By the season
What’s on in Britain
Britain’s year turns on its seasons — snowdrops and the Six Nations in winter, bluebells and flower shows in spring, festivals and long light evenings in summer, deer rutting and golden woods in autumn. Here’s what to catch, month by month.
Autumn right now — around September
Highland Games season
Across Scotland
Caber-tossing, piping and dancing at gatherings from Braemar to Cowal through the summer.
BBC Proms
Royal Albert Hall, London
Eight weeks of daily classical concerts ending with the Last Night of the Proms.
Heather in bloom
Moorland — Yorkshire, Peak District, Scotland
Upland moors turn purple as the heather flowers in late summer.
Blackpool Illuminations
Blackpool
Six miles of the seafront lit up with over a million bulbs from late summer into autumn.
Red deer rut
Highlands, Exmoor, Richmond Park
Stags bellow and clash antlers during the autumn breeding season — spectacular at dawn.
Well dressing
Derbyshire & the Peak District
Villages decorate their wells with intricate flower-petal pictures right through the summer.
Month by month
JanuaryWinter
Snowdrop season
Woodlands & gardens nationwide
The first flowers of the year carpet woodland floors and historic gardens — Cambo, Anglesey Abbey and Welford Park are famous displays.
Hogmanay
Edinburgh & across Scotland
Scotland's spectacular New Year celebrations, with Edinburgh's street party among the world's biggest.
Burns Night
Scotland & beyond
Suppers of haggis, whisky and Robert Burns's poetry on 25 January, piped in and toasted the world over.
Up Helly Aa
Lerwick, Shetland
Europe's largest fire festival — a torch-lit procession and the burning of a Viking galley on the last Tuesday of January.
Celtic Connections
Glasgow
A three-week celebration of Celtic, folk and roots music across Glasgow in the depths of winter.
Lunar New Year
London, Manchester, Liverpool
Lion dances, parades and street food in the UK's Chinatowns; London's is the biggest celebration outside Asia.
Starling murmurations
Reedbeds, piers & marshes
Vast swirling clouds of starlings gather at dusk — the Somerset Levels, Aberystwyth pier and Brighton are famous.
Pantomime season
Theatres nationwide
Oh yes it is — Britain's uniquely daft Christmas theatre tradition fills theatres from December.
Dark-sky stargazing
Dark-sky parks: Northumberland, Galloway, Eryri, Exmoor
Long winter nights bring the clearest stargazing in Britain's dark-sky reserves.
FebruaryWinter
Snowdrop season
Woodlands & gardens nationwide
The first flowers of the year carpet woodland floors and historic gardens — Cambo, Anglesey Abbey and Welford Park are famous displays.
Six Nations rugby
Twickenham, Murrayfield, Principality Stadium
England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland host home fixtures in the northern hemisphere's biggest rugby championship.
Jorvik Viking Festival
York
Re-enactors, combat displays and a longship in Europe's largest Viking festival.
Lunar New Year
London, Manchester, Liverpool
Lion dances, parades and street food in the UK's Chinatowns; London's is the biggest celebration outside Asia.
Dark-sky stargazing
Dark-sky parks: Northumberland, Galloway, Eryri, Exmoor
Long winter nights bring the clearest stargazing in Britain's dark-sky reserves.
MarchSpring
Six Nations rugby
Twickenham, Murrayfield, Principality Stadium
England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland host home fixtures in the northern hemisphere's biggest rugby championship.
Daffodil season
Nationwide, especially Wales
Wales's national flower blooms across parks, verges and gardens — the Lake District's Ullswater shoreline inspired Wordsworth.
Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham
Four days of championship National Hunt horse racing culminating in the Gold Cup.
Lambing season
Farms & dales nationwide
Spring lambs appear across the countryside; many farms and rare-breed centres open for lambing days.
St David's Day
Wales
Wales's patron saint on 1 March — daffodils, leeks, parades and choirs across the country.
Crufts
Birmingham (NEC)
The world's largest dog show — four days of showing, agility and flyball at the NEC.
The Boat Race
London (Putney–Mortlake)
Oxford and Cambridge race their eights along the Tideway on the Thames each spring.
Cherry blossom
Parks, orchards & avenues nationwide
Pink and white blossom peaks in parks, orchards and tree-lined avenues through early spring.
