Everybody, especially grown-ups and young kids, loves scale models. That’s everything from large radio-controlled model aircraft and ships – through detailed model cars, trucks, tanks, figures, space & sci-fi, scenes & dioramas – to elaborate model railways in all gauges down to tiny z-scale. There are whole worlds in miniature on display at model engineering shows, exhibitions and other events, for the whole family to enjoy. And the entry fees are usually as ‘cheap as chips’!
So, if you happen to be in the neighbourhood when a model show/display is taking place, why not pop along?
These are some of the shows and exhibitions in 2026 that I’m aware of so far.
| 3-18 Apr 26 | Masterpieces of Modelling Expo |
| Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon, The Square, Barnstaple EX32 8LN | |
| The North Devon Model Society will be exhibiting and holding hands-on modelling sessions to inspire new & young modellers. | |
| 18 Apr 26 | G1MRA Spring Show |
| Statfold Barn, Statfold Country Park, Ashby Road, Tamworth B79 0BU | |
| The Gauge One Model Railway Association (G1MRA) which focuses on large scale steam locomotives and garden railways, usually (details not in yet) has a large track layout and Gauge One exhibits. | |
| 18 Apr 26 | Carmarthenshire Model Railway Exhibition |
| The Princess Gwenllian Centre, Kidwelly SA17 4UL | |
| West Wales Railway Modellers’ show. No info on layouts, organisations or traders; their website is a little moribund to say the least. | |
| 18 Apr 26 | Steamers of the Clyde |
| Dunoon Victorian Pier, Dunoon PA23 7HJ | |
| The Cowal Heritage Society & Scottish maritime history group Ship Ahoy have organised this event featuring talks, a range of stalls and a display of working models of the Waverley, the TS Duchess of Hamilton and the PS Jeanie Deans. The event marking the official start of two years of anniversary celebrations for the iconic and much-loved Waverley, the world’s last remaining sea-going paddle steamer. | |
| 18/19 Apr 26 | Wicksteed Model Show |
| Wicksteed Park, Barton Rd, Kettering NN15 6NJ | |
| The Wicksteed Model Boat Club will be hosting not just RC boats at this show, but model aircraft, plastic models, model railway layouts, RC trucks, model jet turbines, model steam traction engines, and more. | |
| 18/19 Apr 26 | Scottish National Scale Model Show |
| Live Active Dewars Centre, Perth TH2 0PH | |
| Plastic scale model exhibition with roughly 45 clubs and special interest groups exhibiting | |
| 19 Apr 26 | Felixstowe Radio Controlled Model Truck Show |
| Felixstowe Leisure Centre, 75 Undercliff Rd, Felixstowe IP11 2AE | |
| Organised by Felixstowe Lions, this exhibition will have over 20 types of HGV’s on a large scale model road layout including ERF’s, Volvo F10’s, BEDFORD TK’s from 70’s/80’s | |
| 25 Apr 26 | National Garden Railway Show |
| NAEC Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth CV8 2LH | |
| The 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers show featuring multiple layouts in a variety of garden scales, and a large number of trade stands. | |
| 25/26 Apr 26 | Model World Live |
| National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham B40 1NT | |
| The third edition of this national scale model and model railway engineering show will feature over 190 stands . | |
| 01-03 May 26 | Bristol Model Railway Exhibition |
| Thornbury Leisure Centre, Alveston Hill, Thornbury BS35 3JB | |
| Over 30 layouts across multiple scales and gauges, plus 40+ retailers, clubs and societies. | |
| 02/03 May 26 | SVR Model Railway Weekend |
| The Engine House, Station Rd, Highley, Bridgnorth WV16 6NZ | |
