The main steampunk festivals in the UK run from the Whitby Steampunk Weekend in February, through spring weekends in Haworth, Portmeirion, Woodchester and Butterley and summer events at Papplewick, Whitby and Hebden Bridge, to Weekend at the Asylum in Lincoln on the August Bank Holiday and seaside festivals in Eastbourne and the Isle of Wight in September. This calendar lists those ten events, with their next dates, where they happen and what to wear, plus two related weekends worth knowing about.
I'm Thaddeus Blackwell. I check every date and detail on this page against the organisers' own pages, tourism listings and local news, and I update it each year. Last checked: November 2026. These are third-party events and we don't sell tickets, so always confirm dates with the organiser before you book.
Steampunk festival calendar for the UK
| When | Festival | Where | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13–14 February 2027 | Whitby Steampunk Weekend (winter) | Whitby, North Yorkshire | Read the guide |
| 20–21 March 2027 (reported by Steampunk Explorer) | Haworth Steampunk Weekend (spring) | Haworth, West Yorkshire | Read the guide |
| 1–2 May 2027 | Portmeirion Steampunk Weekend | Portmeirion, Gwynedd | Read the guide |
| Early May bank holiday (2027 dates not announced) | Mayday with the Steampunks | Woodchester Mansion, Gloucestershire | Read the guide |
| May (2027 dates not announced) | Steam Trains & Fairytales | Butterley, Derbyshire | Read the guide |
| July (2027 dates not announced) | Papplewick Steampunk Steam Event | Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire | Read the guide |
| 24–25 July 2027 | Whitby Steampunk Weekend (summer) | Whitby, North Yorkshire | Read the guide |
| 31 July–1 August 2027 (reported by Steampunk Explorer) | Hebden Bridge Steampunk Weekend | Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire | Read the guide |
| 27–30 August 2027 (re-check the venue) | Weekend at the Asylum | Lincoln, Lincolnshire | Read the guide |
| Early September (2027 dates not announced) | Eastbourne Steampunk Festival | Eastbourne, East Sussex | Read the guide |
| September (2027 dates not announced) | Isle of Wight Steampunk Festival | Ryde, Isle of Wight | Read the guide |
| October (2027 dates not announced) | Haworth Steampunk Weekend (autumn) | Haworth, West Yorkshire | Read the guide |
Many organisers have not announced their 2027 dates yet. Where a date comes only from a secondary source, the calendar says so.
The festivals, one by one
Whitby Steampunk Weekend (Whitby, North Yorkshire)
When: 13–14 February and 24–25 July 2027. Whitby's own steampunk weekend: two halls of traders, free talks and workshops, and ticketed evening gigs at Whitby Pavilion every February and July.
Read our full guide to Whitby Steampunk Weekend · Official site
Haworth Steampunk Weekend (Haworth, West Yorkshire)
When: 20–21 March 2027 (date reported by Steampunk Explorer, not yet confirmed by the organiser), then October (2027 date not announced). A free, charity-run steampunk weekend in the Brontë village of Haworth, held twice a year with markets, dancers and bands on the cobbles.
Read our full guide to Haworth Steampunk Weekend · Official site
Portmeirion Steampunk Weekend (Portmeirion, North Wales)
When: 1–2 May 2027. Steampunk in the most theatrical village in Wales: promenading, tea duelling and a peacock parade through Portmeirion every May.
Read our full guide to Portmeirion Steampunk Weekend · Official site
Mayday with the Steampunks (Woodchester Mansion, Gloucestershire)
When: The early May bank holiday (2027 dates not announced; last held 3–4 May 2026). Maypoles meet tea duelling: a free bank holiday steampunk fair at an unfinished Victorian Gothic mansion in the Cotswolds.
Read our full guide to Mayday with the Steampunks · Official site
Steam Trains & Fairytales (Midland Railway Butterley, Derbyshire)
When: May (2027 dates not announced; last held 23–24 May 2026). A steampunk weekend you reach by steam train: markets, tea duelling and fairytale characters at the Midland Railway's Swanwick Junction each May.