AprilSpring
Lambing season
Farms & dales nationwide
Spring lambs appear across the countryside; many farms and rare-breed centres open for lambing days.
Bluebell woods
Ancient woodland nationwide
Britain holds around half the world's bluebells — ancient woods turn a haze of blue in late spring.
Puffin & seabird season
Coastal cliffs & islands
Puffins return to breed on cliffs and islands such as the Farne Islands, Skomer, Bempton and the Shetlands.
Whitby Goth Weekend
Whitby
A twice-yearly gathering in the Dracula-linked seaside town, spring and autumn.
The Boat Race
London (Putney–Mortlake)
Oxford and Cambridge race their eights along the Tideway on the Thames each spring.
Cherry blossom
Parks, orchards & avenues nationwide
Pink and white blossom peaks in parks, orchards and tree-lined avenues through early spring.
London Marathon
London
One of the world's great city marathons, tens of thousands running past the capital's landmarks.
Grand National
Aintree, Liverpool
The most famous steeplechase in the world, run over Aintree's formidable fences.
Shakespeare's Birthday celebrations
Stratford-upon-Avon
Processions and performances honour the Bard in his home town in late April.
World Snooker Championship
The Crucible, Sheffield
The sport's blue-riband event, 17 days at Sheffield's intimate Crucible Theatre.
Beltane Fire Festival
Calton Hill, Edinburgh
A dramatic modern revival of the ancient May-eve fire festival on Edinburgh's Calton Hill.
MaySpring
Bluebell woods
Ancient woodland nationwide
Britain holds around half the world's bluebells — ancient woods turn a haze of blue in late spring.
Puffin & seabird season
Coastal cliffs & islands
Puffins return to breed on cliffs and islands such as the Farne Islands, Skomer, Bempton and the Shetlands.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show
London
The world's most famous flower show, staged in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
Official site →Highland Games season
Across Scotland
Caber-tossing, piping and dancing at gatherings from Braemar to Cowal through the summer.
Hay Festival
Hay-on-Wye
A ten-day festival of literature and ideas in the Welsh 'town of books'.
Official site →FA Cup Final
Wembley, London
The showpiece final of football's oldest cup competition.
Brighton Festival & Fringe
Brighton
England's largest arts festival outside London, filling the seaside city through May.
Padstow 'Obby 'Oss
Padstow, Cornwall
An ancient May Day custom of hobby-horses, drums and dancing through the Cornish streets.
Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling
Brockworth, Gloucestershire
Competitors hurl themselves down a near-vertical hill chasing a wheel of Double Gloucester on spring bank holiday.
Well dressing
Derbyshire & the Peak District
Villages decorate their wells with intricate flower-petal pictures right through the summer.
Glyndebourne Festival
Lewes, East Sussex
A summer season of world-class opera in the Sussex countryside — black tie and picnics on the lawn.
World Snooker Championship
The Crucible, Sheffield
The sport's blue-riband event, 17 days at Sheffield's intimate Crucible Theatre.
Beltane Fire Festival
Calton Hill, Edinburgh
A dramatic modern revival of the ancient May-eve fire festival on Edinburgh's Calton Hill.
Balmoral Show
near Belfast
Northern Ireland's largest agricultural show, three days of livestock, food and country pursuits.
Melrose Sevens
The Greenyards, Melrose
A rugby sevens tournament held at the Greenyards ground in the Scottish Borders town of Melrose in late May.
Fèis Ìle — Islay Festival
Isle of Islay
A festival of Islay malt whisky and Gaelic music held across the island in late spring.
North West 200
Portrush, Portstewart & Coleraine
Motorcycle road races held each May on the triangle of roads linking Portrush, Portstewart and Coleraine.
JuneSummer
Puffin & seabird season
Coastal cliffs & islands
Puffins return to breed on cliffs and islands such as the Farne Islands, Skomer, Bempton and the Shetlands.
Highland Games season
Across Scotland
Caber-tossing, piping and dancing at gatherings from Braemar to Cowal through the summer.
Hay Festival
Hay-on-Wye
A ten-day festival of literature and ideas in the Welsh 'town of books'.
Official site →Glastonbury Festival
Worthy Farm, Somerset
The UK's largest greenfield music and performing-arts festival (fallow years aside).
The Championships, Wimbledon
London
The oldest tennis tournament in the world, played on grass in SW19.
