This calendar identifies some of the international, national and local religious and cultural events and activities that will be taking place over the next year; opportunities for people to come together; to learn more about different cultures; to join in with cultural celebrations and/or to focus on particular culturally related issues.
| June 2026 | ||
| 6th and 7th | Exeter Respect Festival 2026: All Different, All Equal | The largest celebration of diversity in the South West. Now in its 29th year. https://www.exeter-respect.org/ |
| 15th to 21st | Refugee Week 2026: Courage | https://refugeeweek.org.uk/theme-refugee-week-2026-courage/ |
| 16th to 17th (expected) | Islamic New Year | The start of the New Year 1448 in the Islamic calendar |
| 21st | Summer Solstice | Midsummer, the longest day of the year and a pagan festival https://stonehengefestivals.co.uk/ |
| 22nd | Windrush Day | A day to honour the contributions of migrants to life in the UK.. Specifically, it celebrates Afro-Caribbeans who began arriving on the HMT Empire Windrush in 1948 https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2025-0125/ |
| July 2026 | ||
| Whole month | South Asian Heritage Month | The start of a month-long celebration of South Asian heritage and culture https://southasianheritage.org.uk/south-asian-heritage-month/about-sahm/ |
| 23rd | Birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie | Rastafarian celebration of the birthday of Hailie Selassie https://ethiopiancrown.org/biography-emperor-haile-selassie-i/ |
| August 2026 | ||
| 13th to 16th | Obon | Obon (also known as Bon festival) is an important Zen Buddhist festival in Japan – a commemoration of ancestors https://www.japansociety.org.uk/resource?resource=48 |
| 23rd | International day for the remembrance of the slave trade | https://www.unesco.org/en/days/slave-trade-remembrance |
| September 2026 | ||
| 8th to 15th (dates may vary) | Paryushan | The most important holy festival for Jains – an 8 day festival focusing on new beginnings https://oshwal.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Insights%20Into%20Paryushan%20-%20By%20Kishor%20B%20Shah.pdf |
| 14th to 20th | National Inclusion Week (Inclusive Employers) | https://www.inclusiveemployers.co.uk/national-inclusion-week/ dedicated to celebrating inclusion and taking action to create inclusive workplaces |
| 26th | European Day of Languages | Council of Europe initiative to celebrate language and cultural diversity. Click here for ideas to celebrate the day: https://edl.ecml.at/ |
| October 2026 | ||
| Whole month | Black History Month | Annual awareness campaign to highlight African and Caribbean history and heritage, and the UK’s diverse cultural heritage. A range of events to entertain and educate. https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/ |
| 1st | National Poetry Day | https://nationalpoetryday.co.uk/about-npd/ – schools often ask children to prepare poems for lessons. |
| 10th | World Mental Health Day | Aims to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day |
| 21st | International Pronouns Day | https://pronouns.org/day |
| 31st | Halloween | A festival with diverse origins (including Pagan and Christian traditions) that has become an important cultural festival in UK and USA |
| November 2026 | ||
| Whole month | Islamophobia Awareness Month | Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM) is a campaign founded in 2012 by a group of Muslim organisations. It aims to showcase the positive contributions of Muslims as well as raise awareness of Islamophobia in society. https://www.islamophobia-awareness.org/ |
| 5th | Guy Fawkes Night (aka “Bonfire Night”) | https://www.britannica.com/topic/Guy-Fawkes-Day |
| 8th (dates vary) | Diwali | The Hindu festival of lights |
| 8th | Remembrance Sunday | A day to remember people killed or wounded in war. People often observe 2 minutes’ silence starting at 11am. https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/remembrance/remembrance-events/remembrance-sunday |
| 16th to 20th | Anti-bullying Week | A nationwide initiative that highlights the issue of bullying and encourages individuals to take action against it. It emphasizes the importance of fostering a culture of respect and support. https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/ |
| 30th | St Andrews Day | A day of celebration in Scotland. The thistle flower is associated with this day. |
| December 2026 | ||
| 18th | International Migrants’ Day | https://www.un.org/en/observances/migrants-day An annual opportunity to celebrate the positive contributions of migrants to societies around the world. |
| 4th to 12th | Hanukkah | https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/when-is-hanukkah-in-2023-2024-2025-2026-and-2027/ |
