If you like your history loud, smoky and slightly muddy, 2026 in the UK will keep you very busy. What follows is an updated list of the major battle re-enactments and substantial living history shows confirmed or strongly expected to run in 2026.
It is not every small village skirmish and 1940s tea dance, but it covers the headline events that most reenactment groups build their year around. Dates are correct at the time of writing, but always check with organisers before travelling, ideally before you are standing in a field wondering where the cavalry went.
February – Vikings and multi-period musters
1. JORVIK Viking Festival
- Date: 16–22 February 2026
- Location: York, North Yorkshire
- Period: Viking Age, 9th–10th century
One of the keystones of the UK reenactment calendar. York fills with living history encampments, craft stalls, saga-tellers and large-scale combat displays, all under the watchful eye of archaeology from Coppergate. Expect organised chaos in the nicest possible way
Typical highlights: arena battles, Viking encampments around the city centre, strongman contests, torchlit events and a good deal of faux bloodshed.
2. Living History at The Commandery
- Date: 21–22 February 2026
- Location: The Commandery, Worcester, Worcestershire
- Period: Multi-period, with strong English Civil War emphasis
The Commandery was Charles II’s headquarters at the Battle of Worcester, so it is an apt place to cram two thousand years of history into one weekend. The 2026 event is already scheduled, with military displays, living history camps and crafts spread through the building and gardens.
Typical highlights: pike and musket drills, Roman to World War II displays, cavalry demonstrations in the gardens and a pleasing amount of gunfire for a city centre.
April – Early-season multi-period festivals
3. Avoncroft Living History Festival
- Date: 25–26 April 2026
- Location: Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
- Period: Stone Age to Cold War
Avoncroft’s 19 acre site and rescued historic buildings host over 40 camps and more than 300 reenactors, covering everything from prehistoric life to mid 20th century conflict. It is unapologetically multi-period and a very good way to assess which century suits you best.
Typical highlights: battle and weapons demonstrations, authors’ talks, a historically themed market, mead, and the unnerving sensation of walking from a Bronze Age camp into a Cold War display in about 30 seconds.
May – World War II and 1940s weekends
There are dozens of 1940s events. The ones below are notable for strong living history and military content rather than just vintage frocks and Glenn Miller.
4. Buxton 1940s Weekend
- Date: 9–10 May 2026
- Location: Buxton, Derbyshire
- Period: World War II
Buxton’s historic spa town centre becomes a 1940s streetscape with living history displays, encampments and military vehicles alongside music and dance. A good example of a town using its existing architecture to do half the work.
5. Ironbridge 1940s Weekend
- Date: 23–24 May 2026
- Location: Dale End Park, Ironbridge, Shropshire
- Period: World War II
A riverside event with reenactors, vehicles, traders, a 1940s style pub and evening dances. It sits squarely in the “immersive home front plus military” category.
6. Overlord Show
- Date: 23–25 May 2026
- Location: Denmead, Hampshire
- Period: Primarily World War II, multi-period military
One of the bigger military vehicle and reenactment shows in the south of England, featuring extensive WWII encampments, armour, artillery and traders, plus some earlier and later periods represented.
June – Multi-period battles and living history
7. Abbots Bromley Living History Festival – The Big Battle
- Date: 19 June 2026
- Location: Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire
- Period: Multi-period, with full-scale battle
Around 200 reenactors converge on this Staffordshire village for a mixed-period event built around a large battle scenario, with camps, demonstrations and children’s drill.
8. Wartime in the Vale
- Date: 20–21 June 2026
- Location: Near Evesham, Worcestershire
- Period: World War II
Set in the Vale of Evesham, Wartime in the Vale is one of the larger WWII living history events, with extensive camps, vehicles and reenactor groups, plus a strong social element. It is a serious draw for the 40s community.
July – High medieval and Civil War
9. Tewkesbury Medieval Festival
- Date: 11–12 July 2026
- Location: Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire
- Period: Wars of the Roses, 1471
- Battle of Tewkesbury
- Battle of Tewkesbury Re-Enactment
- Exploring the Battle of Tewkesbury
Regarded as one of Europe’s largest free medieval gatherings, this festival recreates the Battle of Tewkesbury, fought in 1471, along with a vast medieval market and city-wide celebrations.
Why it matters: for late medieval specialists, this is essential fieldwork, with massed ranks, artillery, cavalry and a town that knows very well how to market its own battlefield.
