September 2026 – December 2027
Literary Festivals
Cheltenham Literature Festival — Cheltenham · 9–18 October 2026 · 2027 TBA, typically early/mid October The world’s longest-running literature festival (est. 1949) — ten days of author talks, debate and children’s events across Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Gardens and venues across town.
Cirencester History Festival — Cirencester · 23 October – 1 November 2026 · 2027 TBA, typically late October/early November A nine-day festival of talks from broadcasters, historians and writers across 17 venues in the town.
Stroud Book Festival — Stroud · 4–8 November 2026 · 2027 TBA, typically early November A five-day independent festival of author talks and events across Stroud’s town-centre venues.
FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival — Oxford · 13–21 March 2027 One of the UK’s leading literary festivals, held at Christ Church and other historic Oxford colleges, with a strong current-affairs strand.
Chipping Campden Literature Festival — Chipping Campden · 3–8 May 2027 An established town literature festival mixing books, history and art talks across around 40 events.
Bath Literature Festival — Bath · 2027 TBA, typically mid/late May Major UK literature festival featuring leading authors, historians, poets and comedians, run by Bath Festivals across nine days.
Bath Fringe Festival — Bath · 2027 TBA, typically late May–early June Long-running (since 1981) open-access multi-arts fringe of theatre, comedy, music and spoken word alongside Bath’s main festivals.
Gloucester History Festival — Gloucester · Autumn edition running now (5–20 September 2026) · Spring weekend and Autumn Festival, 2027 TBA A long-running history festival of talks and walks at Gloucester Cathedral, Blackfriars Priory and other venues, split across a spring weekend and a longer autumn festival.
Music Festivals
Classical
Bath BachFest — Bath (Bath Abbey, Guildhall) · 25–27 February 2027 A specialist festival devoted to Bach and Baroque repertoire.
Bath International Music Festival — Bath · 2027 TBA, typically late May/early June Bath’s flagship classical and contemporary music festival, run alongside the Literature and Fringe festivals.
Elgar Festival — Worcester, Malvern & Pershore (just west of the Cotswolds) · 2027 TBA, typically late May A festival celebrating composer Edward Elgar across his home county’s key venues.
Cheltenham Music Festival — Cheltenham · 9–17 July 2027 (provisional, pending official confirmation) The UK’s oldest classical music festival (est. 1945), presenting classical, jazz, world and folk performers across Cheltenham’s Regency venues.
Jazz
Cheltenham Jazz Festival — Cheltenham (Montpellier Gardens and venues across town) · 28 April – 3 May 2027 One of the UK’s premier jazz festivals, mixing headline jazz, soul and pop acts with a free “Around Town” fringe programme.
Folk, Family & Multi-Genre
Wychwood Festival — Cheltenham Racecourse · 4–6 June 2027 Family-friendly three-day festival of indie, folk and world music across four stages.
Guiting Music Festival — Guiting Power · 2027 TBA, typically the last ten days of July A long-running (since the 1970s) small-scale classical, jazz and blues festival in the village of Guiting Power.
Charlbury Riverside Festival — Charlbury, by the River Evenlode · 2027 TBA, typically July Small, community-run riverside music festival weekend in Charlbury.
Rock, Pop & Alternative
2000trees Festival — Upcote Farm, Withington, near Cheltenham · 7–11 July 2027 (20th anniversary) Independent, fan-favourite rock, alternative and punk festival on a farm outside Cheltenham.
Boutique Arts & Music
Wilderness Festival — Cornbury Park, Charlbury · 5–8 August 2027 Boutique four-day festival combining music, contemporary arts, theatre, food and wellbeing in the grounds of Cornbury Park.
Music & Food
The Big Feastival — Alex James’s farm, Kingham · 27–29 August 2027 Music-and-food festival combining big-name headliners, Michelin-starred chefs and family activities on the Blur bassist’s Cotswold farm.
Food & Drink Festivals
The Cotswold Show and Food Festival — Cirencester Park · 2027 TBA, typically the first weekend of July A major two-day show pairing monster trucks, racing camels and farm-animal displays with a substantial food festival element.
Malvern Autumn Show — Three Counties Showground, Malvern (just west of the Cotswolds) · 25–27 September 2026 · 24–26 September 2027 A major three-day autumn horticultural, food and rural-life show.
Sporting Festivals
The Cheltenham Festival — Cheltenham Racecourse · 16–19 March 2027 The pinnacle of National Hunt racing — four days of jump racing including the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup, with a huge festival atmosphere and roughly 250,000+ attendees across the week.
Badminton Horse Trials — Badminton Estate · 5–9 May 2027 (provisional, organiser notes subject to change) The world’s most famous five-star three-day event, combining dressage, cross-country and show jumping with a large shopping village and trade fair.
Gloucestershire Festival of Polo — Beaufort Polo Club, Tetbury · 2027 TBA, typically a June weekend The Beaufort’s flagship festival weekend — top-flight polo paired with a fun fair, shopping village and family entertainment.
Cotswold Olimpick Games — Dover’s Hill, Chipping Campden · 4 June 2027 (the Friday after Spring Bank Holiday) A quirky, centuries-old (running since c.1612) evening of traditional rural sports — shin-kicking, tug of war, obstacle races — with a torchlit procession into town.
Cheltenham Cricket Festival — Cheltenham College · 2027 TBA, typically mid/late August One of English cricket’s oldest festivals (running since 1872), set on the picturesque Cheltenham College ground with a marquee village atmosphere.
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta — Ashton Court, Bristol · 13–15 August 2027 Free three-day festival with mass hot-air balloon ascents, night glow displays and live music — one of Europe’s largest annual ballooning events.