The UK’s top arable farming event, Cereals, will return to the Cotswolds on June 10–11, 2026, at Diddly Squat Farm, nearly fifty years after it began as Barley ’79.
The history of the event dates back to 1979, when Barley ’79 was founded with assistance from Professor John Wibberley of the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester. The ground-breaking event was designed to highlight how four trailblazing farmers doubled winter barley yields, something many at the time thought was impossible. The success generated interest across the country and set the stage for Cereals, which is today acknowledged as the biggest arable farming event in the UK.
Richard Ward, a Cotswold farm manager and former RAU student who was present at the initial event, remembers the euphoria surrounding those early production breakthroughs. “Those four farmers were doing something no one thought was possible,” he said. “Barley ’79 was about understanding how they achieved such remarkable results. It brought together farmers from across the country and created a model that has continued every year since.”
Cereals 2026 is anticipated to draw over 25,000 attendees and over 650 exhibitors, making it one of the biggest events on the UK agricultural calendar. Highlights include the KWS-sponsored Seed to Shelf Stage, the Tees Law-sponsored BASE-UK Regenerative Ag Stage, the Michelmores-sponsored Young Farmers Program, the Nofence Livestock Zone, the Nick Young Tractor Parts-sponsored Kaleb’s Corner, and the Syngenta & CropLife Sprays & Sprayers Arena.
Practical knowledge exchange continues to be the event’s core focus, according to Alli McEntyre-Gaharan, director of the Cereals event.
“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,” she said. “That is just as relevant today as it was in 1979.”
She continued by saying that holding the event at Diddly Squat Farm offers a chance to emphasise the significance of contemporary arable farming while upholding the technical focus that has characterised Cereals throughout its existence.
The relocation to Diddly Squat Farm has sparked a lot of interest from the general public as well as the agricultural community. The organisers stress that Cereals is still committed to helping farmers, producers, agronomists, contractors, and companies that produce food in the United Kingdom.
Richard Ward observed that although farming innovations have altered significantly since Barley ’79, the industry’s demand for shared knowledge has not.
“Cereals is the event farmers have been turning to for innovation and insights across the decades and continues to be the premier event for the arable sector,” he said.
Cereals 2026 will highlight the breakthroughs influencing UK farming in the future, from advancements in crop genetics and agronomy to regenerative agriculture, precision spraying, machinery technology, and farm business management.
Nearly half a century after Barley ’79, the event still upholds its original goals of assisting farmers in identifying areas for future growth and guaranteeing that the sector will continue to be robust, competitive, and productive for many years to come.