10. History Re-enactment Weekend, Beaulieu
- Date: 11–12 July 2026
- Location: Beaulieu, New Forest, Hampshire
- Period: English Civil War, 17th century
- The English Civil war
Beaulieu’s 2026 programme includes a Civil War re-enactment weekend with The Marquess of Winchester’s Regiment, focusing on 17th century camp life, drill and social history within the grounds of the Beaulieu estate.
11. Battle of Shrewsbury Medieval Festival
- Date: 25 July 2026
- Location: Battlefield 1403, near Shrewsbury, Shropshire
- Period: Early 15th century, 1403
- The Battle of Shrewsbury
The Battle of Shrewsbury festival commemorates Henry IV’s 1403 victory over the rebel forces of Harry Hotspur. The event features battle displays, living history camps and associated activities on or near the historic battlefield.
August – Peak medieval and multi-period season
12. Battle of Evesham Medieval Festival
- Date: 1–2 August 2026
- Location: Evesham, Worcestershire
- Period: Second Barons’ War, 1265
- Battle of Eversham
- Battle of Evesham Re-Enactment
Free to attend, this festival recreates Simon de Montfort’s final defeat by Prince Edward, with a large re-enactment in Crown Meadow, parades through town, living history camps, falconry and jousting.
13. Bosworth Medieval Festival
- Date: August 2026, exact weekend to be confirmed
- Location: Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre, Leicestershire
- Period: Wars of the Roses, 1485
- Battle of Bosworth Field
The full-scale Bosworth Medieval Festival returns in 2026 after moving to a biennial pattern. It centres on the Battle of Bosworth Field, where Richard III fell and Henry Tudor’s claim hardened into a crown. Expect extensive living history encampments, artillery, horses and a very committed Wars of the Roses community.
If you are going to pick only one late medieval battle event to observe public memory in action, this is a strong contender.
14. Military Odyssey
- Date: 29–31 August 2026
- Location: Kent County Showground, Maidstone, Kent
- Period: Multi-period, over 2,000 years
Military Odyssey bills itself as one of Europe’s largest multi-period living history shows. Hundreds of groups cover everything from the ancient world to modern conflicts, supported by vehicles, traders and firing demonstrations. It is physically exhausting and academically very useful, provided you bring a notebook and sensible footwear.
September – World War II at scale
15. The Victory Show
- Date: 4–6 September 2026
- Location: Foxlands Farm, Cosby, Leicestershire
- Period: World War II, 1939–45
The Victory Show is a vast WWII event across a 100 acre site, with re-enactments representing multiple theatres of the war, large living history camps and a strong focus on vehicles and air displays. It is one of the biggest single-site WWII re-enactment weekends in the UK.
October – Late-season battles and “last hurrah” events
16. Battles Through History Military Show
- Date: 3–4 October 2026
- Location: South of England Showground, Ardingly, West Sussex
- Period: Multi-period, ancient to modern
A relatively new but rapidly growing multi-period military show. The organisers are already flagging 3–4 October 2026 as the next date. It features living history displays across some 150 acres, vehicles, traders and a distinctly end-of-season feel that suits those of us who secretly like packing away damp canvas.
17. Battle of Hastings Re-enactment
- Date: Weekend nearest 14 October 2026, to be confirmed
- Location: Battle Abbey and Battlefield, Battle, East Sussex
- Period: Norman Conquest, 1066
- Battle of Hastings
The exact 2026 dates have not yet been published, but the Battle of Hastings reenactment is held annually on the weekend closest to 14 October, on the original battlefield, and remains one of the most symbolically loaded re-enactments in the country.
Numbers of reenactors vary by year, but even at its “smaller” scale it offers a rare opportunity to see shield walls, archery and cavalry manoeuvres in the landscape that shaped the outcome.
Ongoing Smaller & Regional Events
| Type | Examples / Notes |
|---|---|
| Local Viking & Early Medieval Gatherings | Lincoln Festival of History (May), Repton Festival (July) – Vikings of Middle England and similar groups often attend |
| Railway & Town WWII Weekends | Numerous “1940s” heritage weekends at railways (e.g. Severn Valley, North Norfolk, Pickering) |
| Castle & Heritage House Re-enactments | Seasonal medieval or Civil War weekends at castles such as Warwick, Kenilworth, and Dover |
| Local Multi-Period Displays | Regional heritage sites often host Roman, Napoleonic, or WWI weekends – check local listings |
Summary
The 2026 calendar offers a full sweep from Viking York in February to the Norman victory at Hastings in October. The busiest months for major battle re-enactments are July and August, with medieval and multi-period festivals across the Midlands and South of England. For anyone studying or enjoying living history, it’s a rare chance to experience every century of British warfare, in a single year, without leaving the country.
