Western Europe Yarn & Fibre Festivals 2026: The Complete Calendar (UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland + More)
Last updated: December 30, 2025. Dates and venues can change; always confirm on the event’s official site before booking travel.
If you’re planning a 2026 trip around knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, and indie dyers, Western Europe has a dense calendar of yarn shows and wool festivals—ranging from large UK yarn weekends to France’s heritage wool fairs and Germany’s modern curated markets. Below is a month-by-month guide to the most relevant yarn festivals in Western Europe in 2026, with dates, locations, and what each event is best for.
Table of contents
January 2026
February 2026
March 2026
April 2026
May 2026
June 2026
August 2026
September 2026
October 2026
November 2026
Planning tips
FAQ
January 2026 yarn & fibre festivals
Fiberfolk Vejle (Vejle, Denmark) — January 17, 2026
A one-day wool and fibre marketplace, popular for Scandinavian yarn brands, tools, and a clean “maker market” vibe.
Tricot’Eure (Le Vaudreuil, Normandy, France) — January 24–25, 2026
A weekend event focused on yarn, creativity, and a festival atmosphere—good for workshop-led planning. Tricot’Eure
February 2026 yarn & knitting festivals
Nederlandse Breidagen (Breda, Netherlands) — February 6–7, 2026
A major Dutch knitting event—strong for supplies, tools, and classes.
Unravel… a Festival of Yarn (Farnham, England, UK) — February 13–15, 2026
One of the UK’s best-known yarn festivals: high-quality vendors, workshops, talks, and a strong community feel. Unravel (Farnham Maltings)
Love Yarn Madrid (Madrid, Spain) — February 13–15, 2026
A modern, high-energy yarn event in Spain with a strong marketplace and class program. Love Yarn Madrid
Festival Entre Deux Laines (Portets, France) — February 21–22, 2026
A “festival laineux” weekend with vendors and programming; a good regional stop near Bordeaux. Entre Deux Laines
March 2026 fibre events and yarn shows
The Stitch Festival (London, UK) — March 19–22, 2026
A broad needlecraft show (not exclusively yarn), but excellent for cross-craft audiences: yarn, embroidery, sewing, and tools. The Stitch Festival (London)
h+h cologne (Cologne, Germany) — March 20–22, 2026 (Trade fair)
Best for professionals (retailers/industry) looking at trends, suppliers, and the business side of craft.
Sevilla Teje (Seville, Spain) — March 20–22, 2026
Community-driven format with workshops and talks; strong for makers who want programming beyond shopping. Sevilla Teje
East Anglia Yarn Festival (Norfolk Showground, UK) — March 21–22, 2026
Vendor-led show known for indie dyers, accessories, and a classic UK “yarn weekend” feel. East Anglia Yarn Festival
Swiss Yarn Festival (Switzerland) — March 27–29, 2026
Switzerland’s marquee yarn event: vendors + workshops, and a strong international audience. Swiss Yarn Festival
Festival du Fil / Brussels Thread Festival (Brussels, Belgium) — March 28–29, 2026
Thread-based across disciplines (yarn, embroidery, etc.)—useful for readers who do more than knit/crochet. Festival du Fil (Brussels Thread Festival)
Leipziger Wolle-Fest & Stoffmesse (Leipzig, Germany) — March 28–29, 2026
A combined wool + fabric fair format; great for people who sew and knit. Leipziger Wolle-Fest & Stoffmesse
Fête des Bergers, de la Tonte et de la Laine (Rambouillet, France) — March 28–29, 2026
A heritage wool weekend with shearing and shepherding culture—excellent for “fleece-to-fabric” content.
April 2026 wool festivals
Hohenloher Wollfest (Blaufelden, Germany) — April 18–19, 2026
A dedicated wool festival with a strong vendor mix (fibre, hand-dyed yarn, accessories). Hohenloher Wollfest
Wonderwool Wales (Builth Wells, Wales, UK) — April 25–26, 2026
A flagship natural-fibre show with a large exhibitor footprint—ideal for readers who want maximum variety. Wonderwool Wales
May 2026 yarn markets and wool fairs
Handwerkbeurs Houten (Houten, Netherlands) — May 7–9, 2026
Large craft fair—good for supplies and tools plus yarn browsing (not purely a yarn festival).
Wool & Shepherds Fair / Foire de la Laine (Grimaud, France) — May 14, 2026
A historic Ascension-Thursday wool tradition with strong cultural interest—great for travel + heritage angles.
The Big Flock (Bristol, UK) — May 16–17, 2026
Curated, modern yarn festival—good for indie dyers and a polished vendor lineup. The Big Flock
Buxton Wool Gathering (Buxton, UK) — May 16–17, 2026
A classic UK wool weekend with a loyal audience and strong shopping focus. Buxton Wool Gathering
Woolstock Léman (Sciez-sur-Léman, France) — May 16–17, 2026
Lake Geneva region festival with a community-forward feel—great for readers in Switzerland/France.