Official site →Well dressing
Derbyshire & the Peak District
Villages decorate their wells with intricate flower-petal pictures right through the summer.
Glyndebourne Festival
Lewes, East Sussex
A summer season of world-class opera in the Sussex countryside — black tie and picnics on the lawn.
Trooping the Colour
Horse Guards, London
The monarch's official birthday parade, with massed bands and a Buckingham Palace balcony flypast.
Royal Ascot
Ascot, Berkshire
Five days of top-flight flat racing, royal carriages and extravagant hats.
Summer solstice
Stonehenge & stone circles
Crowds gather at Stonehenge and ancient circles to watch sunrise on the longest day, around 21 June.
Download Festival
Donington Park
The UK's premier rock and metal festival.
Wildflower meadows
Meadows & chalk downs nationwide
Hay meadows and downland burst into colour with orchids, poppies and cornflowers at midsummer.
Epsom Derby
Epsom Downs, Surrey
The most famous flat horse race in the world, run on the Downs since 1780.
Royal Highland Show
Ingliston, Edinburgh
Scotland's national farming showcase on the edge of the capital.
Royal Cornwall Show
Wadebridge, Cornwall
Cornwall's biggest agricultural and country show.
Isle of Wight Festival
Isle of Wight
One of Britain's classic music festivals, revived on the island where it began in the 1960s.
Lavender fields
Norfolk, the Cotswolds & the Home Counties
Rows of purple lavender bloom and scent the air across southern England in high summer.
Pride in London
Central London
The capital's huge Pride parade and celebrations through the West End.
Aldeburgh Festival
Aldeburgh & Snape Maltings, Suffolk
A classical music festival founded by the composer Benjamin Britten, held around Aldeburgh and Snape Maltings each June.
Royal Norfolk Show
Norfolk Showground, Norwich
A two-day county agricultural show held at the Norfolk Showground on the outskirts of Norwich each June.
Border Common Ridings
Scottish Borders towns (Hawick, Selkirk, Jedburgh)
Mounted summer festivals held in Scottish Borders towns such as Hawick, Selkirk and Jedburgh, marking the riding of the boundaries.
Fèis Ìle — Islay Festival
Isle of Islay
A festival of Islay malt whisky and Gaelic music held across the island in late spring.
St Magnus International Festival
Orkney
A midsummer arts and music festival held each June across the islands of Orkney, off Scotland's north coast.
JulySummer
Puffin & seabird season
Coastal cliffs & islands
Puffins return to breed on cliffs and islands such as the Farne Islands, Skomer, Bempton and the Shetlands.
Highland Games season
Across Scotland
Caber-tossing, piping and dancing at gatherings from Braemar to Cowal through the summer.
The Championships, Wimbledon
London
The oldest tennis tournament in the world, played on grass in SW19.
Official site →BBC Proms
Royal Albert Hall, London
Eight weeks of daily classical concerts ending with the Last Night of the Proms.
Llangollen International Eisteddfod
Llangollen
Choirs, dancers and musicians from around the world gather in the Dee valley.
Well dressing
Derbyshire & the Peak District
Villages decorate their wells with intricate flower-petal pictures right through the summer.
Glyndebourne Festival
Lewes, East Sussex
A summer season of world-class opera in the Sussex countryside — black tie and picnics on the lawn.
Wildflower meadows
Meadows & chalk downs nationwide
Hay meadows and downland burst into colour with orchids, poppies and cornflowers at midsummer.
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley-on-Thames
The world's best-known rowing regatta, a fixture of the English summer since 1839.
British Grand Prix
Silverstone
Formula 1 roars round Silverstone in front of vast home crowds.
Great Yorkshire Show
Harrogate
One of Britain's biggest agricultural shows — prize livestock, food and country pursuits.
Latitude Festival
Henham Park, Suffolk
Music, comedy, theatre and literature in a genteel Suffolk parkland setting.
RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival
Hampton Court Palace
The world's largest flower show, staged in the grounds of a Tudor palace.
Lavender fields
Norfolk, the Cotswolds & the Home Counties
Rows of purple lavender bloom and scent the air across southern England in high summer.
WOMAD Festival
Charlton Park, Wiltshire
World music, arts and dance from every continent in a Wiltshire parkland.
