What's On

2026 on Scilly

A Guide to What's On

There's always a great reason to visit the Isles of Scilly, especially with our vibrant festival line-up that will add colour and energy to the islands. Start planning your perfect getaway today!

Weekly What’s On

There’s plenty happening across Scilly all season long! Alongside a vibrant festival calendar, enjoy guided walks, tours, live gigs, outdoor cinema, shark tagging experiences, fêtes, rowing races, beachcombing, supper boats, rockpool explorations, and wildlife safaris. Stay updated with the weekly "What’s On" guide (March–October), available at the Tourist Information Centre on Porthcressa Beach, St. Mary's.

Your accommodation provider will also have helpful tips on what to do, see and visit. For even more inspiration, explore Things to Do and uncover the everyday magic of Scilly!

 

2026 is set to be a bumper year across the islands

We're delighted to announce Walk Scilly (10th - 19th April) will return in all its glory. Covering the five inhabited islands, as well as some of the uninhabited too, the outdoorsy event has a little something for everyone and all abilities. Enjoy 10 days exploring the Isles of Scilly guided by local experts, discovering rich history and archaeology, or take a sea safari to see Scilly’s spectacular wildlife.

Katharine Sawyer at Walk Scilly

Image credit: Explore the islands during Walk Scilly in April

 

At the end of April, we welcome back the 34th World Pilot Gig Championships (1st - 3rd May) held, as usual, over the first May Spring Bank Holiday weekend. The biggest event never disappoints bringing both spectacle and colour in one fell swoop. The Championships were first held in 1990, only attracting a few crews from Cornwall, but in the intervening years the amount of pilot gigs attending has increased with crews coming from all over the South-West and now the world.

 

IOS Nav Landscape Large - World Pilot Gig Championships

Image credit: World Pilot Gig Championships takes place every first Bank Holiday weekend in May.

 

In 2026 we also see the return of Creative Scilly (16th - 26th May) with endless days of Scillonian inspired arts and culture. Many of the local artists and creatives will be opening their galleries and studios for a range of workshops together with an ensemble of pop-up theatre, music and poetry.

 

IOS Nav Landscape Large - Blog - Meet the islands creatives - woman painting on beach Tom Young  952x650Image credit: Art classes during Creative Scilly in May. Photo by Tom Young.

 

Later in the year, we host our second nine-day Ocean Scilly festival (22nd - 30th August). Come celebrate the surrounding seas of the Isles of Scilly, with a focus on water-based activities, marine life, maritime heritage, and everything on, in, and above the water. 

 

People kayaking on St. Martin's

Image credit: St. Martin's Watersports for Ocean Scilly.

 

Taste of Scilly returns between the 11th and 20th September for ten days of delicious food and drink experiences across the archipelago, with each day offering a unique themed celebration of local produce and island specialties. Expect a taste sensation!

 

IOS Nav Landscape Large - F&D - Taste of Scilly - Simon Stallard - St Mary's people on beach 952x650

Image credit: Foodie events at Taste of Scilly Festival in September. Photo by Danny North.

 

Isles of Scilly Cultural Centre & Museum

The much-loved Grade II-listed Town Hall in Hugh Town on St. Mary’s has always been a place for the community to gather and to welcome visitors. Now – led by the Council of the Isles of Scilly and the Isles of Scilly Museum Association – plans are underway to rejuvenate that legacy. This will create a warm and welcoming venue in the heart of St. Mary’s, a place for local people and visitors alike to come together. Open later in the season!

 

Through the seasons 

In spring watch out for Restorative Wild Yoga, Sunrise Meditation, walks, Trail Runs, invigorating sea swims and adventure yomps across the boulders are all designed to shake off the winter blues and refresh your mind, body and soul.

In summer, we leave it to you to enjoy – kayaking, sailing, coasteering, sea-swimming, snorkelling, island hopping, fishing or simply soaking up the island hues and vistas.

Throughout autumn, specifically September and October, Scilly becomes a bird watching hotspot! Island hop your way around and venture out to remote uninhabited islands designed to capture nature in action.

