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There are loads of amazing Dorset festivals and events throughout the year! These are a great way to mix up your time in the county and learn a little more about the local culture while you’re here.
With food festivals, art and music events, quirky traditional folk fairs, and large-scale music festivals like the brilliant Camp Bestival… there’s something to suit everyone.
I’ve rounded up all the major Dorset festivals in this guide, but there are more added all the time. So I’ll keep adding to it every time a new event gets added to Dorset’s calendar!
UPDATE Jan 2026: I’ve updated this guide with the latest info. I’ll keep adding as I get more news!
Dorset Festivals and Events
Below is a full overview of all the brilliant festivals and events happening in Dorset throughout the year, laid out in calendar order. You can use the menu above to skip to the right month, or scroll through the whole list for inspiration.
Check out these more in-depth guides to help you find events of specific types:
January – March
ILLUMINATE at The Blue Pool, near Wareham: 10 January to 22 February 2026 (select dates only). A 1km trail of illuminations and music in the woodlands around the Blue Pool.
April
Abbotsbury Food Fair: 3 – 4 April 2026. A food fair hosted at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, with over 30 stalls showcasing local produce, surrounded by the spring colours of the gardens.
Quayside Music Festival, Weymouth: TBC (usually every Bank Holiday throughout the year). A much-loved local music festival, held on Weymouth Harbour.
Bournemouth Writing Festival: 24 – 26 April 2026. Bournemouth’s fantastic Writing Festival with free and ticketed talks, agent 1-2-1s, seminars, panels, performances, and workshops.
Sherborne Abbey Festival: 30 April – 7 May 2026. An annual celebration of music with a range of genres, including opera, choral, classical, jazz, swing, and more.
May
Sherborne Abbey Festival: 30 April – 7 May 2026. An annual celebration of music with a range of genres, including opera, choral, classical, jazz, swing, and more.
Dorset Spring Show, Birch Lane Showground, Puddletown: 9-10 May 2026. Presented by the team behind the Dorset County Show, the Dorset Spring Show brings spring food, farming & flowers to Kingston Maurward.
Shaftesbury Feastival: TBC. Food stalls, cooking demos, book signings and the famous Gold Hill Cheese Run!
B Sharp Busking Festival, Lyme Regis: TBC. A day of musical activities and performances by young people and professional musicians – plus interactive workshops and activities, street performers and food stalls.
Dorset Blind Association Motor Show, Lulworth Castle: 17 May 2026. This standout motor event invites owners of classic & sports cars, motorbikes and all types of motor vehicles to join the majestic Castle showground display.
Christchurch Food Festival: 23 – 25 May 2026. A 3-day event taking over Christchurch in celebration of locally made food and drink.
Family Fest Dorset, Wimborne: 29 – 31 May 2026. A family-friendly festival set within the stunning Wimborne countryside with traders, musicians, food & drinks, a family funfair and a charity dog show.
June
Beaminster Festival: 7 – 27 June 2026. An art festival covering a great range of local and international artists.
Wimborne Minster Folk Festival: 12 – 14 June 2026. A celebration of all things folk, with music, dance, and comedy.
Summerfest: TBC. Weymouth’s biggest family festival brings live music, fairground attractions, hot air balloon rides and more to Redlands Leisure & Community Park.
Lyme Regis Fossil and Earth Science Festival: 13 – 14 June 2026. A free festival celebrating the unique geological heritage of Lyme Regis and the Dorset Jurassic Coast.
Chesil Rocks, Weymouth Pavilion: 20 June 2026. An annual music and arts festival with all proceeds going to the Samaritans of Dorset.
READ MORE: 11 Dorset Music Festivals
July
The Dorset Seafood Festival, Weymouth: 4 – 5 July 2026. A celebration of local seafood and other produce, with stalls in the Pavilion carpark at the start of Weymouth Harbour.
Bourne Free (Bournemouth Pride): 11 – 12 July 2026. Bournemouth’s Pride Festival is one of the biggest and most popular in the county.
Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival, Tolpuddle: 17 – 19 July 2026. The Tolpuddle Martyrs were six local farmers who formed a union in 1834, for which they were arrested and sentenced to seven years of exile in Australia. Today, they’re celebrated for being among the first to stand up for workers’ rights.
Bournemouth Reggae Weekender, Bournemouth: 24 – 26 July 2026. A celebration of the diverse African-Caribbean culture in the local community and the rich reggae music heritage Great Britain has to offer.
Mudeford Arts Festival, Christchurch: 25 – 26 July 2026. A free community arts, crafts and music festival showcasing some of the best arts and handmade crafts from the surrounding area.
Camp Bestival, Lulworth: 30 July – 2 August 2026. A family-friendly music festival with huge acts and fun entertainment held on the grounds of Lulworth Castle.
August
Jurassic Fields, Bridport: 14 – 16 August 2026. A coastal music festival which always has a fab lineup!
Cattistock Countryside Show, Cattistock (near Dorchester): TBC. Farming, food, horse and dog shows, entertainment, and more.