TRNSMT Festival
Glasgow Green
Glasgow's big city-centre music festival on the banks of the Clyde.
Royal Welsh Show
Builth Wells
One of Europe's largest agricultural shows, the highlight of the Welsh rural year.
Buxton International Festival
Buxton, Peak District
Opera, music and books in a handsome Georgian spa town.
Whitstable Oyster Festival
Whitstable, Kent
A centuries-old celebration of the native oyster on the north Kent coast.
The Open Championship
Coastal links (rotating)
Golf's oldest major, played on a different British seaside links course each July.
Kendal Calling
Lowther Deer Park, Lake District
An independent music festival in the heart of the Lake District.
Pride in London
Central London
The capital's huge Pride parade and celebrations through the West End.
Cambridge Folk Festival
Cherry Hinton Hall, Cambridge
A folk music festival held at Cherry Hinton Hall in Cambridge, taking place in late July and early August.
Durham Miners' Gala
Durham city centre, County Durham
A trade-union and colliery-banner procession through the city of Durham, held on the second Saturday of July.
Kynren
Near Bishop Auckland, County Durham
An open-air live-action show telling English history through the ages, staged near Bishop Auckland on summer evenings.
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival
Belladrum Estate, near Beauly
A music and arts festival held on the Belladrum estate near Beauly during the summer months.
Border Common Ridings
Scottish Borders towns (Hawick, Selkirk, Jedburgh)
Mounted summer festivals held in Scottish Borders towns such as Hawick, Selkirk and Jedburgh, marking the riding of the boundaries.
Hebridean Celtic Festival
Stornoway, Isle of Lewis
A Celtic music festival held each July in Stornoway, the main town on the Isle of Lewis.
Snowdon Race (Ras yr Wyddfa)
Llanberis to the summit of Snowdon, Gwynedd
A mountain race from the village of Llanberis to the summit of Snowdon and back, held each July.
AugustSummer
Highland Games season
Across Scotland
Caber-tossing, piping and dancing at gatherings from Braemar to Cowal through the summer.
BBC Proms
Royal Albert Hall, London
Eight weeks of daily classical concerts ending with the Last Night of the Proms.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Edinburgh
The world's largest arts festival takes over the whole city every August.
Official site →Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Edinburgh Castle esplanade
Massed pipes, drums and international acts perform on the castle esplanade each August night.
Notting Hill Carnival
London
Europe's biggest street carnival, a celebration of Caribbean culture over the August bank holiday.
Heather in bloom
Moorland — Yorkshire, Peak District, Scotland
Upland moors turn purple as the heather flowers in late summer.
Well dressing
Derbyshire & the Peak District
Villages decorate their wells with intricate flower-petal pictures right through the summer.
Glyndebourne Festival
Lewes, East Sussex
A summer season of world-class opera in the Sussex countryside — black tie and picnics on the lawn.
Edinburgh International Book Festival
Edinburgh
The world's largest public celebration of books and ideas, part of Edinburgh's August.
Cowes Week
Isle of Wight
One of the oldest and largest sailing regattas in the world, raced on the Solent.
Green Man Festival
Brecon Beacons
Music, science and the arts under the mountains of mid Wales.
Reading & Leeds Festival
Reading & Leeds
Twin-site rock and pop festival over the August bank holiday.
Manchester Pride
Manchester
One of the UK's biggest Pride celebrations, over the August bank holiday.
Kendal Calling
Lowther Deer Park, Lake District
An independent music festival in the heart of the Lake District.
Boardmasters
Newquay, Cornwall
Surf competition and music festival on the Cornish coast.
Brighton & Hove Pride
Brighton
One of the UK's biggest and most flamboyant Pride festivals, on the south coast.
Cambridge Folk Festival
Cherry Hinton Hall, Cambridge
A folk music festival held at Cherry Hinton Hall in Cambridge, taking place in late July and early August.
Kynren
Near Bishop Auckland, County Durham
An open-air live-action show telling English history through the ages, staged near Bishop Auckland on summer evenings.
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival
Belladrum Estate, near Beauly
A music and arts festival held on the Belladrum estate near Beauly during the summer months.
Border Common Ridings
Scottish Borders towns (Hawick, Selkirk, Jedburgh)
Mounted summer festivals held in Scottish Borders towns such as Hawick, Selkirk and Jedburgh, marking the riding of the boundaries.