June 2026 knitting and yarn events
The Wool Monty (UK) — June 13–14, 2026
A solid UK summer show: marketplace plus classes.
Le Fil de la Manche (Normandy, France) — June 2026 (dates TBD)
Currently advertised for June 2026; confirm exact dates when ticketing opens.
Knit with Friends (Porto, Portugal) — June 25–28, 2026
A destination-style event: workshops + community + a city break, ideal for travelling makers.
August 2026 yarn festivals
Fiberfolk Roskilde (Roskilde, Denmark) — August 15–16, 2026
A major Scandinavian fibre marketplace edition—strong exhibitor mix. Fiberfolk
Wollcraft Festival (Worms, Germany) — August 22–23, 2026
Late-summer festival format with a strong vendor base and good European representation.
September 2026 yarn & fibre festivals
Yarndale (Skipton, North Yorkshire, UK) — 26–27 September 2026
One of the UK’s most-loved yarn weekends: a large maker marketplace with indie dyers, notions, tools, and plenty of “festival knitting” energy. Accommodation can book out early, so this is a good one to plan well in advance. Yarndale
Shetland Wool Week (Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK) — 27 September – 3 October 2026
A destination, multi-venue wool celebration focused on Shetland’s textile heritage: workshop-heavy programming, community events, and deep “wool culture” storytelling (far beyond shopping). Note the timing: it begins on the Sunday immediately after Yarndale’s Saturday, so it can work as a back-to-back UK trip if you’re planning flights carefully. Shetland Wool Week
October 2026 fibre festivals and craft shows
Note: Shetland Wool Week runs across both September and October, so it’s listed under September
Knit + Stitch London (Alexandra Palace, London, UK) — 8–11 October 2026
A major UK craft show (not yarn-only) that’s excellent for readers who want maximum variety: yarn + needlecraft + tools + inspiration under one roof. Knit + Stitch (London)
Nederlandse Breidagen (Nijkerk, Netherlands) — October 16–17, 2026
Some calendars list an October edition in addition to February; verify the organizer’s latest announcement.
Dublin Fibre Festival (Dublin, Ireland) — October 17–18, 2026
A weekend yarn festival with workshops, makers, and community programming.
Journées Internationales de la Laine (Felletin, France) — late October 2026 (dates to confirm)
Often described as an essential autumn wool event in France, spanning creators, artisans, and wool-industry culture. Important: different reputable sources currently list different 2026 dates—23–25 Oct 2026 on the Creuse tourism listing versus 24–26 Oct 2026 on the association page—so confirm the final dates on the official channels before booking travel. Journées Internationales de la Laine
November 2026 yarn shows
knitfest Zurich (Zurich, Switzerland) — November 7–8, 2026
Contemporary, international-feeling yarn festival with workshops and talks—strong for trend spotting. knitfest Zurich
Handwerkbeurs Groningen (Groningen, Netherlands) — November 12–14, 2026
Large craft fair with strong supply/tool shopping—relevant for broad makers.
Créations & Savoir-Faire (Paris, France) — November 18–22, 2026
Huge DIY event—excellent for trend research and sourcing across crafts (not yarn-only). Créations & Savoir-Faire (Paris)
Munich Knits (Munich, Germany) — November 27–29, 2026
Premium-feeling curated yarn & craft festival; strong for workshops and higher-end vendors. Munich Knits
Planning tips for a Western Europe yarn-festival trip in 2026
Stack events by geography. March is particularly dense across the UK/Benelux/France/Germany—ideal for a multi-stop itinerary.
Know the “show type.” Yarn-only festivals are best for indie dyers and spinning fibre; broad craft fairs are best for tools, books, and cross-craft supplies.
Book early for the biggest weekends. Yarndale, London events, and Zurich can become expensive close to the date.
FAQ
What is the biggest yarn festival in Western Europe?
It depends on your definition of “big” (attendance vs exhibitor count vs reputation), but the UK’s major yarn weekends (e.g., Unravel and Yarndale) and large craft shows in London are among the most prominent for international visitors.
Are these events suitable for beginners?
Yes. Most festivals have entry-level workshops and plenty of browsing. If you’re brand new, broad craft shows can be less intimidating than very specialist spinning-focused gatherings.
Which festivals are best for indie-dyed yarn and small makers?
Typically the yarn-only festivals (UK and Switzerland in particular) are most aligned with indie dyers, curated vendors, and small-batch tools.
Which events are best for fibre-to-fabric storytelling (sheep, shearing, wool processing)?
France’s heritage-oriented wool events and Felletin’s wool-sector gathering are especially strong for the “whole supply chain” angle.