
Key times and dates for 2026
Wednesday 1st July - Get inspired, get involved!
Full schedule of events starting from 15:30, hosted at iconic venues across Margate including; welcome drinks at the Sea Shed, the hotly contested UKCF Sandcastle competition, Graham Fink's TheArtSchool, Creative Town Hall special at the Turner Contemporary + much more TBA. Day 1 ends with our official opening party, grab a cocktail and enjoy the spectacular sunset sea views.
Thursday 2nd July - Ideas. Inspiration. Impact.
Ease into the day with a variety of wellness activities including our seafront saunas, before taking on a full schedule of events hosted at Dreamland from 09:30. The day includes a jam packed schedule of thought-provoking talks, workshops, our Creative Careers Fair, Creative Circle Talent Awards, live music, networking and cocktail drinking opportunities + much more.
Plus:
One of the highlights of the two days, the Creative Circle Awards - welcome drinks at 18:00, awards 18:30 to 22:30 followed by the official Creative Circle afterparty - entry to awards requires a Creative Circle Awards ticket.
Immerse yourself in two days of unmissable content.
Thus 2nd July

New Talent & Short Film Awards

Off The Record - Meet & Mingle In The Pub

TheArtSchool with Graham Fink
Host: Graham Fink. Special guests Vicki Maguire & Rory Sutherland.
Wed 1st
14:00 - 1700
Ballroom
at Dreamland
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Collect your accreditation
Hosts: The UK Creative Festival
Wed 1st
15:00 - 17:00
Sea Shed
around Margate
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The Margate Drop - Kick of the Festival in style
Powered by Dont Miss Margate and Bauer Media Outdoor UK
Wed 1st
15:00 - 18:00
Sea Shed
around Margate
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Sandcastle Comp
Powered by: Bauer Media Outdoor UK. Built by Plunge Creations
Wed 1st
16:00 -17:30
Sea Shed
around Margate
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Drop In Cold Plunge & Sauna
Hosts: Sea Scrub Sauna Margate
Wed 1st
16:30 - 18:30
Main Sands Sauna
around Margate
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Creative Town Hall
Powered by Global Media & Entertainment
Special guest speakers to be announced...
Wed 1st
18:00 - 21:00
Turner Contemporary
around Margate
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Steak & Frites Night at the Opening Party
Hosts: The UK Creative Festival
Wed 1st
18:30 - 20:30
Faith In Strangers
around Margate
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Opening Party
Hosts: The UK Creative Festival
Wed 1st
20:30 - 00:30
Faith In Strangers
around Margate
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Yoga - Morning Movement
Thurs 2nd
07:30 - 08:30
Main Sands Sauna
around Margate
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Drop In Cold Plunge & Sauna
Hosts: Sea Scrub Sauna Margate
Thurs 2nd
08:30 - 09:30
Main Sands Sauna
around Margate
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Building Creative Futures: In partnership with Kent County Council
(Invitational Roundtable)
Thurs 2nd
09:00 - 10:45
Ballroom
at Dreamland
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Doors open
Hosts: The UK Creative Festival
Thurs 2nd
09:30
All venues
at Dreamland
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The Best of British Exhibition
Brought to you by the UK Creative Festival and Creative Circle
Thurs 2nd
09:30 - 16:00
Dreamlands
at Dreamland
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So You Want to Be a YouTuber?
Hosted by:
Will Perez, Steven Bartlett's Lead Filmmaker, Editor & Photographer
Thurs 2nd
10:00 - 11:00
Beach Hut 1
at Dreamland
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The Future is Entertainment: Why Brands need your Ideas
Hosted by:
Connor McRae, Head of Branded Entertainment, Lemonade Labs
Thurs 2nd
10:00 - 11:00
Beach Hut 4
at Dreamland
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Careers Fair
Brought to you by Global Media & Entertainment, and hosts and speakers from across the creative industries.
Thurs 2nd
10:00 - 15:30
Roller Disco
at Dreamland
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Welcome
Speakers: Dina Green, Founder, UK Creative Festival; Polly Billington, MP for East Thanet
Thurs 2nd
11:00 - 11:05
Hall by the Sea
at Dreamland
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Flock to our graphic designer habitat (with Swwwift.io)
Hosted by Swwwift.io - more details to follow
Thurs 2nd
11:00 - 12:00
Beach Hut 4
at Dreamland
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So you want to....be a Visual Merchandiser, Consultant or Stylist?
Hosted by:
Barbara Chapman, Visual Merchandiser
Thurs 2nd
11:00 - 12:00
Beach Hut 1
at Dreamland
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Health is Everything: why working in healthcare is a great career
Hosted by:
Omnicom Health
Thurs 2nd
11:00 - 12:00
Beach Hut 3
at Dreamland
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Think in Ink
Hosted by:
Ketan Lad, Founder & Creative Thinker, Eureka Creativity
Thurs 2nd
11:00 - 12:00
Beach Hut 2
at Dreamland
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Wake Up, Creative Britian
Speaker: Shaniqua Benjamin, Writer, Poet & Facilitator
Thurs 2nd
11:15 - 11:20
Hall by the Sea
at Dreamland
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What Brands are Really Buying in 2026
Speakers: Announced Soon
Thurs 2nd
11:20 - 11:50
Ballroom
at Dreamland
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WTF is happening to UK creativity?
Leah Brown FRSA, Founder & CEO, The Wayfinders Group
Nokuthula Hatoongo, Founder & Director, Kintsugi Creative
Graham Fink, Creative Director & Multimedia Artist
