Plymouth Events and Festivals

(Plymouth, Devon, England, UK)

Plymouth is a busy city and caters well to visitors, offering plenty of local festivals and colourful events. These include seasonal carnivals, fairgrounds, concerts, speedboat racing and a host of charity events.

Farmers' markets are held twice a month, throughout the year, taking place on the second and fourth Saturday and offer a good opportunity to sample some of the best produce that the West Country has to offer.

National Public Holidays

• 1st January - New Year's Day
• Good Friday / Easter Monday - late March or early April
• First and last Monday in May
• Last Monday in August
• 25th December - Christmas Day
• 26th December - Boxing Day

Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• New Year's Day Celebrations - popular public holiday in the city, with varying events held every year
• January Sales - most shops in Plymouth join offer huge discounts in the traditional January sales

February

• Valentines Day - February 14th, a true celebration of romance, with a number of cherubs dotted around the city and most restaurants offering romantic evening meals. Be sure to always book well in advance for these, as the best restaurants quickly become fully booked. Also, live street entertainment often takes place in the city centre

March

• Charity Events - throughout March, various charity events are usually held during this month, including the Plymouth University Sponsored Row at the Place de Brest

April

• Fair Trade Market - early April, held at Frankfort Gate and boasting an array of arts and crafts, from all over the world, including organic produce and more
• Easter Fairground Rides - mid-April, various fairground rides and stalls are located around the city centre during the popular Easter holidays

May

• Lord Mayor's Day - mid-May, popular local event which is based around fund raising for a number of prominent local charities, with festivities starting at the Hoe Promenade

June

• Plymouth Folk Festival - early June, taking place at various sites around the city, including a large stage at the Place de Brest
• Wimbledon Big Screen - late June, live action screen from London's Wimbledon tennis tournament in the Piazza area, with plenty of strawberries and cream for everyone

July

• Drive Live - mid-July, large and unusual outdoor motor show where many of the latest models are displayed, together with many well-maintained cars from yesteryear

August

• World Powerboat Championships / British Grand Prix - early August, major race around the Plymouth Sound, with the boats parked on the Hoe Promenade for public viewing
• British Fireworks Championships - mid-August, one of the city's most spectacular events, attracting thousands of people. The fireworks are best viewed from the Hoe and a number of other good vantage points around the waterfront
• Flavour Fest - mid-August, major local food festivals, featuring a range of fine cuisine and plenty to drink, with producers arriving in Plymouth from all over Cornwall, Devon and Somerset

September

• There are no significant annual events in Plymouth during the month of September

October

• Continental Market - mid-October, held along New George Street, with many traders arriving from all over Europe, including France, the Netherlands, Italy and also Spain, amongst other locations
• Respect Festival - late October, held towards the end of the month each year at the Piazza, where the city's rich cultural diversity is celebrated by a variety of events, including musical activities, workshops and a good selection of food stalls

November

• Christmas Lights Switch-On - mid-November, the official start of the city's extensive seasonal festivities, when the colourful Christmas lights and decorations are lit up for the first time. Shops also start to stay open late on Thursday after this event, right up to Christmas
• Christmas Markets - late-November, when a bustling Traditional Bavarian Market and Craft Fair takes place annually, at the Piazza

December

• Santa and his Reindeer - mid-December, family event in the Frankfort Gate area
• Christmas Festivities - a host of festive cheer takes place all over the city in the build up to the big day