Dorset Knob Throwing Festival, Cattistock Countryside Show: TBC. A Dorset Knob is a kind of dry bread roll – who can throw one the furthest?! Full of music, entertainment, workshops, and food stalls. Now hosted at the Cattistock Countryside Show.
Purbeck Valley Folk Festival, near Corfe Castle: 20 – 23 August 2026. A small, family-friendly festival set on a farm, showcasing original young folk, roots and world music.
Melplash Agricultural Show, near Bridport: 27 August 2026. One of the South West’s premier agricultural exhibitions.
Quayside Music Festival, Weymouth: TBC (usually every Bank Holiday throughout the year). A much-loved local music festival is held at Weymouth Harbour every bank holiday.
Bournemouth Air Show: TBC (possibly cancelled). The popular air show was cancelled last year. There were plans to revive in 2026, but the latest news is that it’s unlikely to return.
September
Bridport Hat Festival: TBC (usually the first Saturday in September). It’s “Haturday”! A celebration of all things hat – with music, competitions, and all kinds of inventive headwear!
Swanage Folk Festival: 11 – 13 September 2026. A weekend of concerts, workshops, and traditional dance displays – including Morris dancing.
RELATED POST: 17 of the Best Things to do in Swanage
Dorset County Show, near Dorchester: 5 – 6 September 2026. For over 175 years, the Dorchester Agricultural Society has celebrated Dorset’s rural roots with an annual show dedicated to farming, local produce, and country life.
Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival: TBC. A celebration of cheese, held in the hometown of the famous Dorset Blue Vinney cheese.
Purbeck WALX Festival: 17 – 20 September 2026. Formerly the Purbeck Nordic Walking Festival, this event offers walks and workshops to suit all levels in iconic locations along the Jurassic Coast.
October
Cerne Abbas Music Festival: 9 – 11 October 2026. Chamber music performed by one of the world’s elite Ensembles in the Village Church.
READ MORE: Halloween Events in Dorset
November
Guy Fawkes Bonfire Night: 5 November 2026. There are loads of great bonfire night fireworks displays across Dorset to enjoy – CLICK HERE for the full list.
The Bridport Literary Festival: TBC. A festival born as a result of the internationally renowned Bridport Prize. Welcomes writers from all over the country for an eclectic programme of events including readings, signings and talks.
December
Illuminate at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Abbotsbury: TBC. The picturesque gardens are spectacularly lit up every winter, with everything from floodlights to flickering candles creating a breathtaking atmosphere as you explore.
Bournemouth Christmas Tree Wonderland – TBC. Bournemouth’s very own winter wonderland, with over 100 glittering trees, a pop-up ice rink, and an alpine Christmas market.
Quayside Music Festival, Weymouth: TBC. It appears the harbourside NYE party will not be returning this year – but I’ll update this page if that changes!
Christmas in Dorset: In-Depth Guides
Read More
Are there any Dorset Festivals I’ve missed from this list? Scroll down to leave a comment, or get in touch on social media!
Laudemus visits Dorser every summer (except for 2020) with what might be described as a ‘festival of choral evensong’. For 5 consecutive evenings we sing cathedral style choral evensong in churches across Dorset, this summer between 13 and 17 July. Check our website for details: http://www.laudemus.org.uk.
Thank you so much for the recommendation Marianne – I’m adding this into the main post now so everyone can see it 🙂
Hi
You don’t have listed the Purbeck Film Festival 2022.
Thanks.
Thanks, I’ll get it added. Do you know when it is?
Hi there,
You might like to add HOD22-Discover Dorchester from 16th to 18th September.
Here is a link with more details:
https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/hod22-discover-dorchester-1110259
Feel free to contact me if you need any further information.
Best wishes,
Miranda
07934 253060
Thanks so much for the tip Miranda. I was away in September and unfortunately didn’t see this message 🙁 Will the event be back on next year?
The Weymouth Seafest is no longer free and around the harbour. For the last few years, it’s been on the peninsula by the pavilion with a £10 pp entrance fee.
Thank you – I didn’t realise that I’d forgotten to update the location when I changed over the name and other info (it used to be the Dorset Seafood Festival). Fixed that now. I haven’t said it was free, though – I don’t give ticket prices in this post.
Mudeford Arts Festival 27th and 28th of July 2024
Mudeford Quay Green Near Christchurch Dorset
Over 80 Art/Craft stalls.
All day entertainment and food stalls catering for all tastes.
The Mudeford Arts Festival is a free to all event.
Oooh thanks so much Fiona, I’ll add it to the list!
We have several upcoming events. The first event of the year for us is the Dorset Team Spring Fair which is in Wimborne and a fantastic celebration of the Spring and local artists, makers and creatives. It takes place at the Allendale Centre in Wimborne on Saturday 3rd May.
We also have our Autumn Fair, A Dorset Christmas Fair at the Tank Museum and Christmas Fair.
Would love to be included in your guide.
Hi Rachel. Could you drop me an email on hello@dorsettravelguide.com with all the details and I’ll see about including these when I next update the post