The Big Draw Festival

The Big Draw Festival 2026 is here! We are so excited to bring you this year's Festival, 'Make a Mark'. Scroll down to find out more about this year's Festival theme, and how to get involved.

The Big Draw Festival is the world’s largest celebration of drawing, bringing people together through the power of creativity. Whether you’re an individual, school, museum, care home, heritage site, or community centre, The Big Draw Festival provides a platform to explore drawing in all its forms.

The Big Draw Festival 2026: Make a Mark!

This year's Festival turns the focus to the act of creation itself. In 2026 we are celebrating drawing not only as a visual language, but a form of playful inquiry, reflection and expression!

#TheBigDraw #BDF2026 #MakeaMark

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About The Big Draw Festival

Since its launch in 2000, The Big Draw Festival has championed drawing as a universal language and a powerful tool for learning, self-expression, and innovation. Every October, organisers across the globe sign up to be part of the festival, hosting everything from hands-on workshops and exhibitions to large-scale collaborative projects. Find events near you!

The Big Draw Festival is made up of thousands of drawing activities that connect people of all ages with schools, galleries, museums, libraries, heritage sites, village halls, refugee organisations, outdoor spaces, artists, scientists, designers, illustrators, inventors and each other.

Whether you’re looking to engage new audiences, inspire others, or simply celebrate the joy of drawing, The Big Draw Festival is your chance to join a worldwide movement that promotes creativity and wellbeing.

Interested in taking part? Check out our subscription package here.

When and where does it take place?

The Big Draw Festival takes place every October, but the fun doesn’t stop there! An annual subscription to The Big Draw Festival offers organisers the chance to list unlimited events on The Big Draw website, so you’ll find Big Draw activities happening all year round.

Launched in London in 2000, the Festival has since grown into a global movement. Over the past decade, organisations in more than 35 countries have hosted events as part of The Big Draw Festival. Wherever you are, check our events page to see what’s happening near you!

Who can organise an event?

Put simply: anyone can! The Big Draw Festival is open to everyone, from experienced organisations to first-time event planners. This includes artists, scientists, illustrators, galleries, museums, libraries, schools, care homes, community centres, heritage sites, village halls, refugee organisations, outdoor spaces and more.

If you already have an exciting programme of events, The Big Draw Festival is a great platform to showcase and promote them to a wider audience. And if you’re new to hosting creative events, we’re here to support you every step of the way! We provide helpful resources, advice, and case studies to guide you in planning and delivering a successful event, no matter your experience level. Our goal is simple: we want to get everyone drawing!

When should we sign up and what are the fees?

Subscriptions for The Big Draw Festival 2026 opened on Monday 19th January, and run until the end of December 2026. While the festival itself takes place from 1st-31st October, your subscription entitles you to unlimited event listings on The Big Draw website all year round!

You can sign up at any time, but the sooner you do, the more you can take advantage of the resources, benefits, and exposure on The Big Draw website to share your activities and events as part of your wider programming.

Subscription fees start at £12 per year for individual organisers. For the second year in a row, The Big Draw is waiving the fee for non-fee paying schools to make participation even more accessible! Schools are an integral part of the festival, and we hope to see more than ever inspired to get involved in 2026.

Festival Partner Packages and Sponsorship Packages are also available during The Big Draw Festival.

Interested in taking part, or want to find out more? Get in touch with us!

Why is there a fee to sign up?

The Big Draw is a very small charity with a very wide reach. Without any public subsidy, we rely on you, our organisers, to keep The Big Draw Festival going. You are not only taking part in The World's Biggest Drawing Festival, you are supporting our charity and joining a movement heralding the vital role of drawing in our schools, workplaces, healthcare settings and beyond.

Fees start at £12 (inc. VAT) for individual organisers, with partner packages starting at £480 (inc. VAT). The fee for non-fee paying schools has been waived for the second year in a row!

Festival Partner Packages and Sponsorship Packages are available throughout The Big Draw Festival.

If you want to find out more about our subscription tiers and pricing, check out our 2026 Subscription Package here. If you have questions, get in touch with us!