Festivals in Somerset come in all shapes and sizes.
SOMERSET’S LARGEST FESTIVAL
At the top end of the scale is the world famous Glastonbury Music Festival. Here, up to 250,000 music lovers gather at Worthy Farm. It’s hard to believe that this incredible music festival has been in existence for over 50 years!
Even prior to the pandemic, this festival didn’t take place every year. The land and local residents are given a break every 5 years or so. (Festival founder Michael Eavis usually has a herd of cows grazing on the land.) 2026 is a fallow year, but the Glastonbury Festival will be back in 2027.
Somerset is home to a huge array of music, food, art, literary and comedy festivals which take place throughout the year.
Music FESTIVALS IN SOMERSET 2026 / 2027
Here is a selection of Somerset music festivals scheduled to take place in 2026.
Bristol Folk Festival 1 – 3 May 2026. 2027 date TBC.
The Sound of Wells festival 6 – 10 May 2026 in Wells Cathedral. Enjoy classical music and choral performances. 2027 date TBC.
Love Saves The Day (Ashton Gate, Bristol) 29 & 30 May 2027. Catch an act on one of 8 unique stages.
Bath International Music Festival 30 May – 7 June 2026. 2027 date TBC.
Summer Fest at the Beach After Party 6 and 7 June 2026. The Grand Pier, Weston super Mare. 2027 date TBC.
Home Farm Fest (Chilthorne Domer) 11 – 13 June 2027.
The Petherton Folk Festival takes place on 19 June 2027. 10am – 6.30pm.
Bristol Sounds is on 25 June 2027 in Lloyds Amphitheatre.
Somerstock Music festival 9 – 10 July 2027.
Priddy Folk Festival is on 9 -11 July 2027.
WOWFest runs from 14 – 17 July 2028. Enjoy a great line-up of young musicians from around the world. (WOW stands for Women of Wells.)
Godney Gathering (Garslade Farm, Glastonbury) 16 & 17 July 2027.
Bristol Harbour Festival 17 – 19 July 2026. Turns the waterfront into a living stage! 2027 date TBC.
Siren Bristol 23 – 25 July 2026. One for the Drum & Bass enthusiasts. 2027 date TBC.
Valley Fest (by Chew Valley Lake) will be back 29 July – 1 August 2027.
Chard Rock Festival 14 – 15 August 2027.
ArcTanGent (one for heavy metal lovers) 18 – 21 August 2027 on Fernhill Farm near Bristol.
MORE festivals in Somerset
JANUARY
Wassail in early to mid January at various farms across Somerset. Give thanks for the harvest. Drink cider, sing songs and perhaps fire a shotgun!
Eat festivals – various location across Somerset. Locally focused food and drinks festivals from a multi award-winning organisation.
Frome International Climate Film Festival is open for entries from 1 January. The world’s first film festival dedicated to climate and the environment.
The Bristol Comedy Festival runs from 15 – 31 January 2026 in various venues across Bristol. 2027 date TBC.
FEBRUARY & MARCH
Bristol Light Festival takes place 19 – 28 February 2026. 2027 date TBC.
Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival 19 – 20 February 2027. Special stalls at the Sunday Market, talks, a snowdrop trail, a procession, arts and crafts and book signings.
A Festival of Snowdrops takes place at East Lambrook Manor Gardens during February.
February is also a great time to see snowdrops at The Bishop’s Palace in Wells.
For a comprehensive list of snowdrop festivals in Somerset, take a look at my blog.
Snowdrops in the gardens of the Bishop’s Palace
APRIL & MAY
Bath & West Food and Drink Festival is on 3 April 2027 and features the British and Irish Cheese Awards! Large number of food and drink stands, an artisan farmers market and plenty going on at the Farmhouse Kitchen stage.
Cheddar Arts Fringe Festival is going to be held 2 – 4 May 2026. 10.30am – 4.30pm. Enjoy a walking trail around Cheddar and view the work of various artists. Workshops and stalls with 44 artists exhibiting their work at various locations around Cheddar. You can join a workshop and get creative! 2027 date TBC.
Somerscience Festival also takes place in early May. 90+ activities in lots of different locations. Free!
Wedmore Festival runs 8 – 16 May 2027.
May 11 is Somerset Day. Lots of events take place around the county to celebrate this special day.
Foodies Festival in Bath. A celebration of food and drink with music too. 21 – 23 May 2027.
Wells Comedy Festival is now a regular fixture. Performances take place in Cedars Hall and Wells Little Theatre. In 2027, the festival takes place from 28-30 May. Catch a big name for a small price. Some tickets go on sale in November!
Wells Festival of Running usually takes place over the May Bank Holiday. Dust off your trainers and take part in one of the races. All ages welcome.
JUNE
Catch the largest agricultural event in the West at The Bath and West Showground. 3 – 5 June 2027.
Open Farm Sunday takes place on 13 June 2027. Lots of farms in the South West take part.
Shepton Mallet Midsummer Festival gets under way on 18 June 2026 across various locations in the town. The festival runs until Sunday 28 June. 2027 dates TBC.