Anglesey Agricultural Show
Mona Showground, Anglesey
A two-day agricultural show held each August at the Mona showground on the island of Anglesey, north Wales.
Ould Lammas Fair
Ballycastle, County Antrim
A traditional street fair held in the seaside town of Ballycastle over the last Monday and Tuesday of August.
SeptemberAutumn
Highland Games season
Across Scotland
Caber-tossing, piping and dancing at gatherings from Braemar to Cowal through the summer.
BBC Proms
Royal Albert Hall, London
Eight weeks of daily classical concerts ending with the Last Night of the Proms.
Heather in bloom
Moorland — Yorkshire, Peak District, Scotland
Upland moors turn purple as the heather flowers in late summer.
Blackpool Illuminations
Blackpool
Six miles of the seafront lit up with over a million bulbs from late summer into autumn.
Red deer rut
Highlands, Exmoor, Richmond Park
Stags bellow and clash antlers during the autumn breeding season — spectacular at dawn.
Well dressing
Derbyshire & the Peak District
Villages decorate their wells with intricate flower-petal pictures right through the summer.
Great North Run
Newcastle to South Shields
The world's biggest half marathon, tens of thousands running to the North East coast.
Open House Festival
London
Hundreds of buildings — from skyscrapers to secret gardens — open their doors for free over one weekend.
Ludlow Food Festival
Ludlow, Shropshire
A celebrated gathering of independent food and drink producers in a medieval market town.
Goodwood Revival
Goodwood, West Sussex
A glorious step back in time — vintage motor racing with everyone in period dress.
Harvest season
Farms & orchards nationwide
Fields, orchards and hop gardens are gathered in; harvest festivals and apple days follow.
Abergavenny Food Festival
Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
Wales's leading food festival, filling a market town at the gateway to the Brecon Beacons.
Wigtown Book Festival
Wigtown, Dumfries & Galloway
Scotland's National Book Town fills with readers and writers each autumn.
Abbots Bromley Horn Dance
Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire
One of England's oldest folk customs — dancers carry ancient reindeer antlers through the village.
Tour of Britain
Stages across Britain
The country's premier professional road-cycling race, a week of stages nationwide.
Kynren
Near Bishop Auckland, County Durham
An open-air live-action show telling English history through the ages, staged near Bishop Auckland on summer evenings.
Braemar Gathering
Braemar, Aberdeenshire
A Highland games featuring heavy events, piping and dancing, held at Braemar on the first Saturday of September.
Loch Ness Marathon
Loch Ness to Inverness, Highlands
A point-to-point marathon run along the shore of Loch Ness, finishing in Inverness in early autumn.
Ironman Wales
Tenby, Pembrokeshire
A long-distance Ironman-branded triathlon based in and around the seaside town of Tenby, held each September.
OctoberAutumn
Blackpool Illuminations
Blackpool
Six miles of the seafront lit up with over a million bulbs from late summer into autumn.
Red deer rut
Highlands, Exmoor, Richmond Park
Stags bellow and clash antlers during the autumn breeding season — spectacular at dawn.
Autumn colour
Woodlands, arboretums & parks nationwide
Beech, oak and maple turn gold and russet — Westonbirt, the New Forest and Scottish glens are highlights.
Whitby Goth Weekend
Whitby
A twice-yearly gathering in the Dracula-linked seaside town, spring and autumn.
Belfast International Arts Festival
Belfast
Northern Ireland's flagship arts festival across theatre, music, dance and visual art.
Harvest season
Farms & orchards nationwide
Fields, orchards and hop gardens are gathered in; harvest festivals and apple days follow.
Diwali
Leicester & nationwide
Leicester hosts some of the largest Diwali celebrations outside India, lights and fireworks along the Golden Mile.
Nottingham Goose Fair
Nottingham
One of Europe's oldest travelling fairs, dating back over 700 years.
Salmon leaping
Rivers & falls nationwide
Atlantic salmon leap upstream to spawn — spectacular at Pitlochry, Stainforth Force and the Ettrick.
Wigtown Book Festival
Wigtown, Dumfries & Galloway
Scotland's National Book Town fills with readers and writers each autumn.
Cheltenham Literature Festival
Cheltenham
The world's oldest literature festival, ten days of authors, ideas and debate.
