Cereals 2026 will bring the UK’s leading arable event to Diddly Squat Farm on June 10-11, almost five decades after its origins in the Cotswolds as Barley ’79.
Almost 50 years ago, Professor John Wibberley, then working at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, helped create Barley ’79, the event which would eventually become Cereals.
The original event was born out of an almost unthinkable practical farming breakthrough. Four farmers had discovered how to double the yield of winter barley, and Barley ’79 was established to share the knowledge, techniques and thinking behind their success.
That same purpose remains at the heart of Cereals today and continues to bring thousands of farmers, agronomists, researchers, manufacturers, advisers and the wider supply chain together to discover the next generation of ideas that can help UK arable businesses become more productive, resilient and profitable.
Cotswold farm manager Richard Ward was involved in Barley ‘79 while a student at RAU. He says: “Those four farmers were doing something no-one thought was possible. They were getting 10 tonnes per hectare from winter wheat. Barley ’79 was about understanding how they were doing something so remarkable.
“It was an incredible event and brought people together from across the country. No-one had done a national event like that before.
“It was so successful that there has been some sort of Cereals event every year since and that has evolved into what we have today. It’s fantastic to see it return to the Cotswolds and to have the nation’s farmers coming together here again.”
Over the past five decades, Cereals has grown from a specialist technical event into the biggest arable event in the UK farming calendar. This year, more than 25,000 farmers and over 650 exhibitors are expected at the event, which will be held at Diddly Squat Farm on June 10 and 11.
The 2026 event will combine the technical pedigree for which Cereals is known with a range of new features designed to attract, inform and support the next generation of farmers and rural businesses.
Alongside its programme of crop plots, machinery, business advice, demonstrations and technical content, Cereals 2026 will include the Seed to Shelf Stage sponsored by KWS, the BASE-UK Regenerative Ag Stage sponsored by Tees Law, the Young Farmers Programme sponsored by Michelmores, the Nofence Livestock Zone, Kaleb’s Corner sponsored by Nick Young Tractor Parts, and the Syngenta & CropLife Sprays & Sprayers Arena.
The Sprays & Sprayers element has become a major part of Cereals’ modern identity since the dedicated spraying event merged with Cereals in the early 2000s, adding further technical depth and strengthening the event’s role as a showcase for best practice, precision application, machinery innovation and crop protection expertise.
Cereals event director Alli McEntyre-Gaharan said the event’s success has always been rooted in practical knowledge exchange.
“Cereals was founded on the idea that farmers should be able to see innovation first-hand, speak directly to experts and take home ideas that can make a measurable difference on farm,” says Alli.
“That is just as relevant today as it was in 1979. The challenges facing UK farming have changed, but the need for practical answers, technical excellence and trusted industry connections has never been greater.
“Bringing Cereals to Diddly Squat Farm gives us an opportunity to put arable farming in the spotlight, while retaining the professionalism, pedigree and technical focus that have made the event such an important date in the farming calendar.”
The move to Diddly Squat Farm has attracted significant interest across the agricultural sector and beyond. Organisers say the event remains firmly focused on its core audience of farmers, growers, agronomists, contractors and the businesses that support UK food production.
Richard Ward adds: “That breakthrough by the four farmers will likely never be seen again. It’s hard to convey just how incredible it was to see yields doubled like that at the time. The reality is that Diddly Squat farm would likely struggle to get 10 tonnes per hectare from winter barley today.
“Farming innovation has continued to change since the first Barley ’79 but the need to share knowledge and help grow the UK farming sector has remained the same. Cereals is the event farmers have been turning too for innovation and insights across the decades and continues to be the premier event for the arable sector. This year will be no different and I know farmers across the country are looking forward to attending once again.”
From a winter barley breakthrough in the Cotswolds to the latest advances in crop genetics, agronomy, machinery, regenerative agriculture, precision spraying, finance and farm business management, Cereals continues to reflect the changing needs of UK arable farming.
Nearly half a century on from Barley ’79, the event remains built around the same principle: showing farmers where the next gains can be found. Farmers can now register for tickets at www.thecerealsevent.co.uk.
Cereals is a business-to-business event and registrations will go through an approval process. Members of organisations including BASE-UK, Farmers Weekly, the National Association of Agricultural Contractors and the National Farmers Union will be automatically approved and receive a discount with their membership number.
To manage traffic, comprehensive traffic measures will be in place and visitors are being asked to choose a preferred entrance date and time. New for 2026, visitors can also book a seat on a Cereals Bus from key locations across the UK, helping to reduce traffic and giving farmers priority access on arrival.
