Cambridgeshire’s calendar is older and odder than most people expect. A fair granted its charter by King John still sets up on Midsummer Common every June, Ely throws a parade for the eel, and every January a man dressed head to toe in straw leads hundreds of dancers through Whittlesey before the costume is burned. Alongside those sit the modern fixtures: CAMRA’s longest running beer festival, one of the best known folk festivals in the country and a season of air shows over the old fighter station at Duxford.
This guide runs through the year in three parts, spring, summer, and autumn into winter, with fifteen recurring events spread across Cambridge, Peterborough, Ely, St Neots, Wisbech and Whittlesey. Where an organiser has confirmed a 2027 date we give it. Where they have not, we tell you when it usually happens and where to check.
Details were accurate at the time of research in November 2026. Dates, prices and venues change from year to year, so please check each organiser’s website before you plan a trip.
Spring: March to May
The year starts properly in March, when the university opens its doors for a fortnight of free talks, and builds to a busy May with eels in Ely, beer on Jesus Green and a free weekend festival at Ferry Meadows. Most spring events are daytime and family friendly, and the May bank holidays are when the county really gets going.
Cambridge Festival
Indoor and outdoor
- An annual festival of research, ideas and the arts run by the University of Cambridge’s Public Engagement team, spanning around 17 days each spring
- The 2027 festival runs from 10 to 25 March 2027, according to the festival’s own website
- The 2026 festival ran from 16 March to 2 April 2026
- Events are free, although many need booking in advance because places are limited
- The programme mixes in-person events with online and on-demand talks, so you can watch some of it from home
- Events are grouped under four themes: Discovery, Environment, Health and Society
- The festival runs a mailing list, which is the easiest way to hear when the programme and booking open
Where: Venues across Cambridge, plus online events
Website: festival.cam.ac.uk
How to book: Free tickets through the festival website; book early for family events
The Cambridge Festival is the closest most of us get to going behind the scenes at the university. Researchers come out of the labs and lecture theatres to explain what they actually do, and a lot of it is pitched at children and curious adults rather than specialists. Because everything is free, the popular sessions fill quickly once booking opens. The online events are a good fallback if you live in Wisbech or St Neots and cannot face a weekday trip into the city. Pick two or three things in the same part of town on one day and you will get far more out of it than rushing between sites.
Ely Eel Festival
Outdoor activity
- A long weekend in Ely celebrating the city’s eel-catching heritage, organised by Visit Ely over the early May bank holiday
- It opens with Eel Day on the Saturday, when the Eel Parade of floats and costumes leaves Cross Green, beside the cathedral, and winds down to the riverside
- In 2026 Eel Day ran from 11am to 4pm on Saturday 2 May on Jubilee Gardens, with live music, street food and family activities
- Eel throwing, using artificial eels, is one of the traditions of the day, and in 2025 the Environment Agency brought baby eels for visitors to see
- A Food, Drink and Craft Fair with more than 70 stalls follows on Palace Green and Cross Green on the Sunday and bank holiday Monday, from 10am to 4pm
- The 2025 parade included Morris sides, a samba band and the Mayor riding in a Second World War jeep, and organisers counted 7,000 to 8,000 visitors across the three days
- The giant parade eel was made by local artist Cary Outis
- 2027 dates were not published when we checked; it usually falls on the early May bank holiday weekend, so check the website for dates
Where: Cross Green, Jubilee Gardens, Palace Green and the riverside, Ely
Website: visitely.org.uk
How to book: No booking needed to watch; application forms for taking part are posted on the Visit Ely website
Eel Day is Ely at its most cheerful and least formal. The parade is short, loud and easy to follow on foot, and it ends by the river where there is space for children to run about while you queue for food. Jellied eels have been on sale in past years for anyone brave enough. The cathedral is a short walk uphill, and Ely station sits close to the riverside, so the whole day works without a car. Stay for the craft fair on the Sunday if you prefer browsing to crowds.