Loch Ness Marathon
Loch Ness to Inverness, Highlands
A point-to-point marathon run along the shore of Loch Ness, finishing in Inverness in early autumn.
Cardiff Half Marathon
Cardiff city centre
A half marathon that runs through the streets of the Welsh capital, Cardiff, each October.
Derry Halloween
Derry~Londonderry
A city-wide Halloween festival featuring a parade, elaborate costumes and fireworks, held each October in Derry~Londonderry.
NovemberAutumn
Blackpool Illuminations
Blackpool
Six miles of the seafront lit up with over a million bulbs from late summer into autumn.
Autumn colour
Woodlands, arboretums & parks nationwide
Beech, oak and maple turn gold and russet — Westonbirt, the New Forest and Scottish glens are highlights.
Belfast International Arts Festival
Belfast
Northern Ireland's flagship arts festival across theatre, music, dance and visual art.
Bonfire Night
Nationwide; Lewes is famous
Fireworks and bonfires on and around 5 November; Lewes in Sussex holds Britain's largest celebrations.
Remembrance
Nationwide
Poppies and services mark Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day; the Tower of London and Cenotaph are focal points.
Christmas markets
Cities nationwide
Festive stalls and mulled wine — Bath, Manchester, Birmingham (Frankfurt Market), Edinburgh and York are among the biggest.
Christmas light trails
Gardens & estates nationwide
After-dark illuminated trails light up Kew, Blenheim, Longleat, Kew and many National Trust estates.
Diwali
Leicester & nationwide
Leicester hosts some of the largest Diwali celebrations outside India, lights and fireworks along the Golden Mile.
Salmon leaping
Rivers & falls nationwide
Atlantic salmon leap upstream to spawn — spectacular at Pitlochry, Stainforth Force and the Ettrick.
Lord Mayor's Show
City of London
An 800-year-old procession of floats, bands and the gilded state coach through the City.
Starling murmurations
Reedbeds, piers & marshes
Vast swirling clouds of starlings gather at dusk — the Somerset Levels, Aberystwyth pier and Brighton are famous.
London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
London to Brighton
The world's longest-running motoring event — pre-1905 cars trundling to the coast.
Grey seal pupping
Coasts nationwide
White-coated grey seal pups appear on beaches and dunes — Donna Nook, Blakeney Point and the Farnes are key sites.
Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels
Ottery St Mary, Devon
Flaming tar barrels are carried on the shoulders through the Devon town on Bonfire Night.
Dark-sky stargazing
Dark-sky parks: Northumberland, Galloway, Eryri, Exmoor
Long winter nights bring the clearest stargazing in Britain's dark-sky reserves.
DecemberWinter
Christmas markets
Cities nationwide
Festive stalls and mulled wine — Bath, Manchester, Birmingham (Frankfurt Market), Edinburgh and York are among the biggest.
Christmas light trails
Gardens & estates nationwide
After-dark illuminated trails light up Kew, Blenheim, Longleat, Kew and many National Trust estates.
Hogmanay
Edinburgh & across Scotland
Scotland's spectacular New Year celebrations, with Edinburgh's street party among the world's biggest.
Starling murmurations
Reedbeds, piers & marshes
Vast swirling clouds of starlings gather at dusk — the Somerset Levels, Aberystwyth pier and Brighton are famous.
Nine Lessons and Carols
King's College, Cambridge
The world-famous Christmas Eve carol service, broadcast from King's College Chapel.
Grey seal pupping
Coasts nationwide
White-coated grey seal pups appear on beaches and dunes — Donna Nook, Blakeney Point and the Farnes are key sites.
New Year's Eve fireworks
London
The capital sees in the New Year with a huge fireworks display over the Thames and the London Eye.
Pantomime season
Theatres nationwide
Oh yes it is — Britain's uniquely daft Christmas theatre tradition fills theatres from December.
Dark-sky stargazing
Dark-sky parks: Northumberland, Galloway, Eryri, Exmoor
Long winter nights bring the clearest stargazing in Britain's dark-sky reserves.
Allendale Tar Bar'l
Allendale, Northumberland
A fiery Hogmanay custom — villagers parade blazing barrels of tar on their heads to a midnight bonfire.
122 seasonal highlights and counting. Dates for annual events vary year to year — always check the official site before travelling.