July 2026 Events Celebrations & Special Days
Image Credit: Dakota Roos
Events, celebrations, awareness events, saint's days, annual campaigns, major sporting events - UK and global festivities happening in July 2026.
July is here and the schools are breaking up for the summer. We celebrate Canada Day and the 250th anniversary of American Independance Day.
Plus July 2026 sees the Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow and the conclusion of the Men's World Cup in North America.
Here are the key dates and events happening this July in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as around the world.
FIFA Men's World Cup 2026
11th Jun to 19th Jul 2026
Held every four years, the 2026 Men's World Cup will be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
More About The Men's World Cup 2026
– World Cup 2026 Free Printable Colouring Picture
Wimbledon Fortnight 2026
29th Jun to 12th Jul 2026
This annual international tennis championship is held in Wimbledon, UK. The top tennis players from around the world gather to take part in one of tennis' most prestigious tournaments.
Canada Day
1st Jul 2026
The national day of Canada. It celebrates the anniversary of July 1, 1867, the effective date of the Constitution Act. A federal holiday, it is celebrated with comminity and family events, parties and fireworks.
International Joke Day
1st Jul 2026
This fun special day is intended to cheer people up, so tell someone a joke and make them smile!
Create Week
1st Jul to 7th Jul 2026
A week-long event initiated by the charity Create celebrates creativity and its importance for the wellbeing of everyone.
Plastic Free July
1st Jul to 31st Jul 2026
Plastic Free July is a shared global movement that helps millions of people reduce plastic waste through simple, everyday choices and be part of the solution to plastic pollution.
World UFO Day
2nd Jul 2026
World UFO Day is an awareness day for people to gather together and watch the skies for unidentified flying objects (UFO). It was chosen is it was the date of the Roswell incident in 1947, where many people believe that a UFO crashed in Roswell USA.
Alice's Day
4th Jul 2026
Annual celebration of the much loved classic children's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
– Alice In Wonderland Printables
Tour de France 2026
4th Jul to 26th Jul 2026
The Tour de France is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race held primarily in France. In 2026 it begins in Barcelona, Spain.
– Tour de France Colouring Picture
American Independence Day 250
4th Jul 2026
2026 marks the 250th anniversay of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Events will be held across the US and around the world to celebrate the Semiquincentennial.
– America 250 Colouring Picture
Research Appreciation Day
5th Jul 2026
Research Appreciation Day celebrates the hard work of health researchers from across disciplines including scientists, health professionals and volunteers.
World Chocolate Day
7th Jul 2026
World Chocolate Day is just a day for enjoying and celebrating the introduction of chocolate to Europe, for which we are all very grateful.
– I Love You More Than Chocolate
World Population Day
11th Jul 2026
World Population Day was created to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues, and encourage access to family planning to people of all races, gender and nationalities.
Bastille Day
14th Jul 2026
The French national day which celebrates the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris, which signalled the start of the French Revolution.
Shark Awareness Day
14th Jul 2026
Celebrates this amazing and misunderstood creature and to raise awareness of threatened shark species and the importance of their conservation.
World Chimpanzee Day
14th Jul 2026
World Chimpanzee Day is a day of celebration of chimpanzees and the people who have done so much work to help save them.
World Orca Day
14th Jul 2026
World Orca Day is a celebration of the species, raising awareness of orca in the wild and the threats they face.
St. Swithuns Day
15th Jul 2026
According to legend, if it rains on Saint Swithun's bridge in Winchester UK today, it will continue to rain for 40 days and 40 nights.
– 100 Things to Do on a Rainy Day
World Snake Day
16th Jul 2026
World Snake Day is a global awareness day dedicated to appreciating the diversity, beauty, and ecological importance of snakes. Conservationists, wildlife organisations, and animal lovers from across the world come together to celebrate these reptiles.
Festival of Archaeology
18th Jul to 2nd Aug 2026
Organised by the Council for British Archaeology, this is a two week long celebration which includes both online and in person events across the UK.
World Chess Day
20th Jul 2026
Chess is one of the most ancient, intellectual and cultural games, with a combination of sport, scientific thinking and elements of art, which can cross the barriers of language, age, gender, physical ability or social status.
Windrush Day
22nd Jul 2026
Windrush Day honours the contributions of migrants to the post-war economy. It is named after the HMT Empire Windrush which carried Afro-Caribbeans to the UK after WW2 to work.
Commonwealth Games 2026
23rd Jul to 2nd Aug 2026
The Commonwealth Games is an international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. In 2026 it will be held in Glasgow, Scotland UK.
– Commonwealth Games Sport Wordsearch
National Cousins Day
24th Jul 2026
Celebrate your relationship with the offspring of your aunts and uncles today.
Christmas in July
25th Jul 2026
For anyone who truly loves Christmas, this is the perfect excuse to celebrate Christmas, especially if you live in the southern hemisphere and want to celebrate in the winter.
Global Tiger Day
29th Jul 2026
An annual celebration to raise awareness for the plight of tigers and the urgent need for tiger conservation. Tigers are a critically endangered species whose numbers are affected by the illegal wildelife trade, habitat loss and climate change.
International Day of Friendship
30th Jul 2026
A day to promote and encourage the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.
Harry Potter's Birthday
31st Jul 2026
Harry shares his birthday with author J.K. Rowling. It is a day when you can indulge a love of the wizard by reading, watching a movie, sipping a butterbeer or munching on a bag of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans.
– Just What Is The Overwhelming Appeal Of Harry Potter?
Here are some more important events that are coming soon.
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