Calendar of annual awareness events

Public advocacy or awareness days can be a great way for museums and galleries to celebrate their collections, engage with audiences, and raise awareness of social causes.

Museums and galleries can join in by sharing content on social media, hosting events, or promoting themselves in the press. 

Below are some days that are likely to be of relevance to Scottish museums and galleries.  

Burns Night (25th January) 

Holocaust Memorial Day (27th January)  

LGBT History Month

National Storytelling Week (31st January – 8th February 2026)

Seachdain na Gàidhlig/World Gaelic Week (23rd February – 1st March 2026)

Women’s History Month

International Women’s Day (8th March) 

British Science Week (6th-15th March 2026) 

Neurodiversity Celebration Week (17th-22nd March 2026)

World Storytelling Day (20th March)

International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (25th March)

Trans Day of Visibility (31st March)

Autism Acceptance Month

World Autism Awareness Day (2nd April)

International Day for Monuments and Sites (World Heritage Day) (18th April)

Earth Day (22nd April)

International Museum Day (18th May) 

Pride Month

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month 

Volunteers’ Week (1st-7th June)

Museum Week (2nd-8th June 2025) 

World Oceans Day (8th June)

Clean Air Day (19th June)

Windrush Day (22nd June)

Disability Pride Month

South Asian Heritage Month (18th July- 17th August) 

South Asian Heritage Month (18th July- 17th August) 

#NoWrongPath (5th August 2025)

World Photography Day (19th August) 

East and South East Asian Heritage Month

Wiki Loves Monuments

World Tourism Day (27th September) 

Scotland’s National Innovation Week (22nd-26th September)

Maths Week Scotland (22nd-28th September)

Scotland’s Climate Week (29th September-5th October 2025) 

National Sporting Heritage Day (30th September) 

Black History Month

Scottish Museums Day (3rd October) 

International Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (17th October)

Book Week Scotland (17th – 23rd November 2025) 

Inclusive Workplaces Week Scotland (17th – 21st November 2025)

Transgender Day of Remembrance (20th November)

St Andrew’s Day (30th November) 

World Aids Day (1st December)

International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime (9th December)

Human Rights Day (10th December)