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Get off the farm for a day

Shows, field days and farm walks

The events worth the trip, when they usually happen, and how to come home with something more useful than a free pen.

See the shows Tell us about an event
Check the dates. Dates, venues and ticket prices change every year, so we give you the usual month and a link to the organiser rather than a date that may be wrong. We do not sell tickets.

Through the year

The big ones

January

LAMMA

A big machinery, equipment and services show at the start of the year. Handy for seeing kit side by side before you buy.

Machinery and kit Organiser’s site
May

Balmoral Show

Northern Ireland’s big agricultural show, at Balmoral Park near Lisburn: livestock, machinery, food and countryside displays.

Northern Ireland Organiser’s site
June

Cereals

An arable event held each June: crop demonstrations, plot walks and the machinery and agronomy people in one field.

Arable Organiser’s site
June

Royal Highland Show

Scotland’s national agricultural show, at Ingliston near Edinburgh: livestock classes, machinery, food and rural crafts.

Scotland Organiser’s site
June or July

Groundswell

A festival of regenerative farming in Hertfordshire: field walks, soil demonstrations and talks from farmers and scientists.

Regenerative farming Organiser’s site
July

Great Yorkshire Show

One of England’s biggest agricultural shows, at Harrogate: cattle, sheep, machinery, food and farming advice.

England Organiser’s site
July

Royal Welsh Show

Wales’ flagship show, at Llanelwedd near Builth Wells: strong livestock classes, Welsh food and a big machinery presence.

Wales Organiser’s site

Your local county show

Almost every county has its own show, usually between late spring and early autumn, and the smaller ones are often the friendliest. They are the place to meet local breeders, contractors and dealers. The Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations keeps a list of shows across the country.

Find a show near you

Field days and farm walks

Some of the most useful days out are small: a farm walk hosted by a discussion group, a breed society open day, or a trial-plot visit. Groups such as the Nature Friendly Farming Network and Innovative Farmers run events where you see a real system on a real farm.

Nature Friendly Farming Network Innovative Farmers

Make it count

Getting the most out of a show

1

Go for one thing

Pick a question before you set off (which quad, how to manage the grass, what a baler really costs) and hunt for the answer. A show is huge, and it is easy to wander all day and learn nothing.
2

Walk the machinery lines twice

Once to look, and once to ask. The second time round you will know what you want to know.
3

Ask the questions that matter

Not just the price: how quickly can you get parts, where is the nearest dealer, what are the service intervals and what does it cost to run?
4

Photograph the plates

Specifications, model numbers and price boards are easy to forget. A quick photo saves a phone call, and lets you compare prices online when you are home.
5

Talk to farmers, not just stands

The chat at the ringside or over a tea often teaches more than the demonstration. Ask what they would buy again, and what they would not.
6

Book early and dress for weather

Tickets, parking and beds near the big shows go quickly. Showgrounds get muddy, so wear wellies and pack a waterproof.

Come home with a shortlist? Check what it costs second-hand on Compare Deals, and ask the forums what they would do.

Running or spotting an event?

Tell us about field days, shows and farm walks that deserve a place here. We list events that are open to farmers and smallholders and worth their time.

Contact us