All the reasons why the UK is the place to be in 2020/2021

With an array of annual events such as the Queen’s birthday parade ‘Trooping the Colour’, London’s Notting Hill Carnival, the Scottish Highland Games, the Wimbledon tennis championships, Royal Ascot, and the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta there will be no shortage of extra-curricular activities to immerse yourself in.

June 2020 will be the 50^th anniversary of the world-famous Glastonbury festival in Somerset. With two big headliners already booked, tickets go on sale around October and sell out notoriously fast. Although that will be too early for you to know whether you’ll be in the UK through a Chevening Scholarship, you might find other means to join the historic occasion.

Revellers at Glastonbury Festival

The distinctively opulent Royal Albert Hall will celebrate its 150^th anniversary in 2021. It hosts the annual BBC Proms, which is the world’s greatest classical music festival. The London venue has been graced by icons such as Adele, Muhammad Ali, Shirley Bassey, and Sir Winston Churchill over the years. Sir Elton John, who has also played the Royal Albert Hall, will let the sun go down on his illustrious career when he completes his farewell tour in 2020/2021. He will perform in the UK for the last time ever in December 2020.

For the 125^th anniversary of the National Trust why not visit one of over 500 heritage properties and gardens such as Castle Ward in County Down, famous for the Winterfell scenes in the TV series Game of Thrones.

If you love science? Head to the British Science Festival in September where you could connect with scientists, engineers, technologists and social scientists. Hosted by a different university each year, it is the largest science festival in Europe.

Spending Christmas and New Years in the UK is sure to be a packed itinerary. With so much to choose from Edinburgh’s Hogmanay might be on the bucket list. Spread out over three days expect a beautiful torch-lit procession of fire to meander through the old town and a spectacular firework display under Edinburgh Castle.

Hogmanay in Edinburgh

If you choose to study in the capital, London’s New Year’s Day parade is also a must visit. Over 10,000 performers from around the world will join, ending up at Big Ben.

2021 is promising to be a striking year in sport with new events already planned. The UK will be hosting the UEFA Women’s Euro. It will be the second edition since it was expanded to 16 teams. You will be able to watch games played across eight English cities, with the final to be played at the iconic Wembley Stadium.

The Cambridge vs Oxford boat race is a huge university event held every year around March. Expect lots of cheering and a vibrant atmosphere as this competitive rowing race takes place along the River Thames for the 167th time. The event will also be shown on big screens in Bishops Park.

The Wimbledon tennis championship will take place in July. Assuming they haven’t retired before then, legends of the sport such as Roger Federer (39), Serena Williams (39), and Rafael Nadal (35) will all be in the twilight of their careers, so this could be one of the last chances to see this generation of tennis superstars in action on the biggest stage of all.

Rafael Nadal celebrates at Wimbledon

Poetry fan? Head to the medieval market town of Stratford-upon-Avon where Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebrations take place in April 2021. Expect a morning parade, poetry read by actors on the ferry across the river Avon, and all day activities on Henley Street, the birthplace of Shakespeare.

This is just an overview of some of the things you could be a part of if you study in the UK. But don’t worry about remembering them all now; we send monthly newsletters to our scholars letting them know what’s going on across the country when they’re in the UK. It’s then up to you how much adventure you decide to squeeze in!

If you are interested in applying for a Chevening Scholarship to study in the UK in 2020/2021, find out which awards are available on our apply page.