Jasmine Ketibuah-FoleyWest of England
Paul Box
Dates to add to your diary for a few festivals that are confirmed for 2026, near you
With a new year, comes a new social calendar and it’s the perfect time to add those to your diary. While there will be no Glastonbury Festival year, here’s a look at all the festivals that are happening near you in 2026.
Hopefully the planning and excitement will help get you through some of the quieter, darker months of winter.
Bristol
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
The annual event will return to Ashton Court
Bristol Comedy Festival, 15-31 January
The Bristol Comedy Festival will help you laugh away those winter blues.
Among the announced performers are five nominees for the 2025 Edinburgh Comedy Awards – Dan Tiernan, Ed Night, John Tothill, Katie Norris and Roger O’Sullivan, as well as Bristol favourites such as Jayde Adams and Mark Watson.
Bristol Light Festival,19-28 February
The festival’s sixth event, organisers have said the next instalment will be their “boldest edition yet” expanding their light installations to new locations such as Sike Island and Park Street.
Last year’s installations were situated in the Harbourside, Broadmead, College Green, Queen Square and St Mary Redcliffe.
Love Saves The Day, 23rd-24th May
The festival will kick off the city’s busy summer season at Ashton Court, over the May Bank Holiday weekend.
More than 30,000 festival-goers descend on the estate each day to see a vibrant mix of local artists and big household names across its eight stages.
The line up is yet to be released.
Dot To Dot, 23-24 May
Boasting some of the best local talent and some surprising headlines, Dot to Dot festival is spread across a number of the city’s music venues and art spaces such as Thekla, Strange Brew and The Island.
So far 30 artists have been confirmed including headliners Lambrini Girls and NewDad.
Bristol Sounds, 23-28 June
Bristol Sounds will be return to Lloyds Amphitheatre with a standout line-up featuring some heavyweight artists such as The Kooks, The Streets and Super Furry Animals.
Organisers have said the festival has become a “must-attend fixture of the UK’s summer calendar” and is “known for its eclectic programming and unbeatable city-centre setting”.
Bristol Pride, 27 June-12 July
A parade, festival, afterparties and hundreds of performers will be in the city again for one of the UK’s largest Pride events.
With Pride Day set for 11 July, there will be plenty of events on offer in the run up.
Organisers said the annual event celebrates love, diversity and friendship and how far LGBTQ+ rights have come, and how in some places there is still work to be done.
Bristol Balloon Fiesta, 7-9 August
The next instalment of the Bristol Balloon Fiesta will mark the event’s 48th anniversary.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to descend on Ashton Court Estate for the mass ascents and night glow events.
The ascents are weather dependant, so definitely check the website and forecasts ahead of attending.
Forwards Bristol, 29-30 August
Bristol’s Forwards Festival is set to take place at Durdham Downs (The Downs) in Clifton.
The festival which began in 2022 is yet to release its line up for 2026.
Gloucestershire
PA Media
Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest events in the horse racing calendar
Cheltenham Festival, 10-13 March
One of the biggest events in the horse racing calendar and includes the famous Gold Cup race on its final day.
Events are mainly held across the town centre and at The Centaur, Cheltenham Racecourse and Dunkerton’s Taproom in Charlton Kings.
Cheltenham Jazz Festival, 29 April- 4 May
Taking place at Montpellier Gardens and other pop up venues across the town, the line up for the 2026 festival is yet to be announced.
Minety Music Festival, 2-5 July
Set in the heart of the Cotswolds, Minety Music Festival is a four day music event with over 100 bands and acts across four stages.
The event also boasts free activities for younger children in its kids zone and a teen tent for older children.
Cheltenham Literature Festival, 9-18 October
First held in 1949, the event is thought to be the world’s oldest literature festival and takes place across various venues in Cheltenham town centre.
Dame Judi Dench, the festival’s president, attended in 2025.
Somerset
Ania Shrimpton
After a fallow year Valley Fest returns to Chew Valley
Bath International Music Festival, 30 April to the 7 May
Celebrating classical music, Bath International Music Festival will host five concerts in the city in 2026.
The concerts will take place in venues such as Bath Abbey and St Mary’s Church in Bathwick.
Royal Bath and West Show, 28-30 May
The largest agricultural event in the west of England, The Royal Bath and West Show was founded in 1777 and has been based at The Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet since 1965.
The show, which is spread across 240 acres, includes sheep shearing, vintage vehicles, live music and artisan markets.
Priddy Folk Festival, 10-12 July
Located in the Mendip Hills, Priddy folk festival started out as a fundraiser for the village hall in 1991.
The event boasts everything you would expect from a west country folk festival, including workshops, ceilidhs, local artists, storytelling and local ales and ciders.
Valley Fest, 30 July to the 2 August
After a fallow year Valley Fest is set to return to Chew Valley with a weekend of music, food and activities.
The 2026 line up is yet to be announced.
ArcTanGent,19-22 August
If your music taste is more on the heavy side, ArcTanGent Festival near Compton Martin has your name on it.
Situated at Fernhill Farm, more than 10,000 people attend and it also has the option of camping.
Artists such as Chelsea Wolfe, Primus and Cult of Luna are set to take to the stage in 2026.
Jane Austen Festival, September 11-20
Thousands of literature fans take to the streets of Bath for the annual Jane Austen Festival, which includes balls, screenings, a costumed promenade, fayres and tours.
Weston Beach Race, 16-18 October
Every year around 100,000 visitors descend on to the beach front at Weston-super-Mare to see the motocross event.
Weston Beach Race has been cancelled due to poor weather and high winds in the past, so it is best to check the website and forecast ahead of attending.
Wiltshire
Ryley Morton /Borkowski Arts
WOMAD festival will take place in its new home at Neston Park in Corsham
Shindig Festival, 21-24 May
Set on the Charlton Park Estate in Malmesbury, the festival is scheduled to take place across the May Bank Holiday.
Some of the line up has already been released, with Fat Dog, War, Mungos Hifi, My Baby and Snapped Ankles set to headline.
Chalke History Festival, 22-28 June
Bringing everything from living history exhibits to traditional crafts and a soldier’s march, the week-long Chalke History Festival is set to kick off again in 2026.
WOMAD, 23-26 July
Womad is set to return in 2026 but at its new home in Neston Park, Corsham.
The festival, which is co-founded by musician Peter Gabriel, had been running at Charlton Park, near Malmesbury since 2007 and attracts about 40,000 visitors a year.