Cambridge Beer Festival
Indoor and outdoor
- CAMRA describes it as its longest running festival, held each May in marquees on Jesus Green, across the road from Jesus College
- It runs for six days, Monday to Saturday; the 2026 festival ran from 18 to 23 May
- The 2026 festival poured more than 300 UK and international beers, around 80 ciders and perries, mead and wine
- More than 20 gluten-free beers and a low and no alcohol bar were on offer in 2026
- Around 37,000 people came in 2025, and the festival often draws close to 40,000
- In 2026 it hosted the announcement of CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain, a competition first held in 1978, and the finalists were served while stocks lasted
- CAMRA members get in free; everyone else buys entry through the festival’s ticket information
- 2027 dates were not published when we checked; it is usually held in the second half of May, so check the website for dates
Address: Jesus Green, Cambridge
Website: camra.org.uk (search Cambridge Beer Festival)
How to book: Tickets and session details through CAMRA’s festival listing; members show their card at the gate
The Cambridge Beer Festival is a week-long city institution rather than a one-day party. Weekday lunchtimes are the gentlest time to go, with room to sit and talk, while Friday and Saturday evenings are packed. With around 80 ciders and perries on the bar, it is a fair choice for non-beer drinkers too. Jesus Green is a short walk from the city centre and the bus station, and driving makes little sense for a beer festival anyway. Bring a layer, as May evenings by the river turn cold once the sun drops.
Peterborough Celebrates
Outdoor activity
- A free weekend community festival run by Nene Park Trust at Ferry Meadows, celebrating Peterborough’s culture, music and diversity
- The 2026 festival, its fifth, ran from 11am on Saturday 16 May to 4pm on Sunday 17 May
- Visitors in 2026 found world food stalls, a bar, amusements and local craft stalls
- Each year has a theme, and 2026 linked to the National Year of Reading with stories told through books, music, poetry and performance
- Entry is free and there are no tickets to buy
- Car parking charges apply at Ferry Meadows for every vehicle, including Blue Badge holders
- The Nene Valley Railway stops at Ferry Meadows station, which gives you a steam-hauled way in on running days
- 2027 dates were not published when we checked; it has been held in May, so check the website for dates
Address: Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU
Website: nenepark.org.uk
How to book: No booking needed
Peterborough Celebrates is the city’s answer to a summer fete, held early enough in the year that the meadows are still green. It has a broader mix than most Cambridgeshire events, with food and music reflecting the many communities that call Peterborough home. Because it sits inside Ferry Meadows, you can wander off to the lakes, play areas or boat trips when the children need a break from the stalls. Parking fills up on a sunny festival weekend, so arrive in the morning or come by bike along the park’s surfaced paths.
Summer: June to August
June belongs to Midsummer Common, which hosts a free arts fair and an 800-year-old funfair within a few weeks of each other. July and August move out to the folk festivals at Ely and Cherry Hinton, Wisbech’s Rose Fair and riverside afternoons in St Neots, so this is the season to look beyond Cambridge.
Strawberry Fair
Outdoor activity
- A free, volunteer-run music and arts festival on Midsummer Common in Cambridge, held since 1974
- It takes place on the first Saturday of June, and the 2027 fair is confirmed for Saturday 5 June 2027
- The 2026 fair was held on Saturday 6 June
- The organisers say more than 40,000 people come each year
- There is no entry charge; the fair stays free because people donate and fundraise through the year
- Stages, stalls and performers spread across the common for the day
- The fair has its own rules on alcohol and what you can bring, so read the FAQs on its website before you go
Address: Midsummer Common, Cambridge
Website: strawberry-fair.org.uk
How to book: No booking needed
Strawberry Fair has been the unofficial start of summer in Cambridge for half a century, and it still feels homemade in the best sense. Expect live music, arts, stalls and a lot of people sitting on the grass. It gets very full by mid afternoon, so families with small children tend to come early and leave before the evening crowd arrives. The common sits next to the river and Jesus Green, which gives you somewhere quieter to retreat to. Leave the car at home, as roads around the common are busy and parking is scarce.
