53 upcoming events in South England · page 1 of 3
July 2026
Summer in Barham 2026
A mini-festival near Canterbury with live music from The Good Gnus, Mampama Quintet and The Red Stripe Band at Barham Court and Church, set in the stunning Canterbury countryside.
Atlantis (Chichester Festival Theatre)
A world premiere production at Chichester Festival Theatre's Minerva Theatre as part of the Festival 2026 season.
Atlantis at Chichester Minerva Theatre
World premiere production at the intimate Minerva Theatre as part of Chichester Festival Theatre's acclaimed 2026 summer season of eight world premieres.
Medieval Siege Season at Dover Castle
Weekends and bank holidays of medieval siege performances at Dover Castle, alongside a new interactive exhibition about the 1216-17 siege and a siege-themed escape room in the Secret Wartime Tunnels.
Somers Day Parade
An annual commemorative parade in Lyme Regis honouring Sir George Somers.
Paignton Festival
Nine days of entertainment centred on Paignton Green, featuring live music, children's activities, classic car shows, a funfair, fireworks and the Spinning Wheel Carnival Procession.
Dartmouth Steam Festival 2026
A town-wide celebration of steam heritage with interactive exhibits, model railways and family activities in Dartmouth.
Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix
Thirteen national teams race identical 50-foot foiling catamarans at speeds over 100 km/h off Southsea Common, in this adrenaline-fuelled world championship sailing event.
Newcomen Steam Festival
A town-wide celebration of Dartmouth's steam heritage and inventor Thomas Newcomen, with interactive exhibits, model railways and family activities.
Salcombe Town Regatta 2026
A week-long regatta on the Salcombe estuary featuring sailing races, a harbour swim, fun competitions and a firework finale.
Totnes and District Show 2026
A traditional one-day agricultural show held in the South Hams countryside near Totnes.
A Midsummer Night's Dream at Dartmouth Castle
An open-air theatre production of Shakespeare's comedy staged in the grounds of Dartmouth Castle.
Dartmouth Shakespeare Week
A performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the atmospheric Dartmouth Castle, blending Shakespeare with a stunning waterside setting.
Devon Street Food Festival, Ilfracombe
Street food traders from across the UK descend on Victoria Pleasure Gardens in nearby Ilfracombe for three days of global cuisine including Caribbean, Mexican, Greek and Moroccan dishes, plus live music from noon to 8pm daily.
Qatar Goodwood Festival 2026 ('Glorious Goodwood')
A five-day flagship Flat horseracing festival at Goodwood Racecourse featuring the Goodwood Cup, Sussex Stakes and Nassau Stakes.
Lyme Regis Regatta and Carnival Week
A week of family activities including regatta races, competitions and the Grand Carnival Procession, raising funds for local good causes.
Lyme Regis Summer Fireworks Display
An evening fireworks display over Lyme Bay launched from Marine Parade.
August 2026
Lyme Regis Regatta & Carnival Week
The town's biggest fundraising event — fireworks, a carnival procession, regatta races, a fun fair and activities for all ages along the historic Cobb and seafront.
Mortehoe Scarecrow Festival
Village scarecrow trail themed on the titles and characters of Roald Dahl's books, starting and ending at Mortehoe Museum.
Canterbury Live Music Festival
A major new three-night outdoor music festival at St Lawrence Ground headlined by JLS, Becky Hill and Madness, welcoming over 40,000 visitors to Canterbury.
Airbourne - Eastbourne International Airshow
The UK's biggest free airshow returns for its 32nd year with RAF displays, aerobatic teams and four days of spectacular flying along Eastbourne's seafront.
Airbourne: Eastbourne International Airshow
Four-day free seafront airshow featuring spectacular flying displays in its 32nd year.
Lyme Regis Lifeboat Week
A week of displays, music and family games raising money for the RNLI lifeboat service.
Dartmouth Royal Regatta Sailing Week 2026
A friendly sailing regatta hosted by the Royal Dart Yacht Club featuring junior dinghies, keelboat series and passage races on the River Dart.