Planning is well underway for festivals and major events in and around Swanage in Dorset for 2026, with food, music, heritage, and community celebrations expected to attract thousands of visitors and entertain locals.
While many other towns have had to scale back or completely scrap some events due to rising costs, Swanage has done remarkably well by rejuvenating, reinventing, and carrying on, despite the financial pressures and the struggle at times to attract enough volunteers to help out.
Is a birthday ever a real celebration without cake?!
Full steam ahead
The result is an impressive lineup of festivals and events for 2026 from March through to November, when of course, Christmas celebrations take over and the town twinkles with its festive lights.
It’s full steam ahead during Swanage Railway’s 50th anniversary year with its Spring Gala at the end of March, its Roads to Rail steam rally in June, and of course the eagerly anticipated arrival of the world’s most famous steam locomotive Flying Scotsman in October. And that’s only the headlines, there’s plenty of other events timetabled throughout the year.
The peak summer season begins with the Swanage Fish and Food Festival in June at Sandpit Field, featuring local seafood, cooking demonstrations, live music and family activities.
Outdoor swimmers will head to Swanage for The Wild Swimming Festival in July, with races, guided swims and beachside events around the bay.
What a great view of the Red Arrows in 2025 from Banjo Pier and Swanage’s Main Beach
Will the Red Arrows return?
The town’s biggest celebration, the Swanage Carnival, runs from Saturday 25th July to Saturday 1st August 2026 with the extraordinary carnival parade, fireworks and more than 100 events across the week.
This year the carnival team are grabbing their stetsons and cowboy boots and turning the town into ‘A Wacky Western in Carnival Canyon’ as part of its cowboy theme for 2026.
But the big question is, will the RAF Red Arrows be back this summer? We’ve got everything crossed!
One festival which won’t be flying into Swanage for 2026 is the Fairy Festival. The fairies are taking a break this year but are fully intending to swoop back for 2027.
Let’s not forget all the music events – the jazz, folk and the blues festivals which bring the whole town to life, plus all the other creative arts events like the Purbeck Art Weeks and the Purbeck Film Festival.
The fledgling Swanage Literary Festival returns for another year and a new entry for 2026 is the Swanage Shanty Festival in November. Definitely something to sing about!
In a world full of chaos and conflict, Swanage remains an oasis of continuity and calm. Why would anyone want to go anywhere else for a holiday this year?
Sun shining in September for the Swanage Folk Festival
Festivals and events 2026
March
- Swanage Railway Spring Gala – Friday 27th to Sunday 29th
April
- Swanage Carnival Classic Motor Show – Sunday 26th
May
- Swanage Railway Diesel Gala – Friday 8th to Sunday 10th
- Swanage Pirate Festival – Saturday 23rd to Sunday 24th
- Purbeck Art Weeks – Saturday 23rd May to Sunday 7th June
Plenty of pirates for 2026, but no fairies!
June
- Swanage Fish and Food Festival – Saturday 13th to Sunday 14th
- Swanage Sea Rowing Summer Regatta – Saturday 20th to Sunday 21st
- Swanage Railway Roads to Rail steam rally – Friday 26th to Sunday 28th
July
- Hants and Dorset Coastal Rowing Regatta – Saturday 4th
- Swanage Jazz Festival – Friday 10th to Sunday 12th
- Food and Drink Festival at Corfe Castle – Saturday 11th to Sunday 12th
- The Wild Swimming Festival in Swanage – Saturday 18th to Sunday 19th
- Swanage Carnival – Saturday 25th July to Saturday 1st August
The jazz festival will be back after a successful appeal to rescue its finances in 2025
August
- Swanage and Purbeck Rotary Summer Fete – Thursday 6th August
- Swanage Lifeboat Week – Saturday 8th to Saturday 15th
- Purbeck Valley Folk Festival at Harman’s Cross – Thursday 20th to Sunday 23rd
- Harman’s Cross Fete – Bank Holiday Monday 31st
September
- Purbeck International Chamber Music Festival – Thursday 3rd to Sunday 6th
- Sandy Hill Arts Poetry Weekend, Corfe Castle – Saturday 5th to Sunday 6th
- Swanage Folk Festival – Friday 11th to Sunday 13th
- Swanage Railway Autumn Steam Gala – Friday 11th to Sunday 13th
- Planet Purbeck Discovery Fest – Saturday 19th
Film director Sir Sam Mendes in conversation on stage at The Mowlem in Swanage at the start of the Purbeck Film Festival 2025
October
- Swanage Blues Festival – Thursday 1st to Sunday 4th
- Dorset Walx Festival in Purbeck – Thursday 17th to Sunday 20th
- Purbeck Film Festival – Friday 16th October to Sunday 1st November
- Flying Scotsman visits Swanage Railway – Friday 23rd October to Sunday 1st November
November
- Swanage Literary Festival – Friday 6th to Saturday 7th
- Swanage Shanty Festival – Saturday 21st
Further information
- More about Swanage
