Festivals in Warwickshire

A county with Shakespeare in its bones and four seasons of open countryside has become natural territory for festivals of every kind. Warwickshire's calendar runs from intimate community events in market town squares to major literary gatherings with national names. From food festivals, folk weekends and free summer celebrations in some of the county's finest parkland woven through the year. Whatever time of year you visit, there is likely something worth planning around.

Stratford Literary Festival 

Stratford-upon-Avon | Spring and Autumn 

There are few more fitting places for a literary festival than the town that produced the world's most read playwright, and Stratford's has grown into a popular event packed with speakers. The spring programme runs over several days in May, bringing bestselling authors, public figures, workshop leaders and children's events to venues across the town. An autumn edition follows in late October or early November, typically with an equally ambitious line-up. With talks spanning fiction, history, comedy, politics and sport from historians, scientists and writers. Events are ticketed; the bigger names sell out quickly.

More information: Statford Literary Festival

Warwick Folk Festival 

Castle Park, Warwick | Late July 

Four decades in and still selling out, Warwick Folk Festival is one of the most established folk events in the UK. The setting alone is worth it - open parkland alongside one of England's great medieval castles - and over four days in late July the programme fills it with concerts, ceilidhs, workshops, acoustic sessions and sing-arounds, with a fringe of street performances, Morris dancing and impromptu music spilling through Warwick town centre. Enjoy performances from traditional roots music to contemporary folk and international artists, all in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Weekend tickets tend to go early; day tickets usually remain available.

More information: Warwick Folk Festival

Shipston Proms 

Shipston-on-Stour | June

A two-week celebration of live music that takes over Shipston-on-Stour each June, spreading across pubs, churches, village halls and open spaces throughout Shipston-on-Stour and the surrounding countryside. Now in its late twenties, the Proms are proudly community-led. With an eclectic mix of music: Gilbert and Sullivan one evening, an Ibiza night the next, with folk, jazz, blues, brass bands, open mic sessions and young musicians' concerts filling the gaps in between. It all builds to a street party on Shipston High Street, which tends to be one of the most cheerful evenings in the town's summer calendar.

More Information: Shipston Proms

Leamington Food and Drink Festival 

Pump Room Gardens, Royal Leamington Spa | September 

Leamington's food festival draws well over a hundred exhibitors to the Pump Room Gardens on the first weekend of September. Street food traders, local producers, independent restaurants and drink makers line the gardens alongside a live cookery theatre, a children's cookery school and a stage programme of live music. It is free to attend, which partly explains the crowds - thousands turn up across the weekend - and the gardens themselves provide a particularly pleasing setting as the season begins to turn.

More information: Leamington Food and Drink Festival

Sausage and Cider Festival 

Warwick | Annual 

Unpretentious and unambiguous about what it offers: gourmet sausages from a range of independent vendors, upwards of thirty ciders from small producers and well-known makers, tribute acts and live music across the day, and a festival market alongside. It pitches itself squarely at a good day out, and tends to deliver one.

More information: Sausage and Cider Festival

Midlands Air Festival

Ragley Hall, Alcester, B49 5NJ | Various dates 

Ragley Hall's parkland plays host to a full calendar of major events throughout the summer. The Midlands Air Festival each spring brings the largest gathering of hot air balloons in Europe to the estate, alongside military jets, classic aircraft and a Friday night balloon glow with fireworks. 

Music festivals from Classic Ibiza - an open-air house music event reimagined by a full orchestra, DJs and live vocalists to more relaxed family music festivals pitched firmly at parents and children are scheduled for the summer, all set in 450 acres of Capability Brown parkland.

More Information: Midlands Air Festival

Warwick Words History Festival 

Various venues across Warwick | Late September to early October

Now in its tenth year and firmly established as one of the best specialist literary festivals in the country, Warwick Words focuses specifically on history - talks, walks, tours and conversations with authors, historians and broadcasters spread across a week in the town. Past speakers have included Dan Jones, Alison Weir, Max Hastings, Tracy Borman and Sir Tony Robinson, and the programme regularly ventures into local Warwickshire history alongside the national picture. Events take place across venues in the town centre, with the main stage at Castle Hill Baptist Church.

More information: Warwick Words

Shakespeare's Birthday Celebrations 

Stratford-upon-Avon | Late April 

Every April, Stratford marks the anniversary of Shakespeare's birth with a weekend of celebrations that brings dignitaries, theatre companies and visiting delegations from across the world to the town. A ceremonial parade through the streets, flags lining Bridge Street and a programme of performances and events centred on the Birthplace celebrates what the town means to the world's literary heritage. Free to watch.

More information: Shakespeare's England

Kenilworth Agricultural Show

Here, you get a full “country festival day out” all packed into one site - mixing farming, food, entertainment, and family attractions. At the heart of the show are livestock, watch cattle and sheep competitions, sheep shearing demonstrations, farrier displays, equestrian shows and see vintage farm machinery. Look out for events on the programme such as dog shows, sheepdog trials, bird of prey displays and countryside educational talks. Browse trade stands from artisan traders, agricultural suppliers and community groups and charities. Meet local food producers in the food hall offering artisan bread, pies and cakes 

It’s great for younger visitors too with bouncy castles, craft activities, face painting, hands-on farming activities and entertainment.

Check the programmes

Dates shift year to year, as do the programmes, so checking individual websites before visiting.

More festivals and events in Warwickshire.