2026 awareness days to note down in your marketing calendar
- Mike Dallin-Gist
- Jan 21
- 8 min read
Awareness days have become a staple of the modern marketing calendar. From global moments that genuinely shape conversation to novelty dates that raise a smile, they offer brands a ready-made hook for timely content.
When they’re used well, they can help you tap into a cultural moment and join conversations your audience are already having. At The Content Emporium we use them regularly to plan content we think our clients’ audiences will have thoughts on.
The key isn’t to jump on every one. It’s knowing which moments make sense for your brand, your audience and your message.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the key awareness days for 2026 (Ariana’s UK residency, key sporting events and the first solar eclipse in over 20 years are sure to be big topics). This isn’t a checklist, but a planning tool to help you be more intentional about when and how you show up.
January 2026 awareness days
A month of fresh starts and quieter feeds, January is well suited to thoughtful content around wellbeing, reflection and setting the tone for the year ahead.
Month: Veganuary, Dry January
1st January – New Years Day
2nd January – World Introvert Day, Science Fiction Day
3rd January – Festival of Sleep Day, Mind-Body Wellness Day
4th January – World Braille Day
6th January – Epiphany
7th January – Orthodox Christmas
12th January – Plough Monday, National Gluten-Free Day
19th January – Blue Monday, Brew Monday
20th January – National Cheese Lover’s Day
21st January – National Hug Day
24th January – International Day of Education
25th January – Burns Night
27th January – Chocolate Cake Day, Holocaust Memorial Day
February 2026 awareness days
Short and busy, February offers a mix of cultural moments and lighter hooks, making it ideal for timely, engaging content that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Month: LGBT+ History Month UK, Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games (6th – 22nd)
Weeks: National Storytelling Week (2nd – 8th), National Apprenticeship Week (9th – 15th)
3rd February – National Sickie Day 2026
5th February – Time To Talk Day
6th February – Reclaim Social Day, Wear Red Day
8th February – Super Bowl (US)
9th February – National Pizza Day
11th February – Safer Internet Day, International Day of Women and Girls in Science
13th February – Get a Different Name Day 2026, Galentine’s Day
14th February – Valentine’s Day
15th February – Hola Mohalla
17th February (it’s a busy one!) – Lunar New Year (Year of the Horse), Start of Ramadan, Random Acts of Kindness Day, Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day)
18th February – Ash Wednesday
20th February – National Love Your Pet Day
March 2026 awareness days
As spring approaches, March brings momentum and the start of lighter, brighter days.
Month: Women’s History Month, Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games (6th – 15th)
Weeks: Women in Construction Week (1st – 7th), National Careers Week (2nd – 7th), British Science Week (6th – 15th), Neurodiversity Celebration Week (16th – 22nd)
1st March – St. David’s Day
3rd March – World Wildlife Day
4th March – Holi Festival
5th March – World Book Day
7th March – Employee Appreciation Day
8th March – International Women’s Day
15th March – Mother’s Day (UK), Red Nose Day
16th March – Freedom of Information Day
17th March – St. Patrick’s Day
19th March – Eid al-Fitr
20th March – International Day of Happiness, First Day of Spring
21st March – World Poetry Day
29th March – British Summer Times Begins (wahoo!)
April 2026 awareness days
April balances lighter moments and lots of bank holidays (woop!) with some more serious themes to reflect on.
Month: Stress Awareness Month, Autism Acceptance Month
Weeks: MS Awareness Week (20th – 26th), Allergy Awareness Week (22nd – 28th), Coachella (10th –12th, 17th – 19th)
1st April – Passover begins, April Fool’s Day
3rd April – Good Friday, Orthodox Good Friday
5th April – Easter Sunday, Orthodox Easter Sunday
6th April – Easter Monday
7th April – World Health Day
11th April – National Pet Day
12th April – Orthodox Easter Sunday
13th April – Orthodox Easter Monday
14th April – Vaisakhi, National Gardening Day
21st April – National Tea Day, Late Queen Elizabeth’s II’s 100th Birthday
22nd April – World Earth Day
23rd April – St. George’s Day
May 2026 awareness days
Longer days and rising energy make May well suited to confident, creative campaigns that align with lifestyle, celebration and increased audience engagement.
Month: Coeliac Awareness Month, ALS Awareness Month
Weeks: Mental Health Awareness Week (12th – 18th), Chelsea Flower Show (19th – 23rd), Shavuot (21st – 23rd), Eid Al-Adha (26th – 27th), Cannes Film Festival (12th – 23rd)
1st May – May Day
2nd May – International Harry Potter Day
3rd May – World Laughter Day
4th May – Star Wars Day, Early May Bank Holiday, Met Gala
7th May – World Password Day
8th May – VE Day, Ovarian Cancer Day
10th May – Fair Trade Day, Mother’s Day (US)
16th May – FA Men’s Cup Final, Eurovision final
17th May – World Baking Day
20th May – National Rescue Dog Day
23rd May –UEFA Women’s Champions League Final
25th May – Spring Bank Holiday,
30th May – UEFA Men’s Champions League Final
June 2026 awareness days
June’s focus on Pride, wellbeing and major events makes it a natural fit for inclusive, values-led content, provided it’s handled with care and authenticity.
