April 2026 Events Celebrations & Special Days
Image Credit: Johnny McClung
Events, celebrations, awareness events, saint's days, annual campaigns, major sporting events - UK and global festivities all happening in April 2026.
The month of April starts with jokes and pranks, and then we go on to celebrate Earth Day, St. George's Day and Penguin Day. We also celebrate Britain's greatest playwright, William Shakespeare on the anniversary of his birth and death, 23rd April, which is also the international World Book Day and Copyright Day.
Here are the key dates and events happening this April in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as around the world.
April Fool's Day
1st Apr 2026
Celebrated all over the world as a morning of jokes and tricks. From national newspapers, websites and TV stations to school children, all sorts of people join in the fun. But don't play a trick after noon - or you are the fool!
– April Fools Day Colouring Pages
– Wordsearch About April Fool's Day
Passover
1st Apr to 9th Apr 2026
Passover, or Pesach is one of the most important festivals in the Jewish calendar, commemorating the anniversary of the Exodus from Egyptian slavery.
World Autism Awareness Day
2nd Apr 2026
Autism-friendly events and educational activities take place all through the month of April to increase understanding and acceptance and foster worldwide support.
Good Friday
3rd Apr 2026
A bank holiday in the UK, this Christian celebration commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. Hot Cross Buns are traditionally eaten today.
Easter Day
5th Apr 2026
Easter is the Christian celebration of Christ's resurrection. It has been adopted across the world as a secular spring festival, celebrated by exchanging chocolate eggs and eating family meals and focusing on symbols such as eggs, rabbits and chicks.
Everything Easter - Crafts, Movies, Gift Ideas and Printables
– Can You Tick Off Everything On The Easter Bucket List?
– Make A Free Printable Letter From The Easter Bunny Now
Easter Monday
6th Apr 2026
Easter Monday, the day after Easter Day, is a Bank Holiday in the UK and is a national holiday in many countries around the world.
– The 10 Best Bunny Movies for Easter
Unicorn Day
9th Apr 2026
A day to celebrate the most popular mythical creature ever, which is also the symbol of Scotland.
Siblings Day
10th Apr 2026
Based on traditional Indian festival of Rakshabandhan, which is hundreds of years old, honoring the relationships of siblings.
National Pet Day
11th Apr 2026
National Pet Day was created to celebrate the joy pets bring to our lives and to create public awareness about the plight of many different kinds of animals awaiting a forever home in shelters and rescues all around the globe.
National Scrabble Day
13th Apr 2026
National Scrabble Day is observed annually on April 13th. April 13th specifically was chosen in honor of Scrabble's inventor, Alfred Mosher Butts.
International Haiku Poetry Day
17th Apr 2026
The day the whole world honors the Japanese poetry form of haiku. A haiku is a poem consisting of 3 lines and a seven syllable structure. Events including poetry readings, a film festival and haiku gatherings around the world.
Bat Appreciation Day
17th Apr 2026
Bats are the only mammal which can fly. Today is a day to appreciate these amazing creatures and celebrate the role that bats play in the Earth's ecosystem.
World Heritage Day
18th Apr 2026
International Day for Monuments and Sites, better known as World Heritage Day, promotes awareness about the diversity of the cultural heritage of humanity.
World Circus Day
18th Apr 2026
Celebrated on the third Saturday each April, World Circus Day is a special day to celebrate Circus Arts and Culture.
Earth Day
22nd Apr 2026
Worldwide event to raise awareness of the environmental issues which face the whole of planet Earth. The Earth Day organisation campaigns on environmental issues worldwide and promotes sustainability and reducing pollution.
– Earth Day Colouring Pictures
National Shakespeare Day
23rd Apr 2026
23rd April was both Shakespeare's birthday and date of his death. Celebrations are held in his home town of Stratford-upon-Avon and around the UK.
– How To Celebrate Shakespeare Day
St. George's Day
23rd Apr 2026
The annual celebration of England's patron saint is not a national holiday in England, however it is celebrated by flying the English flag and by taking part in traditional English activities such as morris dancing.
Who Was St. George and Why Do We Celebrate Him?
– Saint George's Day Crafts For Kids
World Book Night
23rd Apr 2026
World Book Night brings people from all backgrounds together to inspire others to read more. Each year books are donated to to organisations across the UK that can reach people who don't regularly read for pleasure or have access to books.
World Book and Copyright Day
23rd Apr 2026
UNESCO designated day, and celebrated around the world as World Book Day apart from the UK who celebrate in March. Ironically, the date was chosen because it is Shakespeare's birthday. It is is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading.
Penguin Day
25th Apr 2026
Awareness day to highlight the dangers that penguin's habitats face, as well as the number of penguin species which are endangered.
International Dance Day
29th Apr 2026
A celebration day for those who can see the value and importance of the art form "dance", and acts as a wake-up-call for governments, politicians and institutions which have not yet recognised its value.
International Jazz Day
30th Apr 2026
International Jazz Day brings together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics, and jazz enthusiasts all over the world to celebrate and learn about jazz and its roots, future and impact.
Here are some more important events that are coming soon.