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UK culture and traditions are rich and diverse – and it’s not all about drinking tea at 5 o’clock, we promise. There are lots of British festivals and events, and you’ll never find yourself stuck for things to see and do. If you’re studying at a British university, you’ll definitely want to make your time as memorable as possible.
That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best cultural events and festivals in the UK. You can take a break from your studies and go exploring at weekends throughout the academic year.
With everything from flower shows to fashion shows - you’re sure to find a UK festival that suits you.
Read on to discover the best 10 British cultural events for international students.
Are you an international fashion student studying in London? Or someone with an eye for the latest trends? If so, London Fashion Week may be one to check off your list.
Watch world-class designers showcase their newest collections, attend one of the live catwalk events and meet famous fashion influencers. Or simply take the opportunity to do a bit of designer shopping!
London Fashion Week happens twice a year in September and February. (The last two seasons have been available to watch online for the general public). Find more information on the next LFW here.
The Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors is the largest protected area in the whole of the United Kingdom. It’s also home to some of the darkest places in England. Hence, why they’ve created a Dark Skies Fringe Festival for the second time this year.
So, if you like star-gazing, free from light polluted skies, why not try one of their events?
They include night walks with telescopes in the national parks. Alongside this, are talks from astronomers, authors, and outdoor enthusiasts.
Dark Skies Festival happens twice a year in October/February. Find the full programme on their website.
Also known as the Festival of Lights, Diwali is a five day festival celebrated in different Sikh, Hindu, and Jain communities around the UK. And if you attend university in Leicester, you’ll be sure to witness some of the biggest Diwali celebrations outside India!
Spectators can enjoy vibrant street parties, light displays, lanterns, and sweet treats. Not to mention there’s an array of firework displays that happen throughout the city, which represent the victory of good over evil and light over darkness.
Diwali celebrations start in late October or early November. Find the full program for Diwali in Leicester here.
Are you a film buff? You definitely shouldn’t miss out on the annual Glasgow film festival.
Located in Scotland’s largest city, this is one of the UK’s top film events, where audiences can watch the best of local and international cinema. They show a wide range of film genres, from art-house to horror to cult classics, and even have some guest appearances from famous stars like Hot Fuzz actor, Simon Pegg.
Glasgow Film Festival starts at the end of February. See the full program here.
If you like plants and flowers then this event is a must! Regarded as the most important flower show in the world, the Chelsea Flower Show is now a British tradition. It happens every spring in London. Due to its prestige, it is even attended by members of the British Royal Family.
Expect to see ultra-modern gardens, impressive flower displays, and the most recent advances in sustainable horticulture.
The next RHS Chelsea Flower Show is in May. Buy tickets here.
Have you heard of the Hay Festival? If you’re studying literature, or just love reading, this may be one for you.
Hay Festival brings together readers and writers for ten days of storytelling in the Brecon Beacons, Wales. Performers share poems, books, plays and speeches. And guests are often some of the most well-known authors of the year.
Hay Festival normally happens in May/June. Find more information here.
With over 200,000 people attending the five-day festival, Glastonbury is one of the world’s biggest and most famous music events.
Worthy Farm in the town of Pilton transforms into a small city, full of hundreds of stalls and stages and over 30 campsites. It’s an incredible place to wander about and take in the sights and sounds.
The festival has also hosted some of the best live music acts such as Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, and Beyoncé.
You can buy full camping or single day-entries. But, be warned, Glastonbury tickets can be difficult to purchase and sell out in minutes. So, make sure you register in advance and follow the sign-up steps carefully.
Glastonbury festival is normally held on the last weekend of June. Find the latest information on dates and lineup here.
Fans of Mozart, Beethoven, and Mendhelson will love tickets to The Proms. This is an eight-week summer of classical music concerts and events, and one of the most significant in the classical music calendar.
‘Proms’ is short for Promenade concerts, which were originally a series of outdoor concerts, sold for low-cost tickets.
Although the concerts are now held at The Royal Albert Hall, the organisers still aim to present the best music to the biggest possible audience for an affordable price. Tickets start at £6!
The Proms are held from August to September. Find more information on how to buy tickets here.
Arts and drama students will definitely love the Edinburgh Festival. Each year Scotland’s capital turns into the largest arts festival in the world.
With over 40,000 performances and hundreds of stages across the city, there’s something for everyone. So you can enjoy a range of acts from arts, crafts, music, dance, comedy, opera, spoken word to cabaret to your heart’s content!
The Edinburgh Fringe takes place in August. Find out more information here on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe website.
Top Tip: This festival happens at the same time as the Edinburgh International Festival, another top event, featuring opera, music, theatre, and dance, for visitors from all over the world.
