UK awareness days and key dates
Awareness days, weeks and months, with bank holidays and the big commercial dates. Pick a country and the types you need, then subscribe in your own calendar.
Running all month
- Season of Creation 1 September to 4 October 2026
- ADHD Awareness Month 1 to 31 October 2026
- Adoptober 1 to 31 October 2026
- Black History Month (UK) 1 to 31 October 2026
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month 1 to 31 October 2026
- Brocktober 1 to 31 October 2026
- International Walk to School Month 1 to 31 October 2026
- National Cholesterol Month 1 to 31 October 2026
- Stoptober 1 to 31 October 2026
- The Big Draw Festival 1 to 31 October 2026
- Tyre Safety Month 1 to 31 October 2026
- Poppy Appeal 22 October to 11 November 2026
-
Thursday 1 October 2026
-
Fairtrade Fortnight
A two-week campaign promoting Fairtrade products and fair pay for farmers and workers, held 21 September to 4 October in 2026.
-
British Food Fortnight
An annual autumn celebration of British food and produce, held 26 September to 11 October in 2026.
-
Sukkot
Sukkot is a seven-day Jewish harvest festival in autumn, when families eat in temporary outdoor huts.
-
Fire Door Safety Week
A UK campaign in late September that explains how fire doors work and urges people to check, report and keep them closed.
-
International Coffee Day
International Coffee Day on 1 October celebrates coffee and calls for a fairer and more sustainable coffee sector for growers.
-
International Day of Older Persons
The International Day of Older Persons on 1 October celebrates older people's contributions and looks at the challenges of an ageing world.
-
National Poetry Day
The UK's annual celebration of poetry on a Thursday in early October, held on 1 October 2026.
-
National Vegetarian Week
The Vegetarian Society's week encouraging people to try meat-free meals, held 1 to 7 October in 2026.
-
World Vegetarian Day
Held on 1 October each year to promote the benefits of a vegetarian diet, and opens Vegetarian Awareness Month.
-
Fairtrade Fortnight
-
Friday 2 October 2026
-
International Day of Non-Violence
The International Day of Non-Violence on 2 October, Gandhi's birthday, promotes non-violence through education and public awareness.
-
International Day of Non-Violence
-
Sunday 4 October 2026
-
Silver Sunday
A UK day on the first Sunday of October when community groups host free activities for older people.
-
Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah is the Jewish festival celebrating the end and restart of the yearly Torah reading cycle, with dancing in synagogues.
-
World Animal Day
An international day on 4 October, the feast of St Francis of Assisi, to raise the status of animals and improve welfare standards.
-
World Space Week
World Space Week, 4 to 10 October, celebrates the benefits of space science and technology and inspires students to explore it.
-
Silver Sunday
-
Monday 5 October 2026
-
Challenge Poverty Week
A week in October when groups across Scotland highlight the reality of poverty and the action being taken to end it.
-
Dyslexia Awareness Week
A UK week in early October run by the British Dyslexia Association to raise understanding of dyslexia, held 5 to 11 October in 2026.
-
Hospice Care Week
A UK week in early October that celebrates hospice care and the people who provide it, and raises awareness of hospice funding.
-
Kinship Care Week
A UK week in early October that recognises relatives and friends who raise children when parents cannot.
-
National Customer Service Week
A UK week in the first week of October that recognises customer service staff and the value of good service, held from 5 October in 2026.
-
National Work Life Week
Working Families' annual week encouraging employers and staff to focus on wellbeing and work-life balance, held 5 to 9 October in 2026.
-
World Architecture Day
World Architecture Day falls on the first Monday in October and focuses attention on architecture and the built environment, on 5 October in 2026.
-
World Habitat Day
World Habitat Day, on the first Monday of October, looks at the state of towns and cities and everyone's right to adequate shelter.
-
World Investor Week
A global campaign week in early October promoting investor education and protection, including warnings about scams.
-
World Meningitis Day
A global day on 5 October each year to raise awareness of meningitis, its warning signs and the goal of defeating it by 2030.
-
World Teachers' Day
World Teachers' Day on 5 October celebrates teachers and looks at the support they need to do their jobs well.
-
Challenge Poverty Week
-
Tuesday 6 October 2026
-
International Geodiversity Day
A UNESCO day on 6 October that celebrates the variety of rocks, minerals, landscapes and natural processes that shape the planet.
-
National Badger Day
A day on 6 October celebrating badgers and the threats they face, marked by Badger Trust during Brocktober.
