2Feb
The Doe Show 2027
Ernest Doe & Sons head office, Ulting, Maldon · Essex
Plant Free Tue 2 – Thu 4 Feb 2027
Photo: ARG_Flickr · CC BY 2.0
3 dated · 3 awaiting dates
UK Plant & Digger Events 2026 & 2027
Next up: The Doe Show 2027 — Tue 2 – Thu 4 Feb 2027, Essex.
Before anything hauls, something digs. The canals were cut by hand, the railway cuttings by steam navvy, and the motorways by machines whose direct descendants you can watch working today. Plant events are where the digging side of the traction story lives: excavators, draglines, cranes and crawlers, ideally with engines running and buckets full rather than parked in a row.
The listings split three ways. Working weekends put vintage machines back on the job, and the Vintage Excavator Trust's weekends at Threlkeld Quarry in Cumbria (19 and 20 September 2026, then spring 2027) are the best of them, with steam navvies digging a real quarry face. Digger days are the family end, including the free Oddball walking dragline open days at St Aidan's near Leeds in September. Shows and expos cover the big machinery events, from Vertikal Days at Newark on 9 and 10 September 2026 to PlantWorx in Birmingham on 22 to 24 June 2027.
Families are welcome at most of this. Machines are loud, so pack ear defenders for small children, and assume proper boots: these events happen in quarries, showgrounds and fields, not car parks. Every listing has a confirmed date and postcode, checked weekly, and new dates go out in the Thursday Runsheet email as they are confirmed.
Browse by type
February 2027
10Feb
June 2027
22Jun
PlantWorx 2027
NEC Birmingham, Halls 17-20 and outside area, Birmingham · West Midlands
Plant Tue 22 – Thu 24 Jun 2027Annual fixtures — dates being confirmed
TBCMay
Vintage Excavator Trust Spring Working Weekend 2027 at Threlkeld Quarry
Threlkeld Quarry & Mining Museum, Threlkeld · Cumbria
Plant Museum admissionTBCApr
TBCJun
These events run most years but the organiser has not confirmed the next date yet. We check weekly and date them the moment they are announced. Get the weekly email and you will not miss it.
Same crowd, different engines: military vehicle events · canal events
Plant & Digger Events: your questions answered
Are plant and digger events suitable for children?
Mostly, yes, and small children are often the keenest visitors there. Working weekends and open days keep the public at a sensible distance from moving machinery, and have-a-go digger days exist precisely for kids. Bring ear defenders, because a steam navvy at full chat is genuinely loud.
What is a working weekend?
An event where a museum or trust runs its vintage machines properly, digging and loading rather than sitting on display. The best known are the Vintage Excavator Trust weekends at Threlkeld Quarry near Keswick, next on 19 and 20 September 2026, where steam and early diesel excavators work a real quarry face.
Why is Diggerland not listed?
Because it is a permanent theme park, not a dated event. Diggerland opens all season and you can go any weekend, while this directory lists things you have to catch on the right date. If a digger event has a date and a postcode, it is here.
When is the next big plant show?
Vertikal Days at Newark on 9 and 10 September 2026 for cranes and access platforms, then PlantWorx in Birmingham on 22 to 24 June 2027 for construction kit demonstrated live. Further out, Hillhead returns to its working quarry near Buxton in June 2028.
Are trade plant shows open to the public?
Some are. The Doe Show at Maldon (2 to 4 February 2027) has free entry and parking and welcomes families, and shows like Vertikal Days and No-Dig Live just want a free registration. The Executive Hire Show in Coventry is approved trade visitors only, and each listing says which rules apply.
What should we wear to a plant event?
Boots and layers. Quarries and showgrounds are muddy, uneven and exposed, and the weather does not stop the digging. Ear defenders for young children are worth the pocket space at any event with steam machines or live demos.
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