Many people plan their vacations around wonderful events such as the Hampton Court Flower Show, or Trooping the Color. So if you are traveling to England, be sure note which festival or event is occurring while you are there and try to take advantage of the opportunity!
January and February
Chinese New Year
Late Jan or early Feb
Chinese New Year is the biggest festival of the year in Chinese communities. Lion dances, firecrackers, and processions mark London’s Chinese celebration.
Chinatown, London
March
2nd week of Mar
Held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, this is one of the biggest shows featuring over 21,000 dogs competing from all over Europe.
Birmingham, West Midlands
April
London International Book Fair (LIBF)
Mid-Apr
One of the largest growing book fairs in the world, it attracts exhibitors and visitors from all over Europe.
National and Grand Halls
Olympia, London
May
Furry Dancing FestivalEarly May
Spring festival celebrating flowers with dancing and rides.
Helston, Cornwall
Mid-May
One of the world’s most popular flower shows, offering the best in gardening and horticulture for one week in May.
Royal Hospital, London
Brighton Festival
Last 3 weeks in May
This large festival offers more than 800 performances by both international artists of the highest level as well as local artists. Spectators will enjoy jazz, rock, world music, rap, dancing and more.
Brighton, East Sussex
Glyndebourne Festival Opera Season
Mid-May through AugÂ
Opera productions.
Near Lewes, East Sussex
June
Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions
Jul through Aug
Large art show of new works by many artists.
London
Saturday closest to Jun 10th
Dating back to Charles II in the 17th century, this custom was originally held as a daily military rally, so that each man could recognize other members of his regiment. Today 1400 officers and soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians and drum corps members and the Queen herself, mark the Queen’s birthday with this official parade of colorful pageantry.
Whitehall, LondonÂ
Glastonbury Festival
Late Jun
This large festival originated in the 1970′s to coincide with the Summer Solstice, and embraces the medieval traditions of art, music, poetry, and dance, while presenting popular recording artists as well.
Glastonbury, Somerset
July
Early Jul
Open-air concerts
Leeds, Yorkshire
Royal Show
1st week of Jul
National agricultural show.
Near Kenliworth, Warwickshire
Early July
Visitors can browse the huge, extravagant gardens at Hampton Court, which was home to Henry VIII.
Hampton Court Palace, Surrey
Cambridge Folk Festival
Last weekend of July
This is a festival with top international music artists, and is known for its eclectic line-up of music acts. It also includes exotic foods, crafts, instrument stalls and a children’s concert.
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
August
Mid-Jul through Mid-Sep
This famous concert series (also known as the Proms) began in 1895 by Henry Wood, a famous organist and conductor. The idea of the concert is to provide the general public access to the arts on a more open, affordable level and allowing the audience to walk or â€ËÅ"promenade’ around the arena. Today, Wood’s idea still continues in this annual BBC event that focuses on contemporary classical and modern music.
Royal Albert Hall, London
Notting Hill Carnival
Last weekend in Aug
This is a West Indian Street carnival with floats, bands, and stalls. It began in 1964 with the focus of deterring racism toward Caribbean and other Black immigrants and bringing together the people of the Notting Hill area.
Notting Hill, London
Arundel Festival
Late Aug
Arundel Castle hosts this festival, which features jazz, art, dancing and more.
High Street
Arundel, Sussex
September
Blackpool Illuminations
Sep through Oct
A 5-mile spectacle of lighting along Blackpool’s seafront.
Great Autumn Flower Show
3rd weekend of Sep
Displays by nurseries and flower organizations
Harrogate, N. Yorkshire
Horse of the Year Show
Last weekend in Sep
Wembley, London
October
Canterbury Festival
2nd and 3rd weeks of Oct
This festival celebrates the rich history of Canterbury with street entertainment, theatre and music performances and medieval sites and sounds.
Canterbury, Kent
November
Oct or Nov
The Queen partakes of the parade from Buckingham Palace to Westminster in an elegant stagecoach, to open the new Parliament session.
London
Lord Mayor’s Procession and Show
2nd Sat in Nov
This is the Lord Mayor’s 800-year-old custom, where he parades through the streets to the Queen’s Bench to pledge allegiance to the crown.
London
Remembrance Day
2nd Sunday in Nov
Services and parades at the Cenotaph.
Whitehall, London
London to Brighton
RAC London to Brighton Veteran Car Rally
First Sunday in Nov
A 7am start from Hyde Park, London where antique cars put-put all the way to Brighton.
London to Brighton
Regent Street Christmas Lights
Mid-Nov
London
December
Christmas Tree Lighting
1st Thursday in Nov
A Christmas tree is donated to England by the people of Norway and is lit by the Mayor of Oslo. The festivities are continued with the singing of Christmas carols.
Trafalgar Square, London
Compiled by Terri Fogarty for EuropeUpClose.com
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