Wells Theatre Festival usually happens in mid June over 4 days. Lots of free creative workshops to enjoy. 2027 dates TBC.
JULY & AUGUST FESTIVALS
In 2027, the Frome Festival will run from 2 -11 July. There are always lots of events, exhibitions and workshops to enjoy. Comedy, music, walks, art trails and much more.
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta lifts off 13 – 15 August 2027.
Mid-Somerset Show in the Showfields, Shepton Mallet is on 15 August 2027. There is usually free admission for pedestrians! Gates open 9am.
Wells Moat Boat Races take place on Bank Holiday Monday in late August. The first race gets underway at 12.30!
The Wells Moat Boat Races
SOMERSET FESTIVALS IN SEPTEMBER
Somer Valley Walking Festival 11 – 13 September 2026. Guided walks and nature-based activities (all free!). 2027 dates TBC.
Wedmore Real Ale Festival takes place 18 – 20 September 2026. 2027 dates TBC.
The Jane Austen Festival is on from 10 – 19 September 2027. Takes place in Bath.
Somerset Art Weeks (Open Studios) runs from 19 September until 4 October 2026. 2027 dates TBC.
Yeo Valley garden festival takes place 17 – 19 September 2026. This event is usually a sell-out. Talks and discussions, workshops and demonstrations and a few garden celebs in attendance. 2027 dates TBC.
The gardens at Yeo Valley
Chew Valley Beer Festival is on 26 September. £10 a ticket. 2027 date TBC.
Enjoy Wells Cathedral’s Cider and Cheese Festival on Saturday 26 September. A great setting in which to sample some of the West Country’s best food and drink. 2027 date TBC.
OCTOBER FESTIVALS IN SOMERSET
Mendip Rocks! runs through October (starting on 2 Oct and finishing on 24 Oct). It celebrates the 450 million year geology of the Mendip Hills. Family events and workshops across the Mendips.
Wells Food Festival is on the second Sunday in October. Free entry. 200+ stalls! 10.30am-4.30pm.
Chew Valley Arts Trail takes place 10 and 11 October. Painting, photography, sculpture, jewellery and a range of other crafts.
Wells Art Contemporary exhibits pieces in Wells Cathedral. It’s the only open international art competition to take place in a UK cathedral! Gallery works, installations and community projects. 2026 dates are 10 October until 7 November. Enjoy entries from 49 different countries. The theme in 2026 is ‘Time.’
Valley Arts Fringe Festival runs from mid October until late November. Live music, theatre, dance and comedy in venues across the Chew Valley.
Yeovil Literary Festival takes place 22 – 26 October 2026.
Wells Festival of Literature takes place from mid to late 16 – 24 October 2026. Always features a diverse range of speakers.
Wells Festival of Literature at Cedars Hall
NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER SOMERSET FESTIVALS
Read about the special Christmas events that take place in Somerset.
After delving into a few great festivals in Somerset, perhaps it’s worth remembering that there is more to a festival than first meets the eye.
the origin of festivals
Throughout history, festivals have usually centred around communities to celebrate religion, traditions or seasons and are often marked by national holidays. (Interestingly, the UK is among the nations with the fewest public holidays in Europe. Finland has 15!)
The word, ‘festival’ comes from the word feast, first used in the 12th century, while the Spanish word, ‘fiesta’ is usually associated with a religious feast to honour a patron saint. (Spanish residents enjoy 14 public holidays a year.)
Seasonal festivals are determined by the solar and lunar calendars and by the cycle of the seasons – especially the affect on crops. This has ensured that many festivals centre around and celebrate food.
Somerset is steeped in these traditions. We love festivals in Somerset. It’s an excuse to gather and have some fun.
the more unusual FESTIVALS
Beltane is a pagan festival held at the beginning of May. It promotes abundance and is commonly associated with fertility. (Originally, couples used to frolic in the woods while the Beltaine fire raged.) Glastonbury is the place to be with colourful celebrations taking place in the market square. (Just a word of warning. Don’t frolic too much or you might get arrested…)
The Summer Solstice (celebrated just over the border at Stonehenge in Wiltshire) is world famous and attracts a real mix of people. The Winter Solstice also attracts the crowds. When the sun rises at around 8am on 21 December the shortest day in the northern hemisphere is underway. However, the burning of logs ‘ Yule’ has become better known for that lovely dessert we eat at Christmas.
Harvest Festival usually occurs around the Autumn equinox and the Harvest Moon. This is an especially important time in rural Somerset when we gather in the crops. This is also the time when the market traders of London don their wonderful Pearly King & Queen outfits and celebrate.
Nowadays festivals come in many different guises, but the principle of gathering people, celebrating a product or skill, sharing experiences and having fun has not changed. We have many wonderful festivals in Somerset to enjoy.
The award-winning The Cross at Croscombe B&B lies in the heart of Somerset making it a great base from which to explore. Whatever you plan to celebrate – have fun!