| The Severn Valley (steam heritage) Railway is holding its annual model railway exhibition featuring around 30 (up from 25 last year) of the “UK’s most popular layouts” in a range of gauges. | |
| 02-04 May 26 | Saddleworth Charity Model Railway Exhibition |
| Saddleworth Museum & Art Gallery, High St, Uppermill, Oldham OL3 6HS | |
| Small fundraising (for guide dogs) exhibition with usually around 5 layouts and 3 traders | |
| 09 May 26 | SWHMRS Annual Show |
| Queens’ School, Aldenham Rd, Bushey WD23 2TY | |
| No details yet but the South-West Herts Model Railway Society usually exhibit around 21 layouts in various gauges, plus visiting societies and traders. | |
| 09 May 26 | Sompting & District Model Railway Show |
| St. Peter The Apostle Church, Bowness Ave, Sompting, Lancing BN15 9TS | |
| Sompting & District Model Railway Club’s annual show will have layouts in 0, 00, T and Z in a variety of eras and locations. Plus club sales and one second-hand trader. | |
| 09/10 May 26 | Stamford Model Railway Show |
| Stamford Welland Academy, Green Lane, Stamford PE9 1HE | |
| Market Deeping Model Railway Club’s annual show with usually around 28 layouts on display, plus societies and traders. | |
| 09/10 May 26 | expoEM Spring Show |
| Garth Hill College, Bull Lane, Bracknell RG42 2AD | |
| EM Gauge (4mm/ft) spring show. NB New venue. | |
| 09/10 May 26 | Popham Model Show |
| Popham Airfield, Coxford Down, Winchester SO21 3BD | |
| Annual radio-control model aircraft show on Popham Airfield with statics displays of RC model cars, military vehicles, boats and more, plus traders. | |
| 16 May 26 | Ely & District Model Railway Club exhibition |
| Ely College, Downham Rd, Ely CB6 3DY | |
| Well-attended annual show. Usually around 15 layouts. | |
| 16/17 May 26 | Jarrow MRC Exhibition |
| Primrose Community Association, Jarrow NE32 6QY | |
| Jarrow Model Railway Club annual exhibition showing around 12 layouts and 9 traders. | |
| 16/17 May 26 | NTHC Model Railway Exhibition |
| Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre, Mere Way, Ruddington, Nottingham NG11 6JS | |
| The Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre (big trains!) in partnership with Nottingham Model Railway Society’s annual show in a 10,000sq.ft venue. No details yet on what or how many layouts will be displayed, but… outside Flying Scotsman will be on static display and LNER A1 No. 60163 Tornado will be hauling return trains to Loughborough on the 9-mile northern section of Great Central Railway’s heritage track. | |
| 17 May 26 | Axminster model railway exhibition |
| The Guildhall, Axminster EX13 5NX | |
| Now in its third year, the show moves to a larger venue where it will present at least 16 different model railway layouts, with specialist traders and themed exhibits. | |
| 17 May 26 | Hastings Model Railway Show |
| Hastings Summerfields Leisure Centre, Bohemia Rd, Hastings TN34 1ET | |
| This year’s show will have around 20 layouts and 17 trade stands. | |
| 23 May 26 | Sword & Lance Show |
| Northern Echo Arena, Darlington DL2 1DL | |
| Figurines, military figures and plastic scale models. It’ll be the Darlington Military Modelling Society’s 51st Anniversary Show. | |
| 23/24 May 26 | Railex 2026 |
| Stoke Mandeville Stadium, Aylesbury HP21 9PP | |
| Risborough and District Model Railway Club show with 22+ layouts and 30+ traders | |
| 30 May 26 | IPMS Salisbury Scale Model Show |
| Wyvern St Edmund’s Sports Hall, Laverstock, Salisbury SP1 1RD | |
| Annual plastic model show with displays from around 34 other clubs and 15 trader stands. | |
| 30 May 26 | Gauge O Guild – Summer Show |
| The Robin Park Leisure Centre, Loire Way, Newtown, Wigan WN5 0UL | |