Your Scilly Events & Festivals What's On

Ocean Scilly Festival

  • Aug 22, 2026 - Aug 30, 2026

Join us for a fun-filled festival celebrating the sparkling seas that surround our islands at Ocean Scilly Festival…

Aug 22

Taste of Scilly Festival

  • Sep 11, 2026 - Sep 20, 2026

Indulge in the exquisite flavours of Scilly with this 10-day food and drink celebration, featuring local producers and…

Sep 11

Walk Scilly Festival

  • Apr 8, 2027 - Apr 17, 2027

Walk Scilly Festival invites you to experience the Isles of Scilly at their very best — a celebration of…

Apr 08

Other events Across the Archipelago

The Scarlet Pimpernel

  • Jul 9, 2026 - Jul 12, 2026

Ha Hum Ah return with a witty, fast-paced tale of daring disguises and dramatic rescues, packed with intrigue, humour and high-energy storytelling. Adapted from the novel by Baroness Orczy by Ben Kernow Longer Version France is burning, the guillotine is busy, and Marguerite…

Jul 09

Scilly Swimrun 2026

  • Jul 11, 2026 - Aug 28, 2026

Scilly Swimrun hosts the UK’s Only True Inter-Island Swimrun Events.  When Mats and Micheal, the founders of swimrun racing discovered The Isles of Scilly, they called it the Swimrun Paradise! St. Agnes, 7km and 14km - Saturday 11th July. The St. Agnes Swimrun is…

Jul 11

Scilly60 Festival

  • Jun 12, 2026 - Jun 16, 2026

Scilly60 is the flagship multi-island trail challenge, taking runners across all five inhabited islands of the Isles of Scilly. Scilly60 Scilly60 is the flagship 60 km multi-island trail challenge, taking runners across all five inhabited islands of the Isles of…

Jun 12

Duo Ekes

  • Jul 15, 2026 - Jul 16, 2026

Renowned chamber musicians violinist Ezo Sarici and pianist Deniz Cengiz will be performing live on the Isles of Scilly as part of our summer’s arts programme supported by Arts Council England. Duo Eke’s lively and engaging programme includes hidden gems of the…

Jul 15

Peer Gynt – A Comedy of Terrors

  • Jul 30, 2026 - Aug 1, 2026

Miracle Theatre present a wildly inventive and darkly comic reimagining of Ibsen’s classic, brought to life with theatrical flair and irreverent humour. Young Peer is a lazy dreamer, who misinterprets Shakespeare’s advice “To thine own self be true” to…

Jul 30

Festival Players - The Comedy of Errors

  • Aug 8, 2026 - Aug 10, 2026

Welcoming The Festival Players with Shakespeare’s most chaotic comedy — a joyful whirlwind of mistaken identities, physical comedy and musical mischief. Set in the Greek city of Ephesus, The Comedy of Errors tells the story of two sets of identical twins who were…

Aug 08

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

  • Aug 24, 2026 - Aug 27, 2026

A magical, family-friendly adventure down the yellow brick road, full of imagination, laughter and larger-than-life characters presented by Ian Kennedy Productions. Following its sell-out success, IKP’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz returns for another “bonkers…

Aug 24

Scilly60 Weekend

  • Sep 4, 2026 - Sep 6, 2026

Due to high demand and only being available to offer a limited amount of spaces on the event I have decided to organise a second Scilly60% event at the start of September. Places are still limited. The Ballot is now closed, the registration page will open on Saturday 10th…

Sep 04

The Low Tide Event (Autumn)

When lunar forces combine to create dramatic Spring Tides, the channel between Tresco and Bryher is dry enough to cross between the islands on foot. Part way across is a long sandbar, usually under 20 feet of seawater. Never ones to pass up an opportunity for a shindig, we…

Sep 12

Scilly Dark Skies Week

  • Oct 4, 2026 - Oct 9, 2026

Marvel at the Milky Way under some of the UK’s darkest skies on tiny St. Martin’s, Isles of Scilly. Immerse yourself in astronomy as you enjoy nightly stargazing, talks and guided observation, hosted by the islands’ community observatory. Experience the wonder…

Oct 04

Scilly 555!

  • Oct 4, 2026 - Oct 8, 2026

Whether you’re chasing your first 10k, an epic half marathon, a walk through island paradise, or the five most south-western marathons in the UK, 555! is your next adventure. Following a successful soft launch, the 555 proved to be an extraordinary…

Oct 04

Tresco Autumn Tide Festival

  • Oct 10, 2026 - Oct 17, 2026

Celebrate the Isles this October at the Autumn Tide Festival — a week of food, art, and culture shaped by the turning of the season. Autumn Tide is an invitation to enjoy the bounty of harvest, the serenity of shorter days, and the simple joy of gathering together. Each day…

Oct 10

Get inspired by those in the know A Local's Guide

Wildlife & Nature

A Birdlife Haven

  • 4 min read

Lucy McRobert, formerly of the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, shares her expertise on what makes…

Ed Marshall