The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games joins grassroots festivals, agricultural shows and local authority events teams on this year’s National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA) Awards shortlist, celebrating excellence across the outdoor events industry.
From major international occasions to events rooted in their local communities, the finalists demonstrate the breadth of talent behind the UK’s outdoor events calendar. With standards continuing to rise and competition for recognition remaining fierce, the awards celebrate both the experiences audiences enjoy and the people who make them possible.
Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games is shortlisted for Event of the Year alongside Beverley Festival of Christmas, The Dairy Show, Aldgate in Winter Festival – delivered by Aldgate Connect BID with The Intrepid Collective – and The Intrepid Collective’s collaboration with Baker Street Quarter Partnership.
The Small Event of the Year category gives smaller occasions their moment in the spotlight. Finalists include Royal Holloway Summer Ball 2026, delivered by Ghostwriter Consultancy & Events and Cyndeo Events, alongside Northern Soul Weekender, Weymouth Town Council, SlayOff! and The Field to Food Learning Day.
Local authority expertise is recognised through a dedicated Events Team shortlist featuring Leicester City Council Festivals & Events, BCP Council, Visit East Yorkshire Events, Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council and Derby LIVE. Their inclusion highlights the role public sector teams play in bringing communities together through events.
The private Events Team category showcases another cross-section of the industry, including EnTEEtainment, GL events UK, Qdos Event Hire, Enable Events Production Team and Bath & West, alongside LWM Traded Services, Enhanced Care Services, Location Medical Services and Medic 1 Direct.
Regional and rural events also feature prominently. Tiree Music Festival, HebCelt Festival and Race The Waves are among the Regional Event finalists, while Shropshire Petal Fields, Shrewsbury Food Festival, Walking East Yorkshire Festival and Northumberland County Show are shortlisted for Rural Event of the Year. Royal Three Counties Show 2026 appears in both categories.
Beyond individual events, the shortlist recognises the industry’s wider ambitions. LS Events, Newday and Team Love’s Charlotte Jackson feature among the accessibility and inclusion nominees, while Power Logistics, Roder UK, Siamax, d&b solutions and Nu Group Services contest the Sustainability Award.
Together with categories recognising safety, innovation, education and unsung individuals, the 2026 shortlist puts the spotlight on an industry whose achievements reach from the international stage to the heart of local life.
NOEA Awards 26
Best Health & Safety Practice Award
Harrier
Safe Elephant Ltd
Ministry Protective – Gregg Maxwell, MD
Woodhouse