UK in spring: festivals, blossom and bank holidays
Blossom in the parks, festivals in university cities and two bank holiday weekends.
Spring in the UK is a season of short windows. Cherry blossom lasts a week or two. Bluebells come a few weeks later. Festivals cluster around March, April and May.
This page links each event to the organizer's own site. Where the organizer has published dates for next spring, we show them with the page that states them. Otherwise we say when it usually happens and leave the exact dates to the organizer.
Dates: where a date is shown, it comes from the organizer's own page (last checked Oct 25, 2026). Where it says "usually", the date is not confirmed: use the official link.
Dated events
- St Patrick's Festival Trafalgar Square
- The Boat Race River Thames, London
- RHS Chelsea Flower Show Royal Hospital Chelsea, Chelsea
- Eid on the Square Trafalgar Square
Blooms and outdoor mornings
Flowers follow the weather, so use the months below as a guide and look at the park's own pages before you travel.
- Royal Parks, London
Cherry blossom, daffodils, tulips and bluebells
Usually March to April for cherry blossom and daffodils, April to May for tulips and bluebells.
The guide names the Regent's Park, Greenwich Park, St James's Park and Kensington Gardens for blossom, and Richmond, Bushy and Greenwich Parks for bluebells.
The Royal Parks: spring blooms (opens in new tab) · checked Oct 25, 2026
- Magdalen Bridge, Oxford
May Morning
Usually on May 1, with the singing from Magdalen's tower at 6am.
The choir sings from the college's Great Tower. The council organizes the event at the bridge with its partners.
Oxford City Council (opens in new tab) · checked Oct 25, 2026
- Dover's Hill, Chipping Campden
Robert Dover's Cotswold Olimpicks
Usually on an evening in late May or early June.
Robert Dover's Games Society (opens in new tab) · checked Oct 25, 2026
- Painswick, Gloucestershire
Snowdrops at Painswick Rococo Garden
Usually in early spring.
Painswick Rococo Garden (opens in new tab) · checked Oct 25, 2026
Festivals in Edinburgh, Cambridge and Bath
- Cambridge
Cambridge Festival
Most years in March.
A university-run festival of talks, events and exhibitions.
University of Cambridge (opens in new tab) · checked Oct 25, 2026
- Edinburgh
Edinburgh Science Festival
Usually in April, over the Easter break.
Edinburgh Science (opens in new tab) · checked Oct 25, 2026
- Bath
Bath Literature Festival
Usually in May.
Bath Festivals (opens in new tab) · checked Oct 25, 2026
- Bath
Bath International Music Festival
Usually from late May into early June.
Bath Festivals (opens in new tab) · checked Oct 25, 2026
Bank holidays (public holidays) and clocks
Bank holiday (public holiday) weekends mean busier trains and fuller attractions. Dates for England and Wales and for Scotland come from gov.uk.
- England, Wales and Scotland
Easter bank holidays
Good Friday March 26 and Easter Monday Mar 29, 2027
Normally Good Friday across England, Wales and Scotland, plus Easter Monday in England and Wales.
GOV.UK: UK bank holidays (opens in new tab) · checked Oct 25, 2026
- England, Wales and Scotland
Early May and spring bank holidays
Early May: Monday May 3. Spring: Monday May 31, 2027
Normally two Mondays, one at the start of May and one at the end.
GOV.UK: UK bank holidays (opens in new tab) · checked Oct 25, 2026
- UK
Clocks go forward
Normally at 1am on the last Sunday of March.
GOV.UK: when do the clocks change (opens in new tab) · checked Oct 25, 2026
Before you go
- Open the organizer's page before you book. Dates and times are set by them and can change.
- For flowers, look at the park's own pages in the week you plan to go. Bloom dates move with the weather.
- Bank holiday (public holiday) weekends are busier. Leave time for trains and lines.
Sources
Pages we opened to write this guide. Organizers change dates: check before you book.
- GOV.UK: UK bank holidays (opens in new tab) · opened Oct 25, 2026
- GOV.UK: when do the clocks change (opens in new tab) · opened Oct 25, 2026
- RHS Chelsea Flower Show (opens in new tab) · opened Oct 25, 2026
- The Boat Race (opens in new tab) · opened Oct 25, 2026
- The Royal Parks: spring blooms (opens in new tab) · opened Oct 25, 2026
- Oxford City Council: May Morning (opens in new tab) · opened Oct 25, 2026
- Magdalen College: May Morning (opens in new tab) · opened Oct 25, 2026
- Robert Dover's Games Society (opens in new tab) · opened Oct 25, 2026
- Painswick Rococo Garden (opens in new tab) · opened Oct 25, 2026
- Cambridge Festival (opens in new tab) · opened Oct 25, 2026
- Edinburgh Science (opens in new tab) · opened Oct 25, 2026
- Bath Festivals (opens in new tab) · opened Oct 25, 2026
More: All events · When to visit the UK · Walks · Free and cheap
More seasonal guides
- UK in summer: festivals, sport and long days outBig sport and street festivals in London, and all of Edinburgh in August.
- UK in fall: color, city festivals and fireTurning leaves, rutting deer and city festivals that fill the evenings.
- UK in winter: Christmas markets, lights and HogmanayChristmas markets and lights, then New Year in London and Edinburgh.
- Christmas markets and winter lightsWhere to find markets and lights, with the organizers' own dates.
- Bonfire Night, fire festivals and HogmanayFire and fireworks from late fall to Hogmanay.
- Easter and bank holiday weekendsThe long weekends, with dates straight from GOV.UK.