Read our full guide to Steam Trains & Fairytales · Official site
Papplewick Steampunk Steam Event (Papplewick Pumping Station, Nottinghamshire)
When: July (2027 dates not announced; last held 11–12 July 2026). Steampunk where the steam is real: Victorian beam engines in action, Professor Elemental on stage and tea duelling at a Nottinghamshire pumping station each July.
Read our full guide to Papplewick Steampunk Steam Event · Official site
Hebden Bridge Steampunk Weekend (Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire)
When: 31 July–1 August 2027 (date reported by Steampunk Explorer, not yet confirmed by the organiser). Steampunks and vintage cars share the streets of Hebden Bridge for one summer weekend, with markets, dancers and hundreds of classic vehicles.
Read our full guide to Hebden Bridge Steampunk Weekend · Official site
Weekend at the Asylum (Lincoln)
When: 27–30 August 2027, August Bank Holiday weekend (the organiser has warned the 2027 venue could change; its homepage currently says Lincoln). The big one: four days of tea duelling, markets, talks and evening shows around Lincoln Castle every August Bank Holiday, with a free Grand Promenade on the Monday.
Read our full guide to Weekend at the Asylum · Official site
Eastbourne Steampunk Festival (Eastbourne, East Sussex)
When: Early September (the organisers hope to return in September 2027; last held 5–6 September 2026). A free seaside steampunk weekend on Eastbourne's Wish Tower Slopes, with parades, live music and a facial hair contest, run by the local bonfire society.
Read our full guide to Eastbourne Steampunk Festival · Official site
Isle of Wight Steampunk Festival (Ryde, Isle of Wight)
When: September (2027 dates not announced; last held 18–20 September 2026). A young but fast-growing seaside festival: free concerts, a market in a Victorian arcade and teapot racing across Ryde every September.
Read our full guide to Isle of Wight Steampunk Festival · Official site
Also worth knowing
You may see these two in lists of UK steampunk events. Here is where they stand as of November 2026.
- Whitby Goth Weekend, Whitby (North Yorkshire): not a steampunk festival but a goth music and alternative festival, founded in 1994 and held twice a year, in late April or early May and around Halloween (the last edition was 30 October–1 November 2026). Its costumed crowds regularly include large numbers of steampunks, and its Bizarre Bazaar alternative market had no entry charge in 2026. 2027 dates were not announced at the time of writing. It is a different event from the Whitby Steampunk Weekend at Whitby Pavilion. Official site
- Kirkcudbright Steampunk Weekend, Kirkcudbright (Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland): a small steampunk weekend in the harbour ‘Artists’ Town’, first held on 17–18 June 2023. A ‘Steampunk Weekend’ at Soaperie Gardens was listed for 6–7 June 2026, but we found no report confirming that the 2025 or 2026 editions went ahead, and no 2027 date. Confirm with the organiser before planning a trip.
How to choose your festival
| The biggest | Weekend at the Asylum: described as likely the largest steampunk festival in the world, with 85,000–100,000 people expected in 2026 |
| No entry charge for the daytime programme | Whitby Steampunk Weekend, Haworth Steampunk Weekend, Eastbourne Steampunk Festival and Mayday with the Steampunks (ground floor and daytime events in 2026) |
| Real working steam | Papplewick Steampunk Steam Event (Victorian beam engines in steam) and Steam Trains & Fairytales (you arrive by heritage steam train) |
| By the sea | Eastbourne Steampunk Festival, the Isle of Wight Steampunk Festival and the Whitby Steampunk Weekend |
| A weekend in Wales | Portmeirion Steampunk Weekend: discounted entry if you come in steampunk, pirate or Doctor Who costume |
| A winter costume weekend | Whitby Steampunk Weekend in February, mostly indoors at Whitby Pavilion |
| For a good cause | Haworth Steampunk Weekend (all proceeds go to Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice) and Eastbourne Steampunk Festival (funds the Eastbourne Bonfire Celebrations) |
| Steampunk with vintage vehicles | Hebden Bridge Steampunk Weekend: the same weekend as the Hebden Bridge Vintage Weekend |
What to wear to a steampunk festival in the UK
British festival weather is the one thing you can count on to change, from a cold February wind on the Whitby coast to a warm August afternoon on Lincoln's cobbles. Build one outfit around a single strong piece, then layer for the day.