Midsummer Fair
Outdoor activity
- One of the oldest fairs in the country, granted a royal charter by King John in 1211
- The 2026 fair was billed by Cambridge City Council as its 813th year
- It is held on Midsummer Common in late June; in 2026 it was proclaimed on Wednesday 24 June and ran until Sunday 28 June
- The fair opens with an official proclamation, led by the Mayor of Cambridge, with a procession from Wesley Methodist Church and the traditional handing out of coins to children
- The Showmen’s Guild organises the fair, with funfair rides, sideshows and traditional market stalls
- The fair falls during Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month, which the council marks each June
- The weekend is the busiest time, and the council asks visitors to use public transport where possible
- 2027 dates were not published when we checked; it usually runs for several days around midsummer in late June, so check the council website for dates
Address: Midsummer Common, Cambridge
Website: cambridge.gov.uk
How to book: No booking needed; pay per ride
Midsummer Fair is a funfair with eight centuries behind it, which is a strange and rather wonderful thing to stand in on a warm June evening. The proclamation ceremony is short and worth catching if you are interested in the city’s history, and children love the coins. After dark the rides light up the whole common. It is a cash-friendly, pay-as-you-go evening, so set a budget before the dodgems start calling. Weekday evenings are calmer than the final weekend.
Wisbech Rose Fair
Outdoor activity
- A summer fair in Wisbech that began in 1963, when local rose growers sold rose buds in the church gardens
- Wisbech Town Council now organises it, after stepping in to keep it going
- It is usually held on a Saturday in late June; in 2026 it took place on Saturday 27 June
- Two walking parades led by the Rose Queen leave at 11am and 2pm, gathering at St Peter’s Church Hall
- Each year has a parade theme, which was Robots, Pirates and Chickens in 2026 and The Circus the year before
- Stalls, floral decorations and entertainment fill the town, with past events in the Market Place, the Castle and Museum Square
- Community groups can enter the parade, with a limit of 30 people per group, and the Eastern Region Donkey Breed Society has walked in recent years
- 2027 dates were not published when we checked, so check the town council’s website
Where: Wisbech town centre, around St Peter and St Paul’s Church and the Market Place
Website: wisbechtowncouncil.gov.uk
How to book: No booking needed to watch; parade entries through the town council
The Rose Fair is Wisbech putting on its best clothes for a day. It is a proper small-town occasion, with Brownies, Guides, schools and dance groups in the parade and plenty of people who have been coming for decades. The Georgian streets around the Brinks and the church make a handsome backdrop, and you can fit in a walk along the Nene afterwards. With two parades, you can arrive late morning and still catch one. It is a long drive from the south of the county, so pair it with a visit to Peckover House or the Wisbech and Fenland Museum, checking their opening days first.
Ely Folk Festival
Outdoor activity
- A small, friendly folk festival held each July on the edge of Ely, which celebrated its 40th year in 2026
- The 2027 festival is confirmed for 9 to 11 July 2027
- The 2026 festival ran from 10 to 12 July on the Stuntney Estate, next to Ben’s Yard on Soham Road
- Day tickets start at £36 and weekend tickets are £130, with youth and concession tickets also available
- Children under 12 get in free
- There is camping on site, so many families stay the whole weekend
- The programme goes beyond concerts, with ceilidhs, workshops, jam sessions, a local music showcase and children’s entertainment
- The venue for 2027 was not stated on the festival’s homepage when we checked, so read the Getting Here page before you travel
Where: Stuntney Estate, Soham Road, Ely (2026 venue)
Website: elyfolkfestival.co.uk
How to book: Online through the festival website
Ely Folk Festival is the one to choose if you want to take part rather than just watch. You can learn a tune in a workshop, sit in on a session in the afternoon and dance it off at the ceilidh at night. It is far smaller and calmer than Cambridge’s festival, which suits first-time campers and families with young children. Free entry for under 12s makes a weekend here good value. The site is on the Soham side of Ely, so check the travel page if you are planning to walk from the station.