| “7mm” or Gauge O railway modelling show. This is the 70th anniversary of the Guild and they have four railway modelling exhibitions lined up this year. This is the second. | |
| 06 Jun 26 | Milton Keynes Model Railway Society Annual Show |
| The Ridgeway Centre, Wolverton Mill, Milton Keynes MK12 5TH | |
| A variety of operating layouts ranging from within the club and from visiting clubs and individuals. This year they hope to have around 25 layouts. Plus trade stands. | |
| 07 Jun 26 | Cam & Dursley Model Railway Exhibition |
| Dursley & District Community Centre, Dursley GL11 4BX | |
| The Wings & Wheels Society’s third exhibition with 3 rooms of working model layouts in N, OO & O Gauge, plus trade, charity & society stands. | |
| 13 Jun 26 | MMDMRC Summer Show |
| Knowl Hill Village Hall, Bath Road, Knowl Hill RG10 9XB | |
| The Marlow, Maidenhead & District Model Railway Club’s summer show. No details yet. | |
| 13/14 Jun 26 | Tony’s Trains Show |
| Mountsorrel & Rothley Community Heritage Centre, 240 Swithland Lane, Rothley, Leicester LE7 7UE | |
| The railway museum at the heritage centre will have numerous layouts and traders. | |
| 19-21 Jun 26 | Weston Park International Model Airshow |
| Weston Park, Telford TF11 8LE | |
| Three day model RC aircraft, helicopters and hovercraft show, now in its 30th year. | |
| 04/05 Jul 26 | LMA Sleap Airshow |
| Sleap Airfield, Harmer Hill, Shrewsbury SY4 3HE | |
| The Large Model Association annual airshow. RC models on static display and flying | |
| 11/12 Jul 26 | Exe Model Railway Exhibition |
| Matford Centre, Matford Park Rd, Exeter EX2 8FD | |
| Exe Model Railway Society’s annual exhibition. No info yet. In previous years they’ve had 30+ layouts and 15 traders. | |
| 26 Jul 26 | Telford Steam Railway Model Exhibition |
| Horsehay Village Hall, 3 Bridge Rd, Horsehay, Telford TF4 2NF | |
| The 4nd edition of the Telford Steam Railway’s model railway show. They are expecting some 20 layouts plus traders. | |
| 08/09 Aug 26 | Elvington Large Model Airshow |
| Elvington Airfield, Elvington, York YO41 4AU | |
| Large RC model air show. (Next to the Yorkshire Air Museum – drop in!) | |
| 24/25 Aug 26 | Mid Suffolk Light Railway Model Mania & Hornby Collectors Show |
| Brockford Station, Wetheringsett, Stowmarket IP14 5PW | |
| Modellers event day at the “Middy” heritage railway. | |
| 29/30 Aug 26 | Sedgemoor Rail 2025 |
| King Alfred School, Burnham Road, Highbridge, Somerset TA9 3EE | |
| The Burnham-On-Sea & District Model Railway Club’s annual Sedgemoor Exhibition usually has around 20+ layouts & 10 traders. | |
| 31 Aug 26 | Harrogate Model Railway Show |
| Constance Green Hall, St Aidan’s School, Harrogate HG2 8JR | |
| The Harrogate Model Railway Group’s annual exhibition will have an unspecified number of layouts, trade stands, demonstrations & societies. | |
| 05/06 Sep 26 | Much Markle Large Model Airshow |
| Garage, Much Markle, Ledbury HR8 2LX | |
| Annual large model air show | |
| 05/06 Sep 26 | Gauge O Guild – Guildex 2026 |
| Bingley Hall, Stafford Showground, Stafford ST18 0BD | |
| “7mm” or Gauge O railway modelling show. This is the 70th anniversary of the Guild and they have four railway modelling exhibitions lined up this year. This is the third. | |
| 12 Sep 26 | RailEx East 2026 |
| Cambridge Regional College, Kings Hedges Road, Cambridge CB4 2QT | |
| The 31A (Cambridge) Model Railway Club’s annual show will have layouts in gauges “N” to “O”, plus trade stands. | |
| 12/13 Sep 26 | South West Model Show |
| The Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset BH20 6JG | |
