It’s good to know that some things in life are reliable. Every year Broadway and the surrounding Cotswolds area are home to a calendar of natural highlights and events that locals look forward to and which make up our ‘Season’. For visitors as well, Cotswold events offer plenty of good reasons to plan ahead and book a short break.

It used to be that the Cotswold events calendar was a short one, with events packed into the summer months. Nowadays, there are events and things to do in every month and season. Broadway is a busy village that punches well above its weight in terms of Cotswold events and celebrations and, invariably, the Broadway Hotel here on the village green is at the centre of things.

So, read on as we take you through the year, including the 2022 dates of some of our best-loved events, all within easy reach of the Broadway Hotel as part of a short break in Broadway.

Spring

Spring in the Cotswolds is a glorious thing! Some gardens open early for aconite and snowdrop viewing and the Cotswold agricultural year begins with lambing season from late January onwards. Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park is a great place to see lambs and much more as this working farm begins the year.

The season progresses into daffodil time and, about then, the local flagship event - Gold Cup Week at Cheltenham Racecourse (March 15th-18th, 2022). Broadway is very buzzy during race week, with many guests returning year after year - book early enough and you can even catch a steam train direct to the Racecourse, courtesy of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway, which reopens for 2022 on the 12th of March.

By Easter, local gardens and attractions such as Hidcote Manor, Sezincote House, Kiftsgate Court and National Trust properties are fully open for the season.

In April and May the hedgerow hawthorne makes for a truly spectacular display of white flowers at the roadside as you explore our villages and towns.

Look out for asparagus on the menu in April and May. The nearby Vale of Evesham is the centre of all of things asparagus. We think that it’s the best in the world. One of the great local food experiences!
Our guests have loved visiting the Literature Festival at Chipping Campden (May 3rd-7th). This year’s line-up includes Justine Picardie, Loyd Grosman, Anna Whitehouse, Clover Stroud and Janina Ramirez.

Other Spring events and dates include:
March 11th-13th Cheltenham Craft Festival
April 8th Paul Weller, Cheltenham Racecourse
April 13th & 14th April Race Meeting, Cheltenham Racecourse
April 14th Countrytastic Show, Malvern Show Ground
April 27th-May 2nd Cheltenham Jazz Festival
April 28th-May 1st Sudeley Castle Spring Homes and Gardens Fair
May 14th Dara Ó Briain, Cheltenham Racecourse
May 20th-22th Winchcombe Walking Festival
May 21st UB40, Cheltenham Racecourse

Summer

Summer 2022 sees Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations in Broadway, with events between June the 2nd-5th, including a mass picnic with music; a procession to Broadway Tower and the lighting of a fiery beacon. Food stalls, activities and entertainment through the weekend on the village green

Gardens are at their best in June, with highlights including Sudeley Castle roses and the flowering of the spectacular Kiftsgate Rose in June. The acclaimed Giffords Circus is on tour again, a must-see and delightful travelling circus (just humans, horses and the odd duck).

Summer is Festival Time and the local steam railway has its Festival of Steam (June 3rd-5th) with, in Cheltenham, Wychwood Festival on the same dates, featuring Peter Hook and the Light, The South, Dreadzone and Deacon Blue. Cheltenham Science Festival runs between June 7th-12th. Cornbury Festival is back too - with Bryan Adams, James Blunt and The Darkness on offer (July 8th - 10th)

The Royal Three Counties Show (June 17th-19th) and The Cotswold Show and Food Festival (Cirencester, July 2nd & 3rd) are hugely popular with the local farming community and the genral public alike. These colourful shows are really entertaining days our for everyone interested in food and where it comes from.

Over at Tewkesbury, the Medieval Festival (July 9th & 10th) is the largest free re-enactment event in Europe.
There’s something new for Fantasy genre fans at the Sudeley Castle Fantasy Forest Festival (July 15th - 17th). The historic grounds will be brought alive with fantasy-themed activities including the UK’s largest Fantasy Market, talks by fantasy artists, roaming costumed characters, live bands, workshops, historic re-enactment and more. Think Thrones, Rings and Star Wars!

Back in Broadway, don’t miss the Broadway Car Show (August 13th & 14th). Saturday is all about modern supercars such as Ferraris and Lamborghinis. Sunday is a beautifully Instagram-friendly mix of classic sports cars and prestige marques. At this exciting event, there’s plenty more to do than just stand and stare - with food on the green, music and a buzzy crowd.

Other Summer Events:
May 30th-August 2nd Longborough Festival Opera
June 3rd The Cotswold Olimpicks, historic country sport event near Chipping Campden
July 8th-16th Cheltenham Music Festival

Autumn

Many locals rate Autumn as THE time to be in the Cotswolds. The cosy pubs and inns come into their own (with the Jockey Bar at The Broadway Hotel being no exception) and nearby villages such as Chipping Campden, Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton on the Water being just perfect for a lazy weekends exploring antique, vintage and bookshops.

Moreton Show (September 3rd) is a highlight of the agricultural year. For more casual visitors it’s great for people watching, entertainment and food, plus rural retail outlets. Recommended!

Broadway Food Festival (September 11th) is a delight for our guests, who can stroll out of the hotel front door right into the action.

Autumn colour displays follow their own natural timetable, but you can expect spectacular displays from October onwards as Cotswold beech trees burst into colour. Even a simple drive through the countryside is rewarding, but crowds head to Batsford Arboretum and Westonbirt for the experience (it’s recommended to book ahead). Our advice? Take the walk from The Broadway Hotel to Broadway Tower for spectacular views.

If you’re staying with us just before Halloween, head to the Cotswold Farm Park to PYOP (Pick Your Own Pumpkin).

Cheltenham Literature Festival (October 7th-16th) is Britain’s oldest such event and consistently attracts the big names, from Hillary Clinton to J K Rowling.

After all that, make your way back to back to our Jockey Bar for a well-earned Autumn bramble cocktail.

Winter

The days when the Cotswolds felt closed to visitors in Winter are long over! Many attractions now stay open all year and, whilst things are a little quieter, it’s the time to find the real Cotswolds… quiet villages, short and sharp walks in the winter sunshine and then back to your hotel with the prospect of a cozy bar and great dinner. All very romantic!

The recent trend for winter outdoor illumination events has made for some new and interesting options - Sudeley Castle’s Spectacle of Light (late November and December) is expected to return this year, as is The Cotswold Farm Park’s Illuminated Trail.

Broadway is a delight for shoppers looking to avoid crowded, anonymous high streets. OK our high street is called ‘High Street’, but that’s where the comparison ends: you’ll find independent traders and galleries with plenty of style and new ideas. Expect a delightful festive atmosphere with music, food and drink, beautiful Christmas lights and a lovely relaxed atmosphere. You might even see some reindeer!

Broadway offers two magical Christmas Late Night Shopping Evenings (November 25th, December 2nd) - many of our hotel guests book a weekend specifically around this event. Do book early if you’d like to stay then.

As ever, The Broadway Hotel is at the heart of the action with its lively bar and a late night barbecue running. Pop in for mulled wine or a winter themed cocktail.

The hotel is busy again with Christmas and New Year Packages. Many of our regular guests say that this is the ONLY way to end the year. And who are we to disagree?