- Start with one structured piece: a corset or a waistcoat sets the steampunk silhouette on its own.
- Add a coat for the season: a long men's coat for Whitby in February or Haworth in March, a fitted women's jacket for spring in Portmeirion, and a lighter layer you can carry for summer in Lincoln and Hebden Bridge.
- Choose the lower half for the ground: a skirt or a dress for parades and promenades, or men's trousers and women's trousers for railway platforms, engine houses and long days on grass.
- Walk in your boots first: Steep Hill in Lincoln and the cobbles of Haworth will find out new footwear fast. See our women's steampunk boots and men's steampunk boots.
- Dress to the setting: pirate steampunk earns discounted entry at Portmeirion, Victorian steampunk suits Haworth and Papplewick, and vintage steampunk fits in at Hebden Bridge.
Dressing for a festival? Browse women's steampunk clothing and men's steampunk clothing, and check our size guide first: we check your size with you after you order.
Tips for your first steampunk festival in the UK
- Check the venue and date before you book: the organiser of Weekend at the Asylum warned that the 2027 venue could change, and several 2027 dates are not announced yet.
- Book accommodation early for Lincoln and Whitby, which fill up on festival weekends.
- Bring cash: Lincoln has few cash machines near the festival, and Haworth runs on donations to the hospice.
- Book evening shows separately: at Lincoln, Whitby, Portmeirion and the Isle of Wight the evening concerts and shows are ticketed on their own, and the Isle of Wight's 2026 Friday show sold out.
- Don't mix up Whitby's two events: the Whitby Steampunk Weekend (February and July) is not the Whitby Goth Weekend.
FAQ
When is steampunk festival season in the UK?
All year, but mostly from spring to autumn. The Whitby Steampunk Weekend opens 2027 on 13–14 February, spring brings Haworth, Portmeirion (1–2 May 2027), Woodchester and Butterley, summer brings Papplewick, Whitby again (24–25 July 2027) and Hebden Bridge, Weekend at the Asylum in Lincoln runs on the August Bank Holiday (27–30 August 2027), and Eastbourne and the Isle of Wight follow in September.
What is the biggest steampunk festival in the UK?
Weekend at the Asylum, run by the Ministry of Steampunk around Lincoln Castle every August Bank Holiday since 2009. It is described as likely the largest steampunk festival in the world, and the organiser expected 85,000–100,000 people in 2026. The next edition is listed for 27–30 August 2027, but the organiser has warned the venue could change, so re-check before booking.
Are there steampunk festivals in the UK with no entry charge?
Yes. Daytime entry at the Whitby Steampunk Weekend costs nothing, Haworth Steampunk Weekend had no entry charge in October 2026 (it relies on donations), Eastbourne Steampunk Festival had no admission charge in 2026, and the Isle of Wight festival's daytime programme and Woodchester's daytime events cost nothing in 2026. Evening shows are usually ticketed.
Is the Whitby Steampunk Weekend the same as Whitby Goth Weekend?
No. The Whitby Steampunk Weekend is a dedicated steampunk event at Whitby Pavilion each February and July. Whitby Goth Weekend is a separate goth festival, held in late April or early May and around Halloween, which also draws many steampunks.
Is there a steampunk festival in Wales or Scotland?
In Wales, Portmeirion Steampunk Weekend runs each May and is listed for 1–2 May 2027. In Scotland, Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway has held a steampunk weekend in June since 2023, but recent editions are thinly documented, so confirm dates with the organiser.
