International Women’s Day 2026: the best events to book
International Women’s Day 2026 takes place on Sunday 8 March, with a range of events scheduled to take place across the capital. Events earmarking the annual event will celebrate female stories and protest against longstanding inequalities.
Many more International Women’s Day 2026 events will be announced, but for now here are six that stand out and are worth booking early.
Six International Women’s Day 2026 events
Have lunch with Mary Portas
On Wednesday 4 March The Barbary in Notting Hill will host a lunch with author and activist Mary Portas to raise funds for The King’s Trust’s Change a Girl’s Life initiative. Portas will be interviewed by comedian Viv Groskop and the theme of the conversation will be An Open Letter To My Younger Self, the idea being that the chat will offer “a lifetime of professional wisdom to future generations”. Portas will look at her career as a businesswoman, broadcaster and personality. From 12pm, ticketholders will get a welcome drink and lunch. A minimum £20 donation encouraged.
Listen to five female chefs
Adriana Cavita, Ayesha Kalaji, Keshia Sakarah, Maria Bradford and Sabrina Gidda – five names from international kitchens – come together for a one-off lunch on Sunday 8 March at Cavita on Wigmore Street. Each chef will create a course inspired by where they grew up, or a place in which they instil value. Following the food there will be a Q+A with entrepreneur Justine Murphy and all funds raised will go towards the Refuge charity, supporting women and children. Tickets are £120 per person.
Dine with sporting legends
Scott’s Richmond is hosting a series of dinners with sporting legends. Their next, tied to International Women’s Day, features Olympic athlete Sally Gunnell, and will include a three-course lunch followed by a Q+A on Tuesday 4 March, in order to discuss “motivation and mindset, celebrating women’s resilience and wellbeing.” The three course menu will be devised by head chef Tom Fraser. £75 per person, tickets via Scott’s website.
Learn about powerful female artists
The Affordable Art Fair is hosting an International Women’s Day exhibit celebrating female artists, as part of their Battersea spring fair from 4 – 8 March. The exhibition will include works by 22 female artists and explore themes of female relationships, womanhood and togetherness. The fair will bring over 900 artists and 115 galleries to Battersea Park. Tickets around £31 via the website.
Listen to female entrepreneurs
AllBright’s Step Forward Summit on 6 March brings together a selection of entrepreneurial women “shaping the future of wealth, entrepreneurship and health.” Attendees include former English footballer Jill Scott MBE, writer Angela Scanlon, TV personality and author Amber Ross Gill and journalist Anna Whitehouse. Conversations will look at women’s health, financial empowerment, and entrepreneurship, as well as the “realities facing working mothers”. The Brewery, 52 Chiswell Street, tickets are £180 via Eventbrite.
Go to a private auction
Art on a Postcard’s exhibition showcases works commissioned especially by female artists for International Women’s Day. Work by dozens of female artists include pieces exploring “intersections of tradition, memory and legacy”, images of “laughing wayward women”, portrayals of queer love and work by a partially sighted painter who relies on touch. All funds raised go to supporting The Hepatitis C Trust and its work supporting women affected by the criminal justice system, “whose chances of reintegration are obstructed by stigma and structural inequality.” The private view is free to attend at The Bomb Factory Holborn 103 Kingsway, London WC2B 6QX on 10 March 2026 between 6–8pm, or buy artworks online.
Read more on International Women’s Day 2026 and the issues facing women in business.