St George’s Day celebrations rise 46% as pubs lead revival

161 events listed for 2026, with London leading the rankings and campaigners renewing calls for a bank holiday.

St George’s Day celebrations in England have risen by 46% year on year, with 161 events listed for 2026 compared with 110 in 2025, according to figures from StGeorgesHoliday.com.

The biggest driver of growth is the English pub, with 64 pub and bar events making it the largest single category of celebration. 

Festivals are the second most common event type with 31 listings, followed by 23 Morris dancing events, showing a mix of traditional and modern ways of marking England’s national day.

The figures also show strong regional momentum. Greater London leads the country with 29 events, followed by Essex with 13 and Kent with 12.

While most events are concentrated around 23 April, the data suggests St George’s Day is increasingly becoming a wider celebration period, with events taking place across the surrounding week and weekend.

Graham Smith, Chairman of St George’s Holiday told That's Food and Drink: “More people than ever want to celebrate living in England with a positive, inclusive and shared experience. 

"The growth in local events shows St George’s Day matters to people. Now it’s time to make 23 April an official bank holiday in England.”

St George’s Holiday says its long-term ambition is to grow the number of celebrations to 500 nationwide, meaning there would be an average of one St George’s Day event within six miles of everyone in England.

The group is also promoting Shakespeare Shout, a simple, low-cost community competition inviting towns and councils to perform a line from Shakespeare as part of their local celebrations.

By the numbers

161 listed events in 2026

110 listed events in 2025

46% year-on-year increase

64 pub/bar events

31 festivals

23 Morris dancing events

29 events in Greater London

St George’s Day Feast Menu

Starter: Ploughman’s Platter

A rustic and satisfying way to kick off the meal:

Mature Cheddar and Stilton

Pork pie slices or scotch eggs

Pickled onions and Branston pickle

Crusty bread and butter

Apple slices and celery sticks

Serve with a pint of English ale or a crisp apple cider.

Main Course: Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding

A quintessentially English dish:

Roast beef with horseradish sauce

Homemade Yorkshire puddings

Roasted potatoes, parsnips, and carrots

Buttered peas or seasonal greens

Rich onion gravy

Swap the beef for roast lamb if you fancy a springtime variation.

Dessert: Treacle Tart with Clotted Cream

A sweet, sticky, traditional pudding:

Golden syrup filling with breadcrumbs and lemon zest

Served warm with a generous spoon of clotted cream or custard

Alternatively, try a rhubarb crumble – it’s in season and oh-so British.

After-Dinner Tipple: A Proper Cuppa or English Liqueur

A strong cup of English Breakfast tea

Or something a little stronger like sloe gin or a dram of English whisky

This is a vegan option:-

Vegan Main Course: Mushroom & Ale Pie

A rich, hearty, and comforting centrepiece:

A mix of chestnut and portobello mushrooms, slow-cooked with carrots, onions, and leeks

Braised in a full-bodied vegan ale with thyme and rosemary

Encased in golden, flaky shortcrust pastry (made with dairy-free butter)

Serve with:

Vegan roast potatoes (use olive oil or vegetable fat)

Seasonal roasted root veg

Steamed greens or braised cabbage

Vegan onion gravy

Vegan Dessert Option: Spiced Apple & Rhubarb Crumble

Celebrate the season with this fruity favourite:

Tart rhubarb and Bramley apples stewed with cinnamon and ginger

Topped with an oaty crumble made using dairy-free butter or coconut oil

Serve warm with vegan custard or a scoop of plant-based vanilla ice cream

Heritage Brand DukesHill Commemorates St George's Day With a Specially Crafted Ham

DukesHill St George's ham is available in half boneless, midi boneless, whole boneless and whole bone-in ham. Prices start from £77 from www.dukeshill.co.uk

Royal Warrant holder and ham producer, DukesHill proudly presents a special ham carefully crafted for St George's Day, known as the feast day of St George, England's patron saint who is celebrated on 23rd April. 

St George's ham has a Great Taste Award star and is a tribute to England's rich cultural heritage. 

Each leg of outdoor-bred English pork is immersed for a week in DukesHill's own Wiltshire brine which gives it a moist texture. Unlike other brining processes, a touch of unrefined brown sugar is added, imparting a subtly sweet flavour through the ham. After being steam cooked for 12 hours, the hams are inspected, hand-skinned and trimmed by an expert quality manager. 

They are then baked in a glaze of spiced oranges, cinnamon, mace and cloves. These spices were introduced during the medieval spice trade and have been integral to English cooking for centuries, shaping the flavours of classic British cuisine. The careful curation of bold ingredients and traditional methods culminate in a ham that embodies the true spirit of St George's Day.

Named after the patron saint of England, the day honours St George's legendary role in slaying the dragon and symbolises bravery and chivalry. St. George's Day remains an opportunity for people to celebrate England's rich history and heritage and take pride in English identity, culture and values.

Luxury heritage brand DukesHill has always embraced its British roots with an unwavering commitment towards provenance and traditional craftsmanship. A DukesHill ham is a celebration of good farming techniques, which is good news for British farming and industry, as they use only the finest quality outdoor-bred English pork and the most traditional curing methods which can take up to six months to produce. 

Good quality ham has to start with best practice farming and is always RSPCA assured. Pig farmer Andrew Tomson plays a crucial role in helping meet the demand. Andrew says, “As a pig farmer of 45 years, our commitment is to ensure the wellbeing of every pig under our care. I firmly believe that raising healthy pigs on straw is about providing them with a life of comfort and respect in an environment where they thrive. This produces the best quality pork and we know these animals have lived the best life possible.”

DukesHill St George's ham is available in - half boneless, midi boneless, whole boneless and whole bone-in ham. Prices start from £77 from www.dukeshill.co.uk