25–26 July 2026 Westgate Gardens / Westgate Square / Toddler's Cove / The Guildhall Free entry. Two days. Four zones. One brilliant weekend.

Ten weeks. That's all that's left between now and the Canterbury City Show. The programme is largely set, the site plans are coming together, and behind the scenes a small army of local businesses and organisations are quietly making it all possible.

Today we want to introduce three of them properly, because this event wouldn't happen without them.

Mental Health Matters

Mental Health Matters runs Safe Haven Canterbury on Military Road — an out-of-hours mental health service open evenings and weekends, no appointment needed, no referral, just walk in and talk. It's run by people with lived experience, and it is quietly one of the most important services in this city.

They're one of our headline charity partners for 2026. They'll be at the show across the weekend, and we'd urge everyone to stop by, say hello to Erge and the team, and find out more about what they do.

Canterbury Christ Church University

CCCU has been woven into Canterbury for decades — thousands of students and staff living, working, and volunteering across the city. They've come on board as a sponsor this year, and we're exploring ways for staff and students to get stuck in across the weekend.

It's the kind of partnership that makes sense for a community show: a civic institution backing a civic event.

St Dunstan's Dental Practice

Fifty years. That's how long St Dunstan's has been looking after Canterbury's teeth. Based in the heart of the city, they've grown from a local practice into a specialist referral centre offering everything from general dentistry to implants, Invisalign, sedation, and oral surgery.

Five decades in one city says everything about the trust they've earned. We're really pleased to have Lynsey and the team with us.

Did you know?

The Canterbury City Show is run entirely by volunteers. No paid staff, no agency, no event management company. Just a small team of local people who believe Canterbury deserves a brilliant free festival. Every sponsor, every stallholder booking, every volunteer hour is what makes the whole thing real.

If you'd like to join them, there's a link further down.

What's new since last time

A quick programme update for those following along: The Sports Zone programme is now complete, with UK Pro Wrestling running four shows daily, plus activities from Kent Cricket, minigolf and Zumba from the University of Kent, and axe throwing with the Prince of Wales Youth Club. And we're finalising some Children's Literature Festival sessions at the Guildhall for Sunday.

That's it for fresh confirmations — lots more still to lock in.

By the numbers

There's still room

If your business or organisation wants to be part of Canterbury's biggest community weekend, we have a handful of sponsorship slots remaining. Website placement, social media reach across 130,000+ members, printed materials, and proper on-the-day visibility.

Email edd@canterburycityshow.co.uk or visit canterburycityshow.co.uk/sponsors.

With thanks to every organisation backing the show

Canterbury BID · Lenleys Home · Canterbury City Council · Kent County Council · Whitefriars · Omicron Repro · Mayah's Legacy · Mental Health Matters · Meta · Canterbury Christ Church University · Hannah Croft IBCLC · Westgate One · Lifestyle Fitness Canterbury · Rotary Canterbury Clubs · University of Kent · TinyTalk Kent Downs · Take Off · St Dunstan's Dental Practice · The St Lawrence Clinic

Register as a stallholder, performer, or volunteer at canterburycityshow.co.uk

Know someone who'd want to be part of this? Forward this email.

Thanks for supporting the Canterbury City Show.