Attractions and Heritage, Events, Scarborough

Scarborough Fair / Lights

The Scarborough Fair is a year-round programme of distinctive arts, heritage and sporting events at venues across the town.

Established under Royal Charter in 1253, the original Scarborough Fair drew merchants from all over the world to sell to visitors each August And September. The last event was held in 1788 and brought back to life by Simon and Garfunkel who recorded a version for their 1966 album’Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme’.

In 2023, the Fair was reinstated, and launched with Scarborough Lights, the first event in a brand new, year-round programme of cultural regeneration including:

Scarborough Lights– Spectacular light festival: November to December 2024, 2025 and 2026
Scarborough Streets– A three-day festival featuring a parade with outdoor events created by local arts organisations and visiting performers: May 2024 (4-6 May), May 2025 and May 2026
Scarborough Arts – Discover incredible artwork by following an open-submission affordable art trail that will take you on a journey around Scarborough and beyond: June to August 2024 (15 June – 4 August), 2025 and 2026
Scarborough Fringe– Enjoy the best of contemporary theatre, comedy, music and other forms of varied entertainment across 10 days, on the Yorkshire Coast: June 2024 (21-30 June), 2025 and 2026
Scarborough Extreme– An extravaganza of action sports and music with pilot events in September 2024, followed by full-sized, major festivals in 2025 and 2026