Here are some of the top events and things to do in July in Britain. Plus, enjoy a mix of other summer experiences.
27 June – 12 July 2026: Bristol Pride, Bristol
Bristol Pride is a series of events dedicated to the city’s LGBTQIA+ community to spread the message of love and equality for all. The festival’s highlight is a Pride Parade through Bristol on 11 July as part of a colourful outdoor music and arts celebration. Entertainment includes a funfair, market stalls, bars and a Community Area.
Arguably the most famous tennis tournament in the world, the Wimbledon Championships have been played since 1877 and tickets are always in fierce demand. The championships last approximately two weeks, or until all events are complete. The club operates a public ballot (lottery) for advanced sales of Centre, No. 1 and No. 2 court tickets. 2 – 5 July 2026: Formula 1 British Grand Prix, Silverstone
The jewel in the crown of British motorsports, Silverstone is a fast circuit with a series of complex high-speed turns, and a short straight to add to the excitement. Average cornering speeds are higher than at any other championship racetrack.
On the fringes of Brontë Country in Bradford you’ll find this buzzing book festival, luring some of the literary world’s biggest names to West Yorkshire: Sir Michael Palin, Val McDermid, Sebastian Faulks and Miriam Margoyles are among past guests. Look out for different themed strands, each peppered with thought-provoking panels, readings, lectures and more.
Head to Castlefield Bowl, the outdoor amphitheatre-style venue in the heart of Manchester for the annual Sounds of the City concerts. This year, live acts include Wet Leg, The Streets and Sex Pistols.
London hosts a huge party in the summer with Pride in London celebrating all aspects of the capitals LGBTQIA+ community. The festival usually comes to a close with a sizzling carnival of colour, featuring music, floats and dancing.
Each year on the first Saturday of July, Mad Hatters can join the annual festivities celebrating Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in Oxford. Dress up as your favourite characters at The Story Museum, take a walk through the story’s history and explore the highlights of the city that inspired Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s tale.
Talking place at the Waterfront Hall and Waterfront Hall Studio in Belfast, Celtic Heart Experience brings to life local traditions through Irish dancing, live music and the spoken word. Through the use of storytelling, time travel to the 1900’s and experience industrial working-class life.
This inclusive summer sporting event and festival in Windsor Great Park, Windsor, features challenge events for all ages and abilities. ‘Start together, finish whenever’ is the motto – choose from distances between 100m and 10K, with no cut-off times. The wider festival offers heaps of activities, from yoga to comedy and even an animal kingdom.
One of the highlights of the Welsh festival season, this celebration of music and culture welcomes competitors from 26 different countries to the idyllic riverside town of Llangollen in North Wales. Don’t miss the array of colourful costumes brightening up the Welsh summertime!
This plant lover’s paradise, normally held at Hampton Court Palace, has a brand-new home for 2026: the historic Badminton Estate. It’s the place to be for stunning show gardens and head-turning floral displays, plus plenty of garden inspiration. The flower show will return to Hampton Court Palace in 2027.
Welcome to the ultimate playground for petrol heads. From the oomph of modern Formula 1 cars to the retro pizzazz of Britain’s classic cars, Goodwood Festival of Speed has them all – and all sorts of vehicles in between. Catch the nail-biting Hillclimb, admire your favourite motors in the Supercar Paddock and see how many autographs you can collect from the celebrity drivers milling around.
Explore the palace’s lavishly furnished State Rooms – where the King and members of the Royal Family receive and entertain guests on state, ceremonial and official occasions – and admire some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection.
The Peak District spa town of Buxton is the fittingly stately setting for this esteemed music and literary festival, a staple of the cultural calendar since 1979. Take a seat for rarely performed operas, toe-tapping jazz and fascinating author interviews. Plus, see the next generation of musical talent before they hit the big time in the Young Artists Programme.
Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival plays host to some of the finest jazz and blues talent from all corners of the globe. From bop to boogie-woogie to blues-rock, and from samba to swing to soul, the festival takes place over 10 groove-packed summer days in Scotland’s capital city.
An annual one-day yacht race around the Isle of Wight, usually attracting more than 1,700 boats and around 16,000 sailors, making it one of the largest yacht races in the world. Competitors come from all over the world and follow the 50 nautical mile course, which starts and finishes in Cowes.
The major golf championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, will be welcomed to Royal Birkdale for the 11th time. Who will earn the Claret Jug on Southport soil?
Marvel at military aircraft from around the world as they put on a show above the Gloucestershire countryside. There’s plenty to see back on solid ground too, with planes and helicopters from over the decades on proud display. Get grandstand tickets for a top-notch view of the Red Arrows as they speed through the sky, leaving colourful vapour trails in their wake.
