Stoke on Trent Events, Things to Do and Festivals 2014 / 2015

(Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, England, UK)

The events scene in Stoke on Trent really started in 1986, when the National Garden Festival was staged, to great acclaim. Following on from its success, the main attractions and potteries of Stoke on Trent soon began to host their own annual celebrations and festivities, with various events taking place each year at the Wedgwood Visitor Centre (between July and September), as well as the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.

The choice of events and things to do around the city is at its best during the summer season. Festivals are not only hosted in Stoke on Trent, but also in the neighbouring villages of Leek, Maer, Stone and Newcastle under Lyme, the latter of which is home to a five-day jazz and blues festival held each May, attracting audiences of thousands and performers from across Staffordshire and beyond.


Another major Staffordshire event is the yearly Stone Food and Drink Festival each October, which takes place at Westbridge Park and features more than 70 different stalls, housed within a giant Gourmet Food Marquee. There is also plenty of seasonal interest at the Shugborough Estate, with a summer Shugborough Vintage Steam Extravaganza and bonfire night fireworks, while motorbike enthusiasts may like to join one of the regular Stoke on Trent charity motorcycle runs.

Stoke on Trent Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015: General Information

- Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, England, UK
Located roughly 32 km / 20 miles to the south of Stoke on Trent, the Staffordshire County Showground is where some of the region's biggest and most noteworthy events are to be found. Each year, the most popular of these include the Carole Nash International Classic Motorcycle Show, the Dolls House Fair, the National Chrysanthemum Show, the Stafford and District Dog Show, the West Midlands Antique Fair, and the Scope BSJA Festival of Show Jumping Championships, which has grown to become the biggest event of its kind in the whole of the United Kingdom.

• Snow Drop Walks - late January to early May, at Rode Hall
• Theme Park Preview - mid-February, at Alton Towers
• Mother's Day High Tea Event - mid-March, at the Wedgwood Visitor Centre
• Easter Mad Hatter's Tea Party Event - mid-April, at the Wedgwood Visitor Centre
• Leek Arts Festival - throughout May, at galleries and studios within the nearby market town of Leek
• POPS Vintage Vehicle Rally - mid-April, at the Wedgwood Visitor Centre
• Newcastle Jazz and Blues Festival - late May, at Newcastle under Lyme
• Etruria Canal Festival - late May, at the Etruria Industrial Museum
• Potters 'Arf' Marathon - mid-June, starting and ending in central Stoke on Trent
• Victorian Celebrations - mid-June, in nearby Maer
• Stone Music Festival - mid-July, in the neighbouring town of Stone
• Shugborough Music and Fireworks Weekend - early August, at the Shugborough Estate
• V Festival - late August, live music at Weston Park
• HEFF (Heart of England Fine Foods) and Wedgwood Fine Food and Drink Fair - early September, at the Wedgwood Visitor Centre
• Tour of Britain Cycle Race - mid-September, through the streets of Stoke on Trent city centre
• Stone Food and Drink Festival - early October, in Stone
• British Ceramics Biennial - early October to mid-December, at various venues throughout Stoke on Trent
• Christmas Lights Switch-on - mid-November, crowds gather in Stoke on Trent city centre
• Victorian Christmas Festival - early December, at the Gladstone Pottery Museum