Oxford is well-known for its established cultural scene, with many well-supported festivals drawing sizeable crowds. The famous 'Boat Race' between the university students of Oxford and Cambridge is a major highlight for the city at Easter time, although it should be noted that this is actually staged on the River Thames in London and widely televised at the time.
Of course, there are always plenty of things to do within the city itself, all through the year. The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival is a major highlight towards the end of March, with its authors, speakers, readings and creative writing courses taking place at venues such as Christ Church at St. Aldates, the Bodleian Library, Merton College, Queen's College and the Sheldonian Theatre, as well as the Corpus Christi College.
The following month of April sees the arrival of the Jazz Festival, while those visiting during May can enjoy the Oxfordshire ArtWeeks, the Lord Mayor's Parade and the multitude of comedy gigs staged as part of Oxfringe. Each June, the nearby Blenheim Palace Flower Show is a crowd-pleaser, as is the palace's CLA Game Fair in July, and its Classical Proms in August.
National Public Holidays
- 1st January - New Year's Day
- Good Friday / Easter Monday - late March or early April
- First and last Monday in May
- Last Monday in August
- 25th December - Christmas Day
- 26th December - Boxing Day
(If Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next weekday becomes a public holiday).
Calendar of Festivals and Events 2012 / 2013
January
- New Years' Day - January 1st, general festivities throughout Oxford, celebrating the arrival of the New Year the night before
February
- Chinese New Year - early February, celebrations and festivities for the Chinese Community
March
- Torpids Rowing Race - early March, College rowing races on the river
- Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival - late March, with guest authors, readings and discussions in various venues in the city
- Oxford v Cambridge University Boat Race - late March, on the River Thames, London
April
- Jazz Festival - early April, lasting just under a week, with live music in venues such as the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, the Town Hall and the North Wall Arts Centre
May
- May Morning - early May, crowds gather as the Magdalen School choir sings from Magdalen Tower
- Oxfordshire Artweeks - mid-May / early June, a celebration of visual arts with open studios at around 300 sites throughout the city, first held in the early 1980s
- Eights Week - late May, the main event of inter-college rowing races
- Lord Mayor's Parade - late May, celebration marking the start of the new Mayor's one-year term of office, in the city centre
- Blenheim Palace Exhibitions - late May, opening of exhibitions at Blenheim Palace
- Oxfringe - late May to early June, comedy gigs, live music and theatrical shows, staged at venues such as the Merton College Chapel, the Old Fire Station, the Pegasus Theatre, the Simpkins Lee Theatre and the Parish Church of St. Michael at the North Gate
June
- Blenheim Palace Flower Show - mid-June, spectacular horticultural displays at Blenheim Palace
- Cowley Road Carnival - mid-June, the city's largest community event, with parades and several musical stages on Cowley Road
- Encaenia - late June, colourful honorary degree ceremony held at the Sheldonian Theatre
- Oxford Open Water Week - late June / early July, popular event with performances, art, music and walks at more than 50 waterside venues
- Henley Royal Regatta - late June / early July, the most prestigious rowing event in the United Kingdom
July
- CLA Game Fair - late July, a popular country sports event held at Blenheim Palace
- Hook Norton Festival of Fine Ales - late July, with local ales, lots of food, live music and activities based at the Rural Fayre Field in the village of Hook Norton, roughly 45 minutes to the north-west
- Philomusica International Piano Festival and Summer Academy - late July to early August, with lectures, concerts and masterclasses
August
- Classical Proms - late August, open-air classical concert with fireworks, at Blenheim Palace
September
- St. Giles Fair - early September, traditional street fair
- Heritage Open Days - mid-September, free admission to many important places of historic interest in the area
October
- Oxford Lieder Festival - a 'Fast of Song', staged in venues such as the Holywell Music Room
- Oxford Round Table Fireworks Display - late October, spectacular fireworks festival in the city centre
November
- Bonfire Night and Fireworks Displays - early November, held at various venues throughout the city
- Christmas Lights Switch-On - late November, marking the start of the festive period, in the city centre
December
- New Years' Eve - December 31st, various celebrations throughout Oxford, culminating in fireworks displays at midnight
