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Britain's Favourite Event, 245593 votes


A glance at the events that take place in this country provides an instant picture of our diversity, our fascinations, and our history. From happenings that are famous globally like Notting Hill Carnival to village fetes where nobody five miles away knows about them; from festivals of music so contemporary it's still being written to celebrations of traditions dating back more than 1000 years. Melas and eisteddfods. Galas and games. Fireworks and fairs. They are all threads in the rich tapestry that is British life. Which event has become your favourite?

1: Notting Hill Carnival (8561 votes) Notting Hill

2: Bestival (7432 votes) Newport

3: Hay Literature Festival (5654 votes) Hay on Wye

4: Edinburgh Military Tattoo (5364 votes) Edinburgh

5: Glastonbury Festival (5126 votes) Pilton

6: Trooping the Colour (5054 votes) Whitehall

7: RHS Chelsea Flower Show (5012 votes) Chelsea

8: Lerwick Up Helly Aa (5003 votes) Lerwick

9: Hogmanay Edinburgh (4997 votes) Edinburgh

10: National Hunt Festival (4995 votes) Cheltenham

11: Scarborough Cricket Festival (4993 votes) Scarborough

12: Big Chill Festival (4992 votes) Ledbury

13: Crufts Dog Show (4897 votes) Birmingham

14: Lincoln Christmas Market (4810 votes) Lincoln

15: The Grand National (4763 votes) Liverpool

16: Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling (4735 votes) Brockworth

17: Edinburgh Fringe Festival (4524 votes) Edinburgh

18: Mosterton Summer Show (4466 votes) Mosterton

19: The Derby (4462 votes) Epsom

20: Robert Burns Festival (4453 votes) Dumfries

21: Reading Festival (4373 votes) Reading

22: FA Cup Final (4002 votes) Wembley

23: Burghley Horse Trials (3914 votes) Stamford

24: Isle of Wight Festival (3654 votes) Newport

25: Guilfest (3629 votes) Guildford

26: Ideal Home Show - Spring (3439 votes) Earls Court

27: Pride London (3372 votes) Trafalgar Square

28: Maldon Mud Race (3343 votes) Maldon

29: Straw Bear Festival (3303 votes) Whittlesey

30: St Leger (2994 votes) Doncaster

31: Nottingham Pride (2991 votes) Nottingham

32: Bath Literature Festival (2551 votes) Bath

33: Guernsey Floral Festival Week (2537 votes)

34: Birmingham Carnival (2413 votes) Birmingham

35: Royal Bath and West Show (2293 votes) Shepton Mallet

36: London to Brighton Classic Car Race (2288 votes) Brighton

37: BigFoot Dancefest (2235 votes) Guildford

38: Brick Lane Festival (2230 votes) E1

39: Harrogate Autumn Flower Show (2223 votes) Harrogate

40: British Grand Prix (2008 votes) Towcester

41: Latitude Festival (1997 votes) Southwold

42: Port Eliot Festival (1995 votes) Saltash

43: Appleby Horse Fair (1891 votes) Appleby

44: Blenheim Palace Country Fair (1798 votes) Woodstock

45: Suffolk Show (1773 votes) Ipswich

46: Goodnestone Village Fete (1631 votes) Canterbury

47: Borderlines Film Festival (1624 votes)

48: Speyfest (1572 votes) Fochabers

49: Surrey County Show (1545 votes) Guildford

50: Birmingham Eid Mela (1505 votes) Birmingham

51: Bedford River Festival (1412 votes) Bedford

52: Big Green Gathering (1398 votes) Cheddar

53: Brogdale Farm Apple Festival (1306 votes) Faversham

54: International Beatles Week Festival (1266 votes) Liverpool

55: Floral Guernsey Autumn Festival Week (1253 votes)

56: Cosford Air Show (1228 votes) Albrighton

57: Abertillery Blues Festival (1223 votes) Abertillery

58: Maidstone Mela (1102 votes) Maidstone

59: British Superbike Championship (1062 votes) Dunfermline

60: Lancashire Food Festival (1004 votes) Accrington

61: Hampshire Potato Day (996 votes) Whitchurch

62: Padstow Lifeboat Day (972 votes) Padstow

63: Badminton Horse Trials (953 votes) Badminton

64: Perth Highland Games (929 votes) Perth

65: Eid Mela (928 votes) Birmingham

66: English Music Festival (928 votes) Dorchester on Thames

67: Three Counties Show (904 votes) Malvern

68: Abbots Bromley Horn Dance (902 votes) Lichfield

69: Devon County Show (888 votes) Exeter

70: Clovelly Herring Festival (865 votes) Clovelly

71: Isle of Wight Garlic Festival (854 votes) Sandown

72: Rutland County Show (817 votes) Burley on the Hill

73: Abergavenny Food Festival (772 votes) Abergavenny

74: Budleigh Salterton Festival (702 votes) Budleigh Salterton

75: Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fayre (675 votes) Ludlow

76: The 10th Althorp Literary Festival (662 votes) Northampton

77: Wells Festival of Literature (601 votes) Wells

78: Dragon Boat Festival (574 votes) Sheffield

79: RIBFEST (553 votes) Ribchester

80: Seahouses Festival (524 votes) Seahouses

81: Annual Oyster & Beer Festival (519 votes) Basingstoke

82: CAMRA Real Ale Festival (512 votes) Minehead

83: Battle of the Flowers (499 votes)

84: Salcombe Festival (495 votes) Salcombe

85: Banbury Folk Festival (443 votes) Banbury

86: Bluegrass Festival (442 votes) ear Hay-on-Wye

87: St Helens Show (421 votes) St Helens

88: Captain Cook Festival (408 votes) Whitby

89: Beverley Literature Festival (402 votes) Beverley

90: Durham Miner's Gala (398 votes) Durham

91: Hornsea Music Festival (388 votes) Hornsea

92: Tar Barrel Rolling (325 votes) Ottery St Mary

93: Oak Apple Day (298 votes) Chelsea

94: Rudgwick Steam & Country Show (294 votes) Rudgwick

95: Stockland Country Fair (284 votes) Stockland

96: Nerine Festival (283 votes) St Peter Port

97: Spring Floral Festival Week (279 votes)

98: East Neuk Festival (267 votes) East Neuk

99: Swaton VIntage Day and World Egg Throwing Championships (240 votes) Swaton

100: St George's Day Celebrations (231 votes) Northampton

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Insecurity, commonly regarded as a weakness in normal people, is the basic tool of the actor's trade - Miranda Richardson
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On this day:
The Pilgrim Fathers arrive at Massachusetts - 1620, The Rochdale Pioneers open shop - 1844, Westhoughton Pit Disaster - 1910, Lockerbie Air Disaster - 1988
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