Hull Fair 2026: Dates, Times and What Local Residents Need to Know

You know autumn has properly arrived in Hull when the lights start going up around Walton Street. The evenings are darker, it's getting cold, and then one day the rides are suddenly there on the skyline.

Plenty of us have been going to Hull Fair for as long as we can remember. Some people go for the rides, some for the food, some to take the kids, and some just to wander round and soak it up. Whatever your reason, it's back.

When is Hull Fair 2026?

The fair opens on Friday 9th October and runs until Saturday 17th October. It's closed on Sunday 11th. The Lord Mayor will open it with the traditional bell ringing at 4pm on the Friday.

• Friday 9th: 4pm to 11pm
• Saturday 10th: 12 noon to 11pm
• Sunday 11th: closed
• Monday 12th to Friday 16th: 2pm to 11pm
• Saturday 17th: 12 noon to 11pm

You'll find it on Walton Street, HU3 6JU.

Over 700 years of history

This will be the 732nd Hull Fair, which makes it one of the oldest and biggest travelling fairs in Europe. That's a long time for a fair to keep coming back.

It means different things to different people. Many parents now taking their own kids remember being taken by their mums, dads or grandparents. People who've moved away still think of October as Walton Street, fairground lights and the argument over who does the best patties, chips and brandy snap.

What's on this year

It's easy to underestimate the size of it until you're standing in the middle. The fair covers around 16 acres and has more than 300 attractions, from rollercoasters and white-knuckle rides to old-fashioned games and bingo. There are over 80 children's rides too, so it isn't only for thrill seekers.

I think the mix is what makes it work. The new rides get bigger, faster and more frightening every year, but they sit alongside things that earlier generations of Hull people would recognise straight away. And half the fun is the smell of the food stalls and the noise. You'll almost certainly go home with more food than you meant to buy.

Living near the fair

We spend most of our week at Pink Property dealing with lettings, repairs, inspections and rent, but property is really about where people live. The character of the neighbourhoods is a big part of why we like working in Hull and East Yorkshire, and Hull Fair is a good example. For just over a week, a huge fair appears in the middle of the city. You see the rides going up as you drive along Anlaby Road or Spring Bank West, traffic changes, and the kids at school are all talking about who went on what.

If you live around Walton Street, Anlaby Road, Spring Bank West or St George's Road, you'll feel it more than most. Expect more traffic, more people on foot and a lot more pressure on parking.

Road closures and parking restrictions start on Tuesday 6th October, three days before the fair opens. Walton Street will be closed to normal traffic from 6am that day until 3pm on Sunday 18th October. Several surrounding streets go permit-holders-only for the duration, including Paisley Street, Lonsdale Street, Perry Street, Ruskin Street, Arthur Street and Little Anlaby Road. Allow extra time for journeys.

Getting there

Driving right up to the fair is rarely worth the hassle. Last year the council ran limited parking at the MKM Stadium for £6 a car, with extra buses and park-and-ride from Priory Park and the Humber Bridge car parks. Similar arrangements are usually in place, but check the council's Hull Fair page for this year's details before you set off. There's normally cycle parking at the Tigers Trust Arena too, near the security office.

If you live close enough, walking is usually the easiest option.

An odd Sunday

The fair is shut on Sunday 11th, as it always is, but Hull City are at home to Everton at the MKM that day. Walton Street stays closed to traffic anyway, so the area around Anlaby Road and the stadium could still be very busy. Plan ahead, and use public transport if you can.

A note for landlords

If you own a property within walking distance of Walton Street, a few small steps are worth taking. Most of the time nothing goes wrong, but fair week brings a lot of extra people into the area.

• Tell tenants about the parking restrictions, especially if they normally park on the surrounding streets. Newer tenants may not realise how much the area changes.
• Make sure bins are secured and access routes are clear.
• If you let an HMO, remind residents not to let big groups of visitors gather in the communal areas just because the house is handy for the fair.

None of it needs to be formal. It's ordinary good management when a lot of extra people pass through the area in a week.

The fair and the rental market

Walton Street sits next to some of Hull's most established rental areas. Around Anlaby Road, Spring Bank West and HU3 you'll find terraces, HMOs, flats and larger family homes, and many of them have been let for decades.

If you're investing in Hull, knowing these neighbourhoods matters as much as knowing yields and purchase prices. A map tells you how far a property is from the city centre. It won't tell you which roads clog up in fair week, where people end up parking, or how local events affect your tenants. That's why we think a managing agent who actually knows the area is worth having.

More than rides and lights

You could describe the fair by its numbers: 300 attractions, 16 acres, crowds every night. But that isn't why people love it. It's the first sight of the rides going up, the glow over west Hull after dark, and the smell of the food as you get closer. It's the child who's definitely brave enough for the big ride until they reach the front of the queue, and the adult who's only popping in for a quick look and gets home three hours later with a bag of sweets and a much lighter wallet. It happens every year, and that's how a tradition lasts more than seven centuries.

Enjoy Hull Fair 2026

It's on from Friday 9th to Saturday 17th October, except Sunday. If you live nearby, remember the road restrictions begin before the fair does, so check your route. And if you're one of our tenants near Walton Street, enjoy having one of Europe's biggest fairs on your doorstep, though we suspect the novelty of the traffic may wear off by the final Saturday.

From all of us at Pink Property, have a great Hull Fair. We'll leave the big rides to the brave ones.

Pink Property has been helping landlords, tenants and property owners across Hull and East Yorkshire since 2012. If you're thinking of letting a property, changing managing agent, or just want straightforward advice on the local rental market, our team would be happy to help.