenty of good reasons to gather outdoors. A Mari Lwyd visits Llangynwyd, Chepstow pairs wassail with horse-skull visitors, and Cilgerran sends coracles out onto the Teifi. Llanwrtyd Wells lays on a different sort of spectacle altogether, with bog snorkelling, Man v Horse and mountain-bike chariots.
Start with the kind of day you're after: a local custom to watch, a contest to enter or a festive swim whose current registration and safety rules you can meet. These places are scattered across Wales, so compare the travel notes and date status in each guide before choosing a base. This list isn't one weekend's itinerary.
At a glance
- Real Ale Wobble 14 November 2026 · Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys Stay nearby ↗
- Tenby Boxing Day Swim 26 December 2026 · Tenby, Pembrokeshire Stay nearby ↗
- Nos Galan Road Races 31 December 2026 · Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf Stay nearby ↗
- Saundersfoot New Year’s Day Swim 1 January 2027 · Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire Stay nearby ↗
- Hen Galan in the Gwaun Valley 13 January 2027 · Cwm Gwaun, Pembrokeshire Stay nearby ↗
- Llangynwyd Mari Lwyd 13 January 2027 · Llangynwyd, Bridgend Stay nearby ↗
- Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza 1–3 May 2027 · Llandudno, Conwy Stay nearby ↗
- Chepstow Wassail and Mari Lwyd A Saturday in mid to late January, from about midday into the evening · Chepstow, Monmouthshire Stay nearby ↗
- Cilgerran Coracle Races Saturday near 19 August, during Cilgerran Festive Week · Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire Stay nearby ↗
- World Bog Snorkelling Championships August bank holiday weekend · Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys Stay nearby ↗
- Man v Horse A Saturday in June · Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys Stay nearby ↗
- World Mountain Bike Chariot Racing Championship A Saturday in August · Llanwrtyd Wells area, Powys Stay nearby ↗
Traditional date
Festive swim · Wales
Tenby Boxing Day Swim
Tenby, Pembrokeshire
A festive sea-swimming event.
26 December 2026
Traditional date
Unusual race · Wales
Nos Galan Road Races
Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf
New Year's Eve road races honour Guto Nyth Bran, with a mystery runner lighting the beacon.
31 December 2026
Date announced
Festive swim · Wales
Saundersfoot New Year’s Day Swim
Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire
A New Year sea swim raising funds for good causes.
1 January 2027
Traditional date
Folk tradition · Wales
Hen Galan in the Gwaun Valley
Cwm Gwaun, Pembrokeshire
An old New Year custom of Welsh songs and calennig in the Gwaun Valley.
13 January 2027
Traditional date
Folk tradition · Wales
Llangynwyd Mari Lwyd
Llangynwyd, Bridgend
A horse skull draped in white calls at the village pub to battle the regulars in verse.
13 January 2027
Date announced
Ceremony & pageantry · Wales
Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza
Llandudno, Conwy
Steam engines, street performers and Victorian dress fill Llandudno’s town centre.
1–3 May 2027
Usually January
Folk tradition · Wales
Chepstow Wassail and Mari Lwyd
Chepstow, Monmouthshire
Horse-skull Mari Lwyds, morris dancers and an orchard wassail fill Chepstow in January.
A Saturday in mid to late January, from about midday into the evening
Usually August
Unusual race · Wales
Cilgerran Coracle Races
Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire
Paddlers spin round tub-shaped coracles down the River Teifi beneath Cilgerran Castle.
Saturday near 19 August, during Cilgerran Festive Week
Usually August
Unusual competition · Wales
World Bog Snorkelling Championships
Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys
Snorkelling through a water-filled bog trench.
August bank holiday weekend
Usually June
Unusual race · Wales
Man v Horse
Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys
Runners race against horses and riders across countryside.
A Saturday in June
Usually August
Unusual race · Wales
World Mountain Bike Chariot Racing Championship
Llanwrtyd Wells area, Powys
Teams use two mountain bikes to pull a chariot.
A Saturday in August
“Stay nearby” links go to Booking.com, and each event guide also has train links. These are affiliate links — what that means.