Laura JB, Founder and CCO, Unchartered
Miketta Lane, Director, 4Creative
Thurs 2nd
11:20 - 12:00
Hall by the Sea
at Dreamland
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Beyond The Agency:
What It Takes To Work Client Direct
Speakers:
Steve Davies, CEO, APA (chair)
Anissa Payne, Executive Producer, NM Productions
Ben Ingle, Business Director, Stink Studios
Chris O'Reilly, Co-founder and CCO Nexus
Thurs 2nd
11:50 - 12:30
Ballroom
at Dreamland
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So you want to....Produce Music for Film & TV
Hosted by:
Lorna Hall, Senior Music Supervisor, Lala Music
Emily Richardson, Executive Creative Director, Lala Music
Thurs 2nd
12:00 - 13:00
Beach Hut 1
at Dreamland
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Inside Creative Advertising: From Portfolio to Agency (and the things we wish i've known earlier!)
Hosted by:
Aishah Siddique, Creative, Mother London
Anisa Abdurahman, Creative, Mother London
Thurs 2nd
12:00 - 13:00
Beach Hut 4
at Dreamland
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details coming soon...
Hosted by:
Ethan Odle and Fred Ashworth, Native Music
Thurs 2nd
12:00 - 13:00
Beach Hut 3
at Dreamland
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The People Who Changed Things Were Usually Difficult
Speaker: Shaniqua Benjamin, Writer, Poet & Facilitator
Thurs 2nd
12:45 - 12:50
Hall by the Sea
at Dreamland
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New Talent & Short Film Awards
Hosts: The Creative Circle
Thurs 2nd
13:00 - 14:00
Dodgems
at Dreamland
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Lunch
Grab yourself a bite to eat from various food trucks including T’s Tacos, Sunshine in Every Bite and Birdie Macs, Fried Chicken That Rules the Roost! All servered within Dreamland.
Thurs 2nd
13:00 - 14:00
Various catering
at Dreamland
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So you want to.... Be a Creative but you don't know what you want to do?!
Hosted by:
Jed Dixon, Growth Director, EP Studios
Thurs 2nd
13:00 - 14:00
Beach Hut 1
at Dreamland
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Photography and storytelling, with Mads Penfold
Hosted by:
Mads Penfold, Photographer & Storyteller
Thurs 2nd
13:00 - 14:00
Beach Hut 4
at Dreamland
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Understanding the different types of ideas.
Hosted by:
Mike Nicholson, Professional Mentor / ECD at the School of Communication Arts 2.0
Thurs 2nd
13:00 - 14:00
Beach Hut 3
at Dreamland
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The Busking Stage
Programmed by Jit Exotic
Thurs 2nd
13:00 - 16:00
Dremalands
at Dreamland
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Designing Worlds: where the future of creativity is being built
Speakers: Announced Soon
Thurs 2nd
13:20 - 13:50
Hall by the Sea
at Dreamland
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How Creative Businesses actually Scale
Speakers:
Louise Brooks, Founder & Exec Director, Ramsgate Space (chair)
Georgina Wilson-Powell, Founder, Don't Miss Media Group
Rupert Reynolds-Maclean, MD, Biscuit Filmworks
Nick Simmons, Investment Portfolio Manager, Creative UK
Thurs 2nd
13:30 - 14:15
Ballroom
at Dreamland
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The Hijinks Creativity Bootcamp
Wokshop hosts announced soon...
Thurs 2nd
14:00 - 15:00
Beach Hut 3
at Dreamland
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Coming soon...
Hosted by:
C4 Creative Team
Thurs 2nd
14:00 - 16:00
Beach Hut 2
at Dreamland
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The Creator Economy:
What Creative Businesses Need to Understand Now
Hosted by Anna Cronin
Thurs 2nd
14:15 - 14:45
Ballroom
at Dreamland
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A Love Letter to the Fearless
Speaker: Shaniqua Benjamin, Writer, Poet & Facilitator
Thurs 2nd
14:20 - 14:25
Hall by the Sea
at Dreamland
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Earning Attention: the future belongs to the creatively fearless
Hosted by Global and featuring:
James Hodson & Jason Keet, Leo Burnett
Freddy Taylor & Philippa Beaumont, Wieden+Kennedy
and presenters from BBH and Mother London
Thurs 2nd
14:25 - 14:55
Hall by the Sea
at Dreamland
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How to Find and Support Young Talent
Speakers: Announced Soon
Thurs 2nd
14:45 - 15:30
Ballroom
at Dreamland
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Creative Collision: what happens when creative worlds collide
Speakers:
Catriona Ejegi-Memeh, Head of Impact Programmes, WIRED Consulting (Chair)
Caroline Sparkes, Director of Global Brand Marketing, Sparks
Calypso Newman, Founder, Rock Badger
Holy Boka, Director, Young Directors UK
Thurs 2nd
15:20 - 15:40
Hall by the Sea
at Dreamland
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Closing thoughts
Speaker: Dina Green, Founder, UK Creative Festival
Thurs 2nd
15:40 - 15:45
Hall by the Sea
at Dreamland
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UKCF Social Gathering takes over the Infamous George & Heart
Hosts: The UK Creative Festival and Global
Thurs 2nd
16:00 until late
The George & Heart
around Margate
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Creative Circle Awards Welcome Drinks
Hosts: The Creative Circle
Thurs 2nd
17:00 - 18:00
Roller Disco
at Dreamland
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Creative Circle Awards
Hosts: The Creative Circle
Thurs 2nd
18:00 - 22:30
Scenic Stage
at Dreamland
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Creative Circle Talent Awards After Party
Hosts: The Creative Circle
Thurs 2nd
22:30 - 02:00
Cinque Ports
around Margate
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