Cambridge Folk Festival
Indoor and outdoor
- One of the best known folk festivals in Britain, run by Cambridge City Council and based at Cherry Hinton Hall
- The 2027 festival builds through July with events across the city, ending with three days at Cherry Hinton Hall from Friday 30 July to Sunday 1 August 2027
- 2026 used a two-day finale on 1 and 2 August, so 2027 marks a return to a three-day main event
- Full festival tickets for 2027 start at £170, and camping starts at £65; caravan pitches had already sold out when we checked
- In 2026 the city-wide programme included a family ceilidh at the Corn Exchange, gigs at the Portland Arms, a show on a boat, street music on Mill Road and a folk quiz night
- The 2026 site had two main stages, a street performance area and a Club Corner run with local folk clubs and promoters
- Tickets went on sale in October, a long way ahead, and the most popular options sell out
- Cambridge City Council decides on 26 November 2026 whether to close the Corn Exchange at the end of December 2026 for refurbishment expected to take up to 18 months, which would change the city-wide venues in 2027
Address: Cherry Hinton Hall, Cambridge
Website: cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk
How to book: Online through the festival website
Our live music guide covers the main weekend, so here is the case for the build-up. The July programme spreads folk across pubs, halls and even the river, which means you can get a taste of the festival without buying a full ticket. For the weekend itself, camping is the way to do it, as getting in and out of Cherry Hinton each day eats into the music. Keep an eye on the festival’s own listings from spring, when the city events are announced.
St Neots Riverside: Bands in the Park and the Dragon Boat Race
Outdoor activity
- St Neots Town Council runs free Bands in the Park concerts in Riverside Park every Sunday afternoon through the summer
- Concerts run from 2:30pm to 4:30pm, and in 2026 there were 16 Sundays between 31 May and 20 September
- The St Neots Charity Dragon Boat Race is held in August on Regatta Meadow beside the Great Ouse
- The 2025 race was on Saturday 16 August from 10am to 5pm, with 18 teams paddling for local charities
- Race day also has live entertainment, food, family activities and a market
- Teams and traders apply in advance, with entry deadlines in early summer
- The riverside parks are open, flat and free, with plenty of space for picnics
Address: Riverside Park, St Neots PE19 7SR
Website: stneots-tc.gov.uk
How to book: No booking needed for spectators; dragon boat teams and traders apply through the town council
St Neots does summer quietly and well. A picnic blanket on the grass at Bands in the Park on a Sunday afternoon costs nothing, and the river is right there for a walk afterwards. The dragon boat race is the noisiest day of the year on this stretch of the Great Ouse, with drummers keeping time and teams of office workers discovering how hard paddling is. Office teams and community groups make up much of the field, so the crowd is mostly friends and family cheering loudly. The town centre and its cafés are within easy walking distance.
Autumn and Winter: September to January
Autumn opens with the biggest crowds of the year at Burghley and the last big air shows at Duxford, then the evenings close in for fireworks and Mill Road’s winter fair. January ends the calendar in the Fens with the oldest custom in this guide, the Straw Bear.
Duxford Air Shows
Outdoor activity
- IWM Duxford, the former RAF fighter station at Junction 10 of the M11, runs a flying season of air shows and flying days each year
- IWM has published the 2027 dates: a VE Day flying day on Saturday 8 May, a flying day on Saturday 5 June, the Summer Air Show on 19 and 20 June, a Flying Evening on Saturday 14 August, the Battle of Britain Air Show on 11 and 12 September and the Flying Finale on Saturday 2 October 2027
- The Battle of Britain Air Show is the autumn centrepiece, fitting for an airfield that flew Spitfires during the battle in 1940
- Tickets for 2027 go on sale during 2027 and must be bought in advance
- IWM members get free entry to the flying days but need to book a free advance ticket
- The Summer Air Show moves into June in 2027, having been held in early July in 2026
- The Flying Evening runs later into the day, with flying closer to sunset
Address: IWM Duxford, Duxford, Cambridgeshire CB22 4QR
Website: iwm.org.uk/airshows
How to book: Advance tickets only, online through IWM
A Merlin engine overhead at the airfield where Spitfires flew in 1940 is what most people come for. The Battle of Britain show draws the biggest crowds, and on a clear September day the Spitfire displays are something people talk about for years. The Flying Finale in October is a one-day event rather than a full weekend, which may suit families who find the big shows too much. Wrap up whatever the forecast says, as the airfield is flat, open and windy. Bring ear defenders for small children, and allow time to queue out of the car parks at the end of the day.