| 25th | Christmas Day | Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus and a secular family holiday celebrated by both Christians and non-Christians |
| 31st | New Year’s Eve/Hogmanay | A worldwide festival to mark the arrival of a New Year |
| January 2027 | ||
| 7th | Christmas Day | For Orthodox Christians |
| 17th | World Religion Day | https://nationaltoday.com/world-religion-day/ |
| 18th | Martin Luther King Day | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr._Day |
| 25th | Burns Night | A celebration of the life and poetry of Scottish poet Robert Burns. https://www.scotland.org/events/burns-night |
| 27th | Holocaust Memorial Day – 2027 Theme: No Place for Prejudice | https://hmd.org.uk/take-part-in-holocaust-memorial-day/ |
| February 2027 | ||
| Whole Month | LGBT+ History Month | https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/ |
| 6th | Lunar New Year | https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/uk/lunar-new-year |
| 9th | Shrove Tuesday (“Pancake Day” aka “Mardi Gras”). | https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/uk/shrove-tuesday |
| 14th | St Valentine’s Day | International celebration of love. https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day |
| 8th Feb to 8th Mar | Ramadan – probable start date for 2027 | Fasting month. Observance of Ramadan is one of the 5 pillars of Islam https://ing.org/resources/for-all-groups/calendar-of-important-islamic-dates/ramadan-information-sheet/ |
| March 2027 | ||
| Whole Month | Women’s History Month | https://womenforwomen.org.uk/womens-history-month-calendar |
| 1st | St David’s Day | National day for Wales https://www.visitwales.com/info/history-heritage-and-traditions/have-happy-st-davids-day-celebration |
| 7th | Mothering Sunday (“Mother’s Day”) | https://publicholidays.co.uk/mothers-day/ |
| 8th | International Women’s Day | https://www.internationalwomensday.com/IWD2026 |
| 17th | St Patrick’s Day | A celebration of Irish culture https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/things-to-do/themes/culture/st-patricks-day/ |
| 9th/10th | Eid-ul Fitr | Islamic festival to mark the end of Ramadan https://www.calendardate.com/eid_al_fitr_2027.htm#google_vignette |
| 21st | Kurdish Newroz | New Year – celebration of Spring for Kurdish communities https://thekurdishproject.org/history-and-culture/kurdish-culture/kurdish-newroz/ |
| 22nd | Holi | Holi Hindu festival of colours. Find out about local celebrations: https://www.exeterhcc.org/event |
| 28th and 29th | Easter Sunday Easter Monday | Easter, a Christian festival commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead Easter Monday, the 2nd day of Easter, known as Bright Monday in the Eastern Orthodox Church |
| April 2027 | ||
| 1st | April Fool’s Day | https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/magazine-zone/april-fools-day |
| 21st to 29th | Passover | A major Jewish festival that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt. https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/passover/passover-history |
| 14th | Vaisakhi | Festival which celebrates the founding of the Sikh community, the Khalsa, in 1699. It was originally a harvest festival in the Punjab until it became Sikhism’s most important festival. https://www.sikhnet.com/news/vaisakhi-biggest-sikh-celebration |
| 22nd | Stephen Lawrence Day | National Stephen Lawrence Day https://stephenlawrenceday.org/ was inaugurated in 2019 to celebrate the short life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence, who was killed in a racist attack at just 18 years old. |
| 23rd | St George’s Day | National day for England. A truly multicultural saint, St George is the patron saint of England, Georgia, Venice, Genoa, Portugal, Ethiopia and Catalonia |
| May 2027 | ||
| Whole month | Local and Community History month | Trips, library exhibitions and local lectures https://www.history.org.uk/ historian/resource/1567/local-and-community-history-month |
| 1st | Beltane (May Day) | The Gaelic May Day festival, marking the start of Summer |
| 9th | Europe Day | Europe Day is a day to celebrate peace and unity throughout Europe. https://european-union.europa.eu/principles-countries-history/symbols/europe-day_en |
| 10th to 16th | Mental Health Awareness Week | A week during which events are held to highlight issues around mental health. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week |
| 15th (tentative) | Eid al-Adha | One of the holiest days in Islam, Eid al-Adha commemorates Ibrahim’s (Abraham’s) willingness to sacrifice his son for God, marked by prayers, charity, and community gatherings |
| 20th | Wesak Buddha’s birthday | https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wesak |
| 31st | Late Spring Bank Holiday (Whit Monday) | The Whitsun weekend was traditionally a time for fairs, Morris dancing and parades with brass bands |