Every year, the streets of west London burst into color with the arrival of Notting Hill Carnival. The carnival was held for the first time in 1966 – and has since grown in popularity. Attracting over two and a half million people, this is by far Europe’s largest street festival.
Revellers will see the streets lined with colorful processions, vibrant costumes, steel drums, and live stages with gigantic sound systems – all inspired by West Indian culture.
Don’t leave until you’ve danced to the sounds of reggae and salsa, and tasted some of the most delicious food from one of the hundreds of Caribbean food stalls!
Notting Hill Carnival happens on the August bank holiday. Find out more here.
To study for a degree at a university in the UK, you’ll first need to prove you have the right English proficiency to do so.
PTE Academic is accepted by 99% of UK universities, and you can use it for your student visa application from the UK Home Office. Find out more about booking your test today and planning for your study abroad experience in the UK.
PTE Academic is completed on a computer, including the speaking part of the test.
So make sure you are prepared by familiarizing yourself with the equipment you will use during your test. Reading these test tips and you will be fully prepared.
There are many ways you can improve your chances of gaining points in Part 2: Reading during PTE Academic.
To improve your reading skills, practice increasing your reading speed and comprehension at the same time. In turn, you will improve your writing, grammar and vocabulary skills.
To do well in this part of the test, you need to be able to read quickly, using effective reading strategies, as there is a limited time to answer all questions.
Speed reading tasks will help improve your reading speed. Practice speed reading every day and:
Aim to be reading at least 220 words per minute
Reading short articles of around 300 words
Read often for short periods of time
You can also try this as a challenge with your friends to help keep motivated. Once you are happy with your comprehension and speed, focus on chunks (groups of words) rather than individual words.
When your reading skills reach a level you are happy with, you will feel more confident to answer the questions.
In the Multiple-Choice, Single Answer question type, some test takers make the mistake of scan reading and matching the words in the text to the words in the answer. Generally, the words in the text are not used in the correct answer, therefore it is important to learn how to use synonyms and paraphrasing as it will be used in the test.
Learn how to improve your grammar in our Reading: Core Skills part 1 article.
In this question type, you will need more time than in the Multiple-Choice, Choose Single Answer question type, as you need to intensively read the stem (the part before the options) as well as the options, then scan read the text on the screen until you find the part of the text that contains information that was in the stem.
Read the options very carefully and match the meaning of the option with the text. Do not match the words – this is something test takers may make errors with.
You should also make sure not to choose all the options since you lose one point for each incorrect choice. However, you cannot score below zero.
To do well in the Re-order Paragraphs questions, you will need to have a strong understanding of cohesive devices and how they work. You will also need to understand how articles work, as well as the logical and chronological order of information.
In this question type, skim-read the text to get the ideas of the topic of the text. From there, you should read all the sentences carefully.
For both Fill in the Blanks and Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks question types, you will need to understand a range of vocabulary, collocations, grammar, pronouns, and cohesive devices, as well as being able to identify when plural nouns are needed.
You will also need to be able to skim read to get an idea of the meaning of the text, then read intensively before and after each blank. If unsure, you should guess based on the context.
Make sure you do not leave any spaces blank. You do not need to correctly fill in all spaces to get points.
To go back and review the question types within the reading test, we suggest learning more about the reading questions.
Explore Smart Prep, which combines all our practice materials in one place, so it's easier for you to stay on track with your PTE preparation.
Smart Prep is a clear path to test day, guiding you through the official paid and free resources available for your test
It can be accessed whether you’ve booked a test or not – just create, or sign in to your myPTE account
Preparation materials include guided practice tests, introductory videos, video courses and test tips.
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Do you have your heart set on studying in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland? The UK is a wonderful place to live and learn, but you’ll most likely need to get a UK study visa before you start packing your bags.
This comprehensive guide covers who needs a UK student visa, the requirements for getting one, how to apply, how much it costs, and how long it takes.
If you’re an international student hoping to study in the UK, you’ll most likely need a student visa. The only exceptions are nationals of Switzerland and countries in the European Economic Area (EEA), who don’t need a visa to enter the UK. *
* Please note: The outcome of Brexit may alter this after 2020. Check the UK government’s website for up-to-date information about this.
There are several UK study visa requirements you’ll need to meet to successfully apply. These include:
You’ve been offered a place in a full-time course from an eligible university (i.e. the school must be a licensed Student route visa*Tier 4 sponsors)
You can understand English (both written and spoken)
You have enough funds to support yourself and any dependants, while also paying for the course.
These requirements apply to students from all over the world. This means the UK student visa requirements for Indian students and American students are exactly the same for Chinese students and Australian students (and so on).