Burghley Horse Trials
Outdoor activity
- One of only six five-star (CCI5*) three-day events in the world, held in the parkland of Burghley House each September
- The 2027 event is confirmed for 2 to 5 September 2027
- The 2026 event ran from 3 to 6 September and marked 65 years since eventing first came to Burghley in 1961
- More than 170,000 people visit across the four days
- The Shopping Village has more than 600 exhibitors selling country clothing, equestrian kit, homeware and food
- William Fox-Pitt holds the record for the most wins, with six
- Burghley’s postal address is Stamford in Lincolnshire, but the house sits inside the Peterborough council area, which is why we include it
- Tickets, hospitality packages and experiences are sold through the event’s website
Address: Burghley House, Stamford PE9 3JY
Website: burghley-horse.co.uk
How to book: Online through the Burghley Horse Trials website
You do not need to know anything about horses to enjoy Burghley, although it helps to watch the cross-country on the Saturday. The jumps are huge, the parkland is beautiful and the crowds gather around the water fences for the drama. Plenty of visitors spend more time in the Shopping Village than watching the sport, and there is no shame in that. Wear proper walking shoes, as the course covers a lot of ground. Traffic on the A1 around Stamford backs up badly at opening and closing times, so leave early or stay late.
Bonfire Night Fireworks Displays
Outdoor activity
- Organised fireworks displays run across the county in the week or so around 5 November each year
- Cambridge City Council’s Fireworks Night on Midsummer Common is free and unticketed, with food and entertainment from 6pm and fireworks at 7pm
- The Cambridge date moves around: it was held on Saturday 1 November in 2025 and Thursday 5 November in 2026
- There has been no bonfire at the Cambridge display in recent years
- In 2024, displays elsewhere included Ely’s Cherry Hill Park, Kimbolton Castle, Huntingdon Racecourse, All Saints Academy in March, Castor, Godmanchester and Wisbech St Mary
- Some displays, such as those at Kimbolton Castle and Huntingdon Racecourse, have been ticketed, so check before you set off
- Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service encourages people to go to an organised display rather than hold one at home
- Village and town displays change from year to year, so watch local listings and parish council noticeboards from October
Where: Midsummer Common in Cambridge, plus towns and villages across the county
Website: cambridge.gov.uk for the Cambridge display
How to book: No booking for the Cambridge display; ticketed displays sell online in advance
Bonfire Night is the one event in this guide that happens everywhere at once. Cambridge’s display is the biggest and draws thousands, so stand near the back if you have small children and want an easy exit. Village displays are often the better night out, with a hot dog stall, a short walk home and the fireworks close enough to feel. Dogs and fireworks do not mix, so leave them at home.
Mill Road Winter Fair
Outdoor activity
- A one-day community street fair on Mill Road in Cambridge, first held in 2005, which celebrated its 20th anniversary on Saturday 6 December 2025
- It is usually held on the first Saturday of December
- The morning starts with a fire engine pull, an opening ceremony and a parade, so arrive early if you want to see them
- Music stages have been set up at Donkey Common, Ditchburn Gardens, St Barnabas Church, St Philip’s Church and the Argyle Street Housing Co-op
- A dedicated Food Fair has used the Gwydir Street car park, alongside stalls and cafés along the road
- Artists open their studios, and arts and crafts stalls spread across Donkey Common, Petersfield Green and side streets
- The road is closed to traffic for the day, and past fairs have closed it between East Road and Coleridge Road
- Mill Road bridge is a bus gate at other times, so check the fair’s travel advice and use the park and ride or a bike
Address: Mill Road, Cambridge
Website: millroadwinterfair.org
How to book: No booking needed; check the website for this year’s date
Our Christmas events guide covers the festive side of the fair, but its real character is the street itself. For one day the street’s shops, cafés, churches, mosque and studios all join in for the same crowd, and you get a sense of how mixed and lively this part of Cambridge is. The side streets are worth exploring too, as open studios and smaller stages are tucked away off the main road. Food is the main event for many visitors, with dishes from around the world along the length of the road. Go before noon if you want to move freely.
Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival
Outdoor activity
- A weekend festival in Whittlesey, near Peterborough, built around a Fenland plough custom in which a man is dressed head to toe in straw as the Straw Bear
- The old custom took place on the Tuesday after Plough Monday, and the Whittlesea Society revived it in 1980
- The 2027 festival is confirmed for 15 to 17 January 2027, and the organisers have also listed 14 to 16 January 2028
- Friday night opens with live music, and Saturday is the only day the Bear appears in public
- On Saturday 17 January 2026 the procession set off from the Manor Leisure Centre at around 10:30am, with storytelling talks at a church and a finale in the Market Place at 3pm
- More than 250 dancers, musicians and performers from across the British Isles take part, including Morris and molly sides
- On the Sunday the Bear costume is burned, at Decoy Lakes in 2026, clearing the way for a new one made from the next harvest’s straw
- Organisers expect 3,000 to 5,000 visitors over the weekend if the weather is kind
Where: Whittlesey town centre, with the bear burning nearby on the Sunday
Website: strawbear.org.uk
How to book: No booking needed to watch
The Straw Bear is the most gloriously odd weekend in the Cambridgeshire calendar. Watching a shuffling, faceless figure in a straw suit being led through a Fenland market town by plough boys, musicians and dancers is genuinely strange, and that is the point. Dance teams perform around the town before the Market Place finale, so you can drift between spots rather than following the whole route. Mid January in the Fens is bitterly cold and often wet underfoot, so dress for standing still outdoors. Check the roads before setting off, as droves and roads across the washes near Whittlesey can flood in winter.
Seasonal Highlights
Spring: The Cambridge Festival from 10 to 25 March 2027, the Cambridge Literary Festival’s spring edition in late April (it ran from 22 to 26 April in 2026), Ely’s Eel Day on the early May bank holiday and Duxford’s VE Day flying day on Saturday 8 May 2027.
Summer: Strawberry Fair on Saturday 5 June 2027, the Duxford Summer Air Show on 19 and 20 June 2027, Ely Folk Festival from 9 to 11 July 2027 and Cambridge Folk Festival at Cherry Hinton Hall from 30 July to 1 August 2027. The Cambridge Shakespeare Festival plays in college gardens through July and August (13 July to 29 August in 2026, its 39th year), and the CAMRA-run Peterborough Beer Festival fills marquees on the Embankment in late August (25 to 29 August in 2026, its 47th year).
Autumn: Burghley Horse Trials from 2 to 5 September 2027, the Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show on 11 and 12 September 2027, the Flying Finale on 2 October 2027, fireworks displays around 5 November and the Cambridge Literary Festival’s winter weekend in late November (21 and 22 November in 2026).
Winter: Mill Road Winter Fair, usually on the first Saturday of December, Christmas markets, light trails and switch-ons across the county (see our Christmas events guide), and the Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival from 15 to 17 January 2027.
A Note From Inside Cambridge
We wrote this guide because the same question comes round every year: what is actually on in Cambridgeshire, and when? Fifteen events is a start, and every town and village has its own fete, show or festival that deserves a mention too.
If you run one of these events and your 2027 dates are out, or something has moved or changed, please tell us. We will update the guide so nobody turns up to an empty field.
Before You Go
- Organisers often publish dates only a few months ahead, so check the official website for each event a few weeks before you travel, even where we have given a 2027 date
- Book early for the Cambridge Folk Festival, Ely Folk Festival, Duxford air shows and Burghley, as the best ticket options and camping sell out
- Midsummer Common hosts Strawberry Fair, Midsummer Fair and the Cambridge fireworks, and parking nearby is very limited, so use the park and ride, a bike or the bus
- Fen roads and droves around Whittlesey, Ely and the washes can flood between November and March, which matters for the Straw Bear in January
- Several events are free to attend, including Strawberry Fair, Peterborough Celebrates, Bands in the Park and the Cambridge fireworks, but bring cash for food stalls and donations
- Truckfest left the East of England Showground in Peterborough after its 40th show in 2023 and moved to a venue in Lincolnshire, so it is no longer a Cambridgeshire event
- Bring ear protection for small children at air shows and fireworks, and leave dogs at home for both
- Cambridge City Council decides on 26 November 2026 whether to close the Corn Exchange at the end of December 2026 for about 18 months of refurbishment, which would change venues for city-wide festival programmes in 2027