Bristol Harbour Festival will once again host a free weekend of music, markets and maritime fun based around Bristol’s historic harbourside. Previous festivals have been packed with live performance, artists, musicians, circus acts, children’s events, dancers, food markets and street stalls. On the water, hundreds of sailing vessels provide a vibrant backdrop to the activities.
17 July – 12 September 2026: The BBC Proms, London
The Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall. Founded in 1895, each season traditionally consists of more than 70 concerts, with a wide range of classical music to choose from, at affordable prices, in an informal atmosphere. The famous Last Night performances include BBC Proms in the Park.
18 July 2026: Ras Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon Race), Snowdon (Eryri)
Ready for a challenge? Open to all who have mountain running experience, this 10 miles (16 km) endurance race starts at Lake Padarn in the village of Llanberis to top of Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) – a whopping 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) above sea level. Whether you’re there to run or cheer others on, it’s sure to be an action-packed experience, set within Snowdonia’s (Eryri) mountain terrain.
Part of the annual Congham fete near King’s Lynn in Norfolk, East of England, snails compete for the fastest time over a 13-inch course. Free to entre, participants choose suitable names like ‘Zipper’ and ‘Speedy’, register their snails, and then watch them battle it out through heats until they make a (painfully slow) ‘dash’ to the final finish line.
18 July – 12 September 2026: Kynren, County Durham
During the summer near Durham, Auckland Castle will host Kynren – the movie-like open-air night spectacular. The show takes its audience on a 90-minute journey of epic storytelling, using pyrotechnics, lighting, and stunning effects across a seven-and-a-half-acre stage.
18 – 19 July 2026: Leeds Pride, Yorkshire
A ‘must-not-miss’ event on Yorkshire’s LGBTQIA+ calendar, Leeds Pride is the biggest event of its kind in Yorkshire. Past years have seen the city burst to life with a diverse line up of acts at Millennium Square, a march through the centre of Leeds and the biggest parties until the early hours.
18 – 20 July 2026: Camp Good Life, north Wales
The Good Life combines the very best of music, books, food and the great outdoors. The Summer Camp (held within Hawarden Castle’s walled garden) spans three long summer weekends and gives guests the chance to learn new skills and hear inspiring talks from experts in the heart of nature.
A major event in the British agricultural calendar, the Royal Welsh Show consists of four days of livestock competitions and a wide range of activities including forestry, horticulture, crafts, entertainment, attractions, displays, countryside sports, and shopping.
New for 2026 is an RHS show at the Royal Estate of Sandringham in Norfolk. Expect plenty of green-fingered inspiration, panels with garden experts and marvellous show gardens.
More than 3,000 athletes from 74 countries will descend on Scotland’s largest city for a splendid summer of sport as part of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The competitions range from artistic gymnastics to para powerlifting, with four Glaswegian venues hosting the action.
25 – 26 July 2026: Wales Airshow, Swansea
The show is visible along the entire five-mile (8km) stretch of Swansea Bay with spectacular views of the air displays that feature some of the world’s best military and civilian aviation display teams. In previous years, ground attractions have included an interactive military village, trade stands, children’s entertainment, funfair and lots more.
25 – 26 July 2026: Northern Pride, Newcastle
This annual celebration of LGBTQIA+ life on Tyneside is one of the biggest and most diverse free events in the North East. It starts with a Pride march through Newcastle and ends with a day of music, education, fun and celebration.
26 July 2026: Birmingham Mela, central England
The UK’s biggest South Asian music festival extravaganza features 150 artists from Birmingham to Bangladesh, with live music and dance, deliciously diverse world cuisine and bustling shopping bazaars.
Enjoy picnics, evening jazz and famous faces alongside flat racing at this small and sophisticated horse racing event held every year at the course owned by the Earl of March on his country estate near Chichester.
29 July – 2 August 2026: Women’s Open, north-west England
Some of golf’s biggest names are in action at this exciting Championship, held at Royal Lytham for the sixth time in its history. This links course, sprinkled with pot bunkers, will be a tough challenge for competitors and excellent viewing for spectators. The nearby town of Lytham St Annes is well worth exploring, with independent shops and leafy parks to discover.
30 July – 2 August 2026: Camp Bestival, Dorset
Camp Bestival consists of four family-friendly days of live music and premier DJs and is one of Britain’s most colourful festivals, with dressing up encouraged and even a roller disco.
Party on at the popular Belladrum Tartan Heart festival held at the Belladrum Estate near Inverness. This three-day summer music festival is a fixture on the festival scene, attracting huge pop and rock acts and a family crowd. With child-friendly camping zones, there are dedicated kids’ spaces with over 100 family-friendly activities, including creative workshops and dance classes. The festival has previously included activities such as a fancy-dress parade, zip-lines and even an ice rink.
The Chorley Flower Show in Lancashire has plenty of entertainment to keep the kids amused, including their very own ‘Design a Garden’ competition.
