Close view of a dark red showman's steam engine at night, its brass twisted canopy columns lit by rows of warm festoon bulbs, with a deep blue dusk sky behind.
Photo: Dave_S. · CC BY 2.0
Road · Rail · Water · Soil — the UK show finder

Every engine-powered
day out in the UK

Hundreds of days out on road, rail, water and soil, across thirteen kinds of engine-powered event: truck shows, steam rallies, tractor shows, ploughing matches, tractor runs, fire engine shows, railway galas, canal festivals, digger days, bus running days, military vehicle shows, tram and trolleybus events and model steam, every one checked against the organiser weekly.

Or · covering all of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

🎄 Santa specials are booking now and the good dates sell out by October. 49 railways listed, checked weekly. See every Santa train →

On this week

Full calendar →

Pick your poison

A field of racing trucks thunders downhill through Donington Park's Craner Curves towards the Old Hairpin on the first lap, kicking up dust with crowds lining the sun-parched banking.

Truck Shows

18 events listed →
A line-up of showman's engines glowing with strings of lights in the fairground at night at the Great Dorset Steam Fair, photographed from the big wheel in 2007.

Steam Rallies

28 events listed →
A long line of vintage tractors, including a red International with registration LTK 467, stands on golden stubble at the Great Dorset Steam Fair, flags flying above and chalk downland on the horizon.

Tractor Shows

17 events listed →
Two Shire horses in polished brass-trimmed harness stand over stubble at the Surrey County Ploughing Match, a vintage trailing plough waiting on the ground behind them.

Ploughing Matches

24 events listed →
A convoy of vintage tractors led by a blue Fordson Dexta and a red Massey Ferguson drives through the village of Lavenham in Suffolk under a bright, cloud-filled sky.

Tractor Runs

53 events listed →
Preserved Dennis fire engines on public display among serving emergency vehicles at Eastleigh 999 Day, Hampshire, May 2026.

Fire Engine Shows

8 events listed →
A steam locomotive hauls the Jacobite train across the curved stone arches of Glenfinnan Viaduct, white exhaust trailing back over the maroon carriages with Highland hills beyond.

Railway Events

110 events listed →
Mist hanging over a still canal at dawn beneath a wooden footbridge, moored narrowboats fading into the haze with woodsmoke rising from a stove chimney.

Canal & Waterway Events

30 events listed →
Crew in orange and white overalls load coal onto the corrugated-clad 1909 Ruston steam excavator as black smoke pours from its chimney, with a yellow Matbro loader alongside below a rocky hillside.

Plant & Digger Events

10 events listed →
Two red Routemaster double-deckers facing each other on a concrete crossing point in open downland, with passengers standing beside them under a dramatic cloudy sky

Bus & Coach Events

42 events listed →
A Challenger 2 tank crosses the Bovington arena with thousands of spectators filling the banked grandstand behind it

Military Vehicle Events

13 events listed →
Blackpool's warship-shaped illuminated tram 736 covered in fairground bulbs at night, driver at the wheel under the Illuminations Tour sign

Tram & Trolleybus Events

14 events listed →
Couple riding a red-wheeled miniature showman's engine with white canopy across a sun-bleached rally field, full-size traction engines and a helter-skelter in the distance

Model & Miniature Steam

14 events listed →
Vehicles and machinery lined up across a field ahead of a farm auction

Vintage & Classic Auctions

9 events listed →

Coming up

Everything by month →
The Weekly Runsheet

The shows near you,
every Thursday

The Weekly Runsheet lands every Thursday: what's on near your postcode over the coming weekends, what's new, and anything cancelled or moved since last week. One short email, no filler, and you can unsubscribe any time.

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390events tracked
78counties covered
6kinds of show
7day check cycle

Know before you go

All guides →
Close view of a dark red showman's steam engine at night, its brass twisted canopy columns lit by rows of warm festoon bulbs, with a deep blue dusk sky behind.

What actually happens at your first truck show

Read the guide →
Close view of a dark red showman's steam engine at night, its brass twisted canopy columns lit by rows of warm festoon bulbs, with a deep blue dusk sky behind.

How to get the most out of a steam rally

Read the guide →
Close view of a dark red showman's steam engine at night, its brass twisted canopy columns lit by rows of warm festoon bulbs, with a deep blue dusk sky behind.

Ploughing matches explained

Read the guide →

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of events does TractionAction list?

Truck shows, steam rallies, tractor shows, ploughing matches, tractor runs and fire engine shows, anywhere in the UK. That runs from three-day weekends like the Bedfordshire Steam & Country Fayre in September down to a Sunday morning ploughing match in a farmer's field.

How do you check the dates are right?

Every event happening in the next 60 days gets checked weekly against the organiser's own website or page, and we fix anything that has moved or been cancelled. Where an annual fixture has not announced next year's date yet, we mark it as TBC rather than guessing.

How much do these events cost to get into?

Most sit between free and about £15 for an adult day ticket, and plenty (tractor runs, some ploughing matches, fire station open days) cost nothing to watch. From the current listings, the Yorkshire Traction Engine Rally has day tickets from £6 and the Weald of Kent Ploughing Match is £10 in advance with under-12s free.

Can I bring my dog?

Usually yes, on a lead, but it varies by event, so check the organiser link on each listing before you set off. Bear in mind steam rallies are loud and shadeless, and not every dog wants to stand next to a traction engine whistle for six hours.

What happens if it rains?

Nearly all of these events run in the rain; it is the ground giving way under car parking that cancels things, not the weather itself. Bring wellies from September onwards, and if a field does become undriveable the organiser announces it on their own channels, which are linked from every listing.

Can I camp at these events?

At the bigger multi-day steam rallies and truck shows, usually yes, with public camping or exhibitor pitches booked through the organiser. One-day ploughing matches and tractor runs generally have no camping at all, and where it exists it normally needs booking ahead rather than turning up.