-
World Cerebral Palsy Day
A global day on 6 October to recognise and act for the millions of people living with cerebral palsy.
-
International Geodiversity Day
-
Wednesday 7 October 2026
-
World Cotton Day
World Cotton Day on 7 October raises the profile of cotton and its importance to farmers, trade and development.
-
World Cotton Day
-
Thursday 8 October 2026
-
World Sight Day
A global day on the second Thursday of October that draws attention to blindness, vision loss and access to eye care.
-
World Sight Day
-
Friday 9 October 2026
-
Baby Loss Awareness Week
A week from 9 to 15 October that remembers babies who have died and raises awareness of pregnancy and baby loss.
-
World Post Day
World Post Day on 9 October celebrates postal services and their role in daily life, business and national development.
-
Baby Loss Awareness Week
-
Saturday 10 October 2026
-
Bookshop Day
A UK and Ireland celebration of bookshops held on the second Saturday of October, which was 10 October in 2026.
-
National Hate Crime Awareness Week
A UK week each October encouraging people to report hate crime and stand together against it, held 10 to 17 October in 2026.
-
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day
Held on the second Saturday in October, this day calls for better hospice and palliative care services around the world.
-
World Mental Health Day
A global day, held every 10 October, for raising awareness of mental health and pushing for better support and care everywhere.
-
World Migratory Bird Day (October)
The October edition of World Migratory Bird Day, on the second Saturday of the month, celebrates migratory birds and the habitats they rely on.
-
Bookshop Day
-
Sunday 11 October 2026
-
International Day of the Girl Child
The International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October highlights the challenges girls face and promotes their rights and empowerment.
-
Navratri
Navratri is a nine-night Hindu festival in autumn honouring the goddess Durga, famous for Garba and Dandiya dancing.
-
OCD Awareness Week
An international week in October that challenges myths about obsessive compulsive disorder and helps people find effective treatment.
-
International Day of the Girl Child
-
Monday 12 October 2026
-
Flood Action Week
An October week that urges people to check their flood risk, sign up for warnings and make a flood plan before winter.
-
Scams Awareness Fortnight
Citizens Advice's annual campaign helping people spot, report and recover from scams, running 12 to 25 October in 2026.
-
World Arthritis Day
A global day on 12 October that raises awareness of arthritis and other rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.
-
Flood Action Week
-
Tuesday 13 October 2026
-
Ada Lovelace Day
An international day on the second Tuesday of October celebrating women in science, technology, engineering and maths, on 13 October 2026.
-
International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
On 13 October the UN highlights how people and communities are reducing their exposure to disasters and building resilience.
-
World Thrombosis Day
A global day on 13 October that raises awareness of blood clots, their risk factors and their warning signs.
-
Ada Lovelace Day
-
Wednesday 14 October 2026
-
International E-Waste Day
Held on 14 October to encourage people to repair, reuse and properly recycle old electrical and electronic items.
-
National Burn Awareness Day
A UK day in October that aims to prevent burns and scalds, especially to children, and shares first aid advice.
-
World Standards Day
Held on 14 October each year to recognise the experts who write the international standards used by business and government.
-
International E-Waste Day
-
Thursday 15 October 2026
-
Global Handwashing Day
A global day on 15 October promoting handwashing with soap as a simple way to prevent disease.
-
International Credit Union Day
Held on the third Thursday of October to recognise credit unions and their role in member owned financial services.
-
International Day of Rural Women
The International Day of Rural Women on 15 October recognises the vital role of rural women in farming, food security and ending rural poverty.
-
Global Handwashing Day
-
Friday 16 October 2026
-
Restart a Heart Day
Restart a Heart Day on 16 October each year aims to teach as many people as possible how to do CPR and use a defibrillator.
-
Wear Red Day (Show Racism the Red Card)
A UK day in October when schools, workplaces and football clubs wear red and raise money to support anti-racism education.
-
World Food Day
World Food Day on 16 October promotes action against hunger and for healthy, sustainable diets for everyone.
-
World Spine Day
World Spine Day on 16 October each year highlights back and neck pain and promotes good spinal health.
-
Restart a Heart Day
-
Saturday 17 October 2026
-
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
On 17 October the UN calls for an end to poverty and for people living in poverty to help shape the policies that affect them.
-
International Repair Day
A day on the third Saturday of October when repair cafes and fixers hold events to promote repairing rather than replacing.
