LodgEvent lists 124 events in the United Kingdom, across 11 cities, including MCM Birmingham 2026, DigiMarCon UK 2026 and Gamesforum London 2026. Upcoming dates run from 18 September 2026 to 21 July 2028. Browse dates, venues and nearby hotels for each event below.
UK Trade Fairs — Which City, and What to Know Before You Go
The United Kingdom's trade fair map has a shape that surprises people: the country's largest exhibition venue is not in London. It is the NEC in Birmingham, at over 182,000 m² — nearly twice the size of ExCeL, the capital's biggest. Where your event is held says a lot about what kind of event it is.
These 124 events are spread over 26 venues, and the strongest sectors are Entertainment, Media & Culture, Home & Interior and Education & Professional Development.
London or Birmingham?
| London | Birmingham |
|---|
| Main venue | ExCeL, ~100,000 m² | NEC, ~182,000 m², 18 halls |
| Other venues | Olympia, Business Design Centre, Alexandra Palace | ICC and Utilita Arena in the city centre |
| Airport to venue | LCY 5 min · Heathrow ~43 min | BHX 90 seconds by free shuttle |
| Station to venue | Custom House, at the door | Birmingham International, 5 min walk |
| Parking | ~3,700 spaces | ~16,500 spaces |
| Suits | International trade shows, tech, finance, travel | Vehicles, machinery, large-scale consumer shows |
| Costs | Among the world's highest | Noticeably lower |
The practical summary: if your event involves getting large objects indoors — cars, machinery, caravans, livestock — it is almost certainly at the NEC, because few other UK venues can take them. If it is an international trade show where delegates fly in from several continents, it is more likely in London, where the airport choice is wider.
Getting there is where they differ most
Birmingham wins on sheer proximity. Birmingham Airport is connected to the NEC by the Air-Rail Link, a free automated shuttle taking about 90 seconds, and Birmingham International railway station is a five-minute covered walk from the halls. Very few exhibition centres anywhere are this well placed. If you are flying in from Europe for an NEC show, arriving via Birmingham rather than Heathrow saves the better part of a morning.
London wins on choice. Heathrow's route network is among the world's largest, and the Elizabeth line now puts ExCeL 43 minutes from it door-to-door and 12 minutes from central London — a transformation from before 2022, when the Docklands were a genuine expedition. London City Airport is five minutes from ExCeL and excellent if your route is served, though its choice is limited.
Between the two cities: London Euston to Birmingham International is around 70–90 minutes by direct train. Combining events in both on one trip is entirely realistic — considerably easier than the equivalent in Canada or the United States.
Check which venue, in both cities
This catches people out in London and Birmingham alike.
In London, ExCeL is in the eastern Docklands and Olympia is in west Kensington. They are over an hour apart, and a hotel booked for one is badly placed for the other.
In Birmingham, "Birmingham" on a listing can mean the NEC on the eastern edge of the city or a city-centre venue like the ICC. They are twelve minutes and one train apart, and they call for different hotels and different stations — Birmingham International for the NEC, Birmingham New Street for the centre.
Entry — the rules changed in 2026
This is the section most out-of-date guidance gets wrong, and getting it wrong means being refused boarding rather than sorted out on arrival.
Since 25 February 2026, an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is legally required for visitors of over 80 nationalities travelling to the UK — including nationals of the United States, EU member states, Australia and Canada — unless they already hold a UK visa or other immigration permission.
| Details |
|---|
| Cost | £20 per traveller |
| Where to apply | The official UK ETA app, or GOV.UK |
| What it is | Permission to travel — not a visa, and not a guarantee of entry |
| If refused | No right of appeal; you may need to apply for a visa instead |
| Exempt | British and Irish citizens |
Carriers — airlines, ferry and rail operators — now verify your permission electronically against Home Office records before allowing boarding. Without a valid ETA you will most likely be stopped at the gate.
Dual nationals should take particular care. If you hold British citizenship alongside another, travel on your British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement. An ETA issued on your other passport is not the correct document.
If your nationality requires a full visitor visa, apply well ahead and ask the organiser for a visa support letter. Major UK shows draw international delegations, and appointment availability tightens around them.
The UK is not in Schengen
This deserves its own heading because it trips up visitors combining a UK fair with a continental one.
A Schengen visa does not admit you to the United Kingdom, and UK permission does not admit you to Germany, Poland or anywhere else in the Schengen area. They are entirely separate systems requiring separate applications. If your trip covers both, you need both — and the EU's new Entry/Exit System, operational since April 2026, adds biometric registration on the Schengen side that the UK does not use.
Budget time for this. A trip taking in Birmingham and Frankfurt in the same week means two separate border regimes.
Costs
The gap between the two cities is large enough to affect planning.
London is among the most expensive cities in the world for accommodation, and this holds year-round rather than only during events. Rates climb further during the largest shows. The seven on-site hotels at ExCeL, with around 1,400 rooms, are worth considering as a genuine saving rather than a compromise.
Birmingham runs noticeably cheaper across hotels, meals and taxis — part of the reason so many large UK shows are held there rather than in the capital. For a multi-day exhibition the difference is substantial. Solihull and Coventry, both a short train ride from the NEC, are cheaper again.
Practical notes
Currency is the pound sterling, not the euro. Cards are accepted everywhere and contactless is the norm — in London you can tap in and out of the Tube, buses and trains with a bank card, with a daily cap, so there is no need to buy travel passes in advance.
Tipping is around 10–12.5% in restaurants, and is often added automatically as a service charge — check the bill before adding more. Tipping in pubs is not expected.
Weather is mild but persistently wet. Neither city gets extreme temperatures, but rain arrives unannounced year-round. A jacket rather than a heavy coat, and shoes you do not mind getting damp.
Business culture is indirect compared to Germany or the Netherlands. "That's interesting" and "we'll consider it" can both mean no. Meetings often open with several minutes of unrelated conversation, and cutting straight to business reads as brusque rather than efficient.
Based on what's currently listed, activity here concentrates in September, October and November.
Next up across United Kingdom: VeXpo 2026 on 18 September 2026.