Month: Pride Month
Weeks: Child Safety Week (1st – 7th), Monaco Grand Prix (4th – 7th), Men’s Health Week (8th – 14th), Learning Disability Week (15th – 21st), Refugee Week (15th – 21st), Royal Ascot (16th – 20th), Isle of Wight Festival (18th – 21st), Wimbledon Tennis Championship (29th June – 12th July)
3rd June – World Bicycle Day
5th June – World Environment Day
6th June – D-Day
8th June – World Oceans Day
13th June – Global Wellness Day, Trooping the Colour, King’s Official Birthday
14th June – World Blood Donor Day
21st June – Summer solstice, Father’s Day
23rd June – National Pink Day, International Women in Engineering Day
24th June – Midsummer’s Day, National Writing Day
25th June – Ashura
26th June – Take Your Dog to Work Day
27th June – National PTSD Awareness Day, Armed Forces Day
July 2026 awareness days
As attention begins to shift towards summer, July works well for lighter, more informal content alongside campaigns focused on awareness and lifestyle.
Month: Disability Pride Month, Plastic Free July, Sarcoma Awareness Month
Weeks: British Grand Prix (2nd – 5th), Alcohol Awareness Week (6th – 12th), Wimbledon Tennis Championship (29th June – 12th July), Commonwealth Games (23rd July – 2nd August),
3rd July – International Plastic Bag Free Day
4th July – Tour de France begins
7th July – World Chocolate Day
12th July – Wimbledon Final
15th July – St Swithin’s Day
17th July – World Emoji Day
20th July – School summer holidays begin (date varies by council)
24th July – International Self-Care Day
30th July – International Day of Friendship
August 2026 awareness days
With the school holidays underway, August is often quieter for decision-makers and it suits softer storytelling, evergreen content and campaigns that prioritise wellbeing in the summer sunshine.
Month: Happiness Happens Month, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, National Wellness Month, Ariana Grande The Eternal Sunshine Tour at the London O2
Weeks: Commonwealth Games (23rd July – 2nd August), World Breastfeeding Awareness Week (1st – 7th), National Allotments Week (12th – 18th August), Reading & Leeds Festival (27th – 30th), Notting Hill Carnival (29th – 31st August)
7th August – Cycle to Work Day
8th August – International Cat Day
9th August – Book Lovers Day, International Coworking Day
12th August – Total Solar Eclipse
13th August – A-Level results day
14th August – Financial Awareness Day
17th August – Black Cat Appreciation Day
19th August – World Humanitarian Day
21st August – GCSE results day
26th August – Women’s Equality Day, International Dog Day
31st August – Summer bank holiday
September 2026 awareness days
With audiences back from summer, September is a key reset moment in the marketing calendar, ideal for more strategic content and forward-looking campaigns.
Month: Back to school
Weeks: National Inclusion Week (15th – 21st), International Happiness at Work Week (21st – 25th), International Week of the Deaf (20th – 26th)
1st September – Back to school (date varies by council), World Letter Writing Day
4th September – Krishna Janmashtami
8th September – International Literacy Day
9th September – International Sudoku Day
10th September – World Suicide Prevention Day
11th September – Rosh Hashanah
12th September – Stand Up To Cancer Day
14th September – Ganesh Chaturthi, National Hug Your Hound Day
18th September – International Equal Pay Day
20th September – Yom Kippur
21st September – International Day of Peace, World Alzheimer’s Day
3rd September – Bisexual Visibility Day, International Day of Sign Languages
25th September – World’s Biggest Coffee Morning (Macmillan), World Rivers Day
25th September – Sukkot
29th September – World Heart Day, International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
October 2026 awareness days
Time to start getting cosy with carefully crafted content. October is rich in awareness themes and offers brands the opportunity to tackle important topics with sensitivity.
Month: Black History Month, Stoptober, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, ADHD Awareness Month
Weeks: World Space Week (4th – 8th), National Work Life Week (5th – 9th), Dyslexia Awareness Week (6th – 12th)
1st October – World Vegetarian Day
4th October – World Animal Day
5th October – World Teachers’ Day
10th October – World Mental Health Day
11th October – International Day of the Girl
24th October – United Nations Day
29th October – World Stroke Day
31st October – Halloween
November 2026 awareness days
With audiences preparing for year-end and the Christmas build-up in full swing, November suits content that balances celebration and considered commercial messaging.
Month: UK Disability History Month, Islamophobia Awareness Month, Movember
Weeks: International Stress Awareness Week (2nd – 6th), Talk Money Week (2nd – 6th), Transgender Awareness Week (13th – 19th)
1st November – World Vegan Day, All Saints’ Day (Christian)
2nd November – All Souls’ Day (Christian)
5th November – Bonfire Night
8th November – Start of Diwali, Remembrance Sunday
9th November – World Adoption Day
11th November – Armistice Day
13th November – World Kindness Day
14th November – World Diabetes Day, Children in Need
19th November – International Men’s Day
20th November – World Children’s Day
25th November – International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
26th November – Thanksgiving (US)
27th November – Black Friday
30th November – Cyber Monday
December 2026 awareness days
It’s CHRISTMAS! But there’s more to December than the guy in the red suit. End the year with thoughtful content that combines celebration, gratitude and forward-looking intent.
Month: Advent, Decembeard
Weeks: Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week (1st – 7th), National Grief Awareness Week (2nd – 8th)
1st December – World AIDS Day, Sports Personality of the Year, Giving Tuesday
3rd December – International Day for Disabilities
4th December – Wildlife Conservation Day, First day of Hannukah
5th December – International Volunteer Day
10th December – Christmas Jumper Day
12th December – Last day of Hannukah
18th December – International Migrants Day, Avengers: Doomsday (UK release)
21st December – Winter solstice
24th December – Christmas Eve
25th December – Christmas Day
26th December – Kwanzaa begins, Boxing Day
31st December – New Year’s Eve/Hogmanay
