The Met Office’ Events Calendar features key lifestyle and sporting events taking place throughout the year and provides handy weather information, so you can avoid being caught out by a rogue rain shower or sudden unexpected sunny spell.

Glorious Goodwood

The annual Glorious Goodwood festival takes place between 30 July – 3 August. During the five-day horse racing festival more than 100,000 people will visit Goodwood. Some of the racing highlights of the festival include:

30 July – The racing highlight of the first day is the Bet365 Lennox Stakes.

31 July – The racing highlight on the second day will be the Quipco Sussex Stakes, said to be one of the world’s greatest mile-long horse races.

1 August – Day three at Glorious Goodwood is Ladies’ Day, so the course will be packed with celebrities showing off their designer hats. The Goodwood Cup, the festival’s most popular and oldest race, will be the highlight of the third day of the festival.

2 August – Day four hosts two of the most popular races, the Richmond Stakes and the Betfred Mile. Both races are crowd favourites.

3 August – The festival peaks on the final day with the Blue Square Stewards’ Cup, a 28-horse race.

Check the Goodwood Racecourse to see if the riders will have fine weather for the five-day event.

The Ashes – Third Test

Old Trafford Cricket Ground has been hosting test matches since 1884, in fact it became the second English cricket ground to stage Test cricket after The Oval.

Old Trafford is most famous for ‘That Ball’, also known as the ‘Ball of the Century’. This is the name given Shane Warne’s first ball against England in his first Ashes Test in 1993, when he revived leg spin bowling to bowl out England’s Mike Gatting on day two of the first Test. It is hence no surprise that the pitch at Old Trafford favours spin bowling.

Up until 2009, Old Trafford was reputedly the wettest Test ground in the country. It is the only ground in England where two Test matches have been abandoned due to rain without a single ball being bowled.

Having won the first two tests England will be looking to make it 3-0 at Old Trafford, while Australia will be looking for their first test win in the 2013 Ashes Series. To learn more about how weather impacts cricket look out for our weather infographics, and keep an eye on the forecast to see how play may be affected this year.

For more information about Old Trafford Cricket Ground, check the Emirates Old Trafford website.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

As one of largest cultural events in the world the Edinburgh Festival Fringe attracts a global audience who enjoy the best in music and the arts.

The festival began when groups of uninvited performers turned up to play at the newly formed Edinburgh International Festival. Even though they weren’t on the official bill, this did not stop them from performing.

Over the next few years more and more groups arrived in Edinburgh and performed to whoever would listen, until 1959 when the Festival Fringe Society was created to respond to the growing trend.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe covers a wide variety of performances including:

  • Cabaret
  • Musical and Opera
  • Comedy
  • Theatre
  • Music
  • Dance

There are also a number of other events and exhibitions that take place over the festival season. More than 21,000 performers take part in more than 30,000 performances at approximately 2,500 shows.

More than 1.8 million people visit the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to catch a glimpse of some of the most upcoming acts on the circuit. Check the official Edinburgh Festival Fringe for more information about the 2013 Fringe Programme. Check the Edinburgh weather to help determine whether you need an umbrella as you run between shows.

Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week

As far as British regattas are concerned, few can claim such a proud tradition as Cowes Week. Having been held every year (apart from during the two world wars) since 1826 in the Solent, Cowes Week is one of the world’s longest running regattas, celebrating some of the finest vessels and sailors that the world has to offer.

Cowes Regatta, as it was originally known, began with the presentation of The King’s Cup to the winners of the day’s big race by King George IV. Back then, the event lasted for three days and featured just seven yachts racing. Today however, the event has grown into what we now know as Cowes Week. It stages up to 40 daily races with up to 1,000 boats of differing class and designs taking part over the eight days of Cowes Week 2013.

Cowes Week is an event designed for the whole family to enjoy. Although there are some events that are exclusively for members of different yachting clubs and the elite of the yachting world, there’s still plenty of fun to be had. You can take in a boat race from almost any vantage point, be it from seaside cafes to a seat on the beach. You can even take a ride on a spectator boat for a great view of the action or a helicopter ride along the coast of Cowes, if your budget will stretch that far.

Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week is sure to again provide an exciting mix of competitive sailing and a great après-sail scene. Over 8,000 participants are expected to take part, ranging from world champions and Olympians to weekend sailors, and in excess of 100,000 visitors will enjoy the unique atmosphere and experience that the event offers.

Even after you have enjoyed the day’s boating, the vibrant atmosphere provided by the Cowes Parade Village will keep you busy for the rest of the evening. The week-long event ends in a firework display that’s secured legendary status as one of the biggest and brightest you’ll see all summer.

For further information about the event, check the Cowes Week official website. Check the Met Office Cowes five-day weather forecast before you go.

Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

Along with Wallace & Gromit and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is now one of the city’s most famous exports; an annual event that brings together enthusiasts and tourists alike.

The 35th Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is set to take place on the weekend of the 8 – 11 August, and is set to attract up to half a million visitors to see its wondrous displays and take part in events.

Twice a day at 6am and 6pm – and depending on the weather – more than 100 hot air balloons will ascend from the Fiesta’s site of Ashton Court. Residents of Bristol and its visitors alike can admire the breath-taking view from miles around. On the Friday evening, the Special Shapes Ascent will take place; where if previous years are anything to go by, visitors can expect to see monsters and heart-shaped balloons taking to the sky!

There is also entertainment to be had at ground level with plenty of stalls selling local souvenirs and local live music in the bandstands.

Then, as the night falls, find yourself a prime seating position for the world-famous Bristol Night Glow, where the returning balloons are tethered to the ground ready for the display. Set in time to music, balloons are lit up by their burners in beautiful patterns and sequences. Following the Night Glows, a huge fireworks display will take place, so take a picnic and make sure to grab a spot early; the hill by Church Wood tends to fill up very quickly!

Check the five-day Bristol weather forecast if you are planning to attend The Bristol Balloon Fiesta. For further information about the Bristol event, visit the official Bristol International Balloon Fiesta website.

© Met Office

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