-
National Album Day
A UK day in October celebrating the album as an art form, with special releases, broadcasts and events in record shops.
-
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
-
Sunday 18 October 2026
-
Anti-Slavery Day
A UK day on 18 October that raises awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking.
-
World Menopause Day
A global day on 18 October that raises awareness of the menopause and the support available to improve health at midlife.
-
Anti-Slavery Day
-
Monday 19 October 2026
-
Get Online Week
A UK week in October that promotes digital inclusion and helps people build online skills, held from 19 to 25 October in 2026.
-
National Adoption Week
A week starting on the third Monday of October that raises awareness of modern adoption and encourages people to consider adopting.
-
Get Online Week
-
Tuesday 20 October 2026
-
Dussehra (Vijayadashami)
Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, is the Hindu festival on the day after Navratri celebrating the victory of good over evil.
-
World Osteoporosis Day
A global day on 20 October that raises awareness of osteoporosis, bone health and the prevention of fractures.
-
Dussehra (Vijayadashami)
-
Wednesday 21 October 2026
-
Apple Day
Held on 21 October, Apple Day celebrates apples, orchards and local varieties, with tastings, fairs and identification events across the UK.
-
Global Ethics Day
Held on the third Wednesday of October to encourage people and organisations to talk about ethics in public life and business.
-
Green Libraries Week
A UK week in October that shows how libraries help communities act on climate and sustainability, held from 21 to 28 October in 2026.
-
Apple Day
-
Thursday 22 October 2026
-
International Stammering Awareness Day
An international day on 22 October to raise awareness of stammering, also called stuttering, and the people who stammer.
-
International Stammering Awareness Day
-
Friday 23 October 2026
-
International Day of the Snow Leopard
The International Day of the Snow Leopard on 23 October raises awareness of threats to the snow leopard and the need to protect it.
-
Wear it Pink
Wear it Pink is Breast Cancer Now's fundraising day in October when people wear pink to support breast cancer research, held on Friday 23 October 2026.
-
International Day of the Snow Leopard
-
Saturday 24 October 2026
-
Disarmament Week
Disarmament Week, 24 to 30 October, raises public awareness of disarmament and its role in peace and protecting civilians.
-
Global Media and Information Literacy Week
Global Media and Information Literacy Week, 24 to 31 October, helps people find, judge and share information responsibly.
-
United Nations Day
United Nations Day on 24 October marks the anniversary of the UN Charter coming into force in 1945.
-
World Development Information Day
World Development Information Day on 24 October draws attention to development problems and the need for international cooperation.
-
World Polio Day
World Polio Day on 24 October each year marks progress towards ending polio and raises funds for vaccination.
-
Disarmament Week
-
Sunday 25 October 2026
-
World Opera Day
Celebrated on 25 October, the birthday of Georges Bizet and Johann Strauss II, to share opera with new audiences around the world.
-
World Opera Day
-
Monday 26 October 2026
-
Intersex Awareness Day
Held on 26 October, Intersex Awareness Day raises awareness of intersex people and calls for an end to unnecessary medical interventions without consent.
-
UK Sausage Week
An annual week celebrating British sausages and the butchers and producers who make them, with a national competition. The 2026 week runs 26 October to 1 November.
-
Intersex Awareness Day
-
Tuesday 27 October 2026
-
National Black Cat Day
A Cats Protection day on 27 October celebrating black cats, which often wait longer to be adopted.
-
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage on 27 October highlights the urgent need to preserve film, sound and video records.
-
National Black Cat Day
-
Wednesday 28 October 2026
-
International Animation Day
International Animation Day on 28 October celebrates animated film, marking the first public projection of moving images by Emile Reynaud in Paris in 1892.
-
International Animation Day
-
Thursday 29 October 2026
-
International Day of Care and Support
The International Day of Care and Support on 29 October recognises the value of care work and calls for investment in care systems.
-
World Ballet Day
An annual day in late October when ballet companies around the world stream classes, rehearsals and performances online.
-
World Psoriasis Day
A global day on 29 October that raises awareness of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and challenges stigma around them.
-
World Stroke Day
A global day on 29 October to raise awareness of stroke, its warning signs and how it can be prevented.
-
International Day of Care and Support
-
Saturday 31 October 2026
-
Halloween
The evening of 31 October, known for costumes, pumpkins and trick or treating.
-
World Cities Day
World Cities Day on 31 October draws attention to urbanisation and how to make cities sustainable and good places to live.
-
Halloween