| Two days of modelling madness, and not just tanks, there’ll be planes, ships, trains on display… plus traders, modelling demonstrations, and competitions. | |
| 12/13 Sep 26 | International N-Gauge Show |
| Warwickshire Event Centre, Southam Road, Leamington Spa CV31 1FE | |
| A range of modern, steam, continental and American N-gauge layouts, plus society displays and specialist suppliers. | |
| 19/20 Sep 26 | Ayr Model Rail Show |
| Walker Hall, South Beach, Troon KA10 6EF | |
| Annual show. Typically around 12 layouts, plus trade stands. | |
| 19/20 Sep 26 | Spa Valley Autumn Model Railway Show |
| Tunbridge Wells West Railway Station, Tunbridge Wells TN2 5QL | |
| This will be Spa Valley’s 6th annual model railway show featuring around 30 layouts in a variety of scales, including N, OO, O, OO9, S, and other gauges, and around 10 trade stands. | |
| 26/27 Sep 26 | Stafford Model Railway show |
| Bingley Hall, Stafford County Showground, Stafford ST18 0BD | |
| Running for almost 60 years, the Stafford show claims to be the ‘largest established independent model railway show in the country’. With usually over 50 layouts it is certainly one of the biggest. | |
| 10/11 Oct 26 | Aldershot Model Railway Exhibition |
| Alderwood Leisure Centre, Aldershot GU12 4AS | |
| Farnham & District Model Railway Club usually show 23+ layouts, plus demos and traders. No details yet and venue not confirmed. | |
| 11 Oct 26 | Gaydon Indoor Static Model Show |
| British Motor Museum, Lighthorne Heath, Warwick CV35 0BJ | |
| The Large Model Association’s annual indoor event (as opposed to airshows). | |
| 15-18 Oct 26 | Midlands Model Engineering Exhibition |
| Warwickshire Event Centre, Southam Road, Leamington Spa CV31 1FE | |
| A 4-day show with over 30 clubs and societies displaying hundreds of exhibits in a wide range of scales, including locomotives & rolling stock, aircraft and marine models, stationary engines, and machine tools. Plus around 40 specialist trade suppliers. | |
| 17/18 Oct 26 | Poole Model Railway Show |
| Poole Grammar School, Poole Hill, Poole BH17 9JU | |
| Poole and District Model Railway Society’s annual show will have an emphasis on “finescale” layouts, though their moribund website doesn’t have any details. Last year they fielded around 15 layouts, 3 society stands and 10 traders. | |
| 24 Oct 26 | Exeter Garden Railway Show |
| The Matford Centre, Marsh Barton Ind Estate, Exeter EX2 8FD | |
| The South Devon Garden Railway Group’s annual autumn show highlighting layouts and exhibits in promote railways from O gauge to Scale 3. | |
| 24/25 Oct 26 | Cheltenham Model Railway Exhibition |
| St. Margaret’s Hall, Coniston Road, Hatherley, Cheltenham GL51 3NU | |
| Six layouts listed so far, plus displays and trade stands. | |
| 24/25 Oct 26 | Rail-Ex Taunton 2025 |
| Taunton School, Staplegrove Road, Taunton TA2 6AD | |
| The Somerset Railway Modellers Club usually display around 40 layouts in N gauge, OO9, HO, OO and O gauge, plus traders, associations & demos. | |
| 31 Oct/01 Nov 26 | Spalding Model Railway Exhibition |
| Springfield Events Centre, Spalding PE12 6ET | |
| Spalding MRC’s annual show. Last year they had around 30 layouts and attracted over 2,500 visitors. | |
| 31 Oct/01 Nov 26 | LOMEX |
| East Coast College, Lowestoft NR32 2NB | |
| The annual Lowestoft Model Engineering and Model Making Exhibition has a mixture of scale models, steam traction engines & locomotives, RC aircraft and boats. | |
| 07 Nov 26 | Wycrail Exhibition 2026 |
| Historic Brunel Railway Shed, Station Approach, High Wycombe HP13 6NE | |
| The High Wycombe & District Model Railway Society’s autumn show will have 22+ layouts in a variety of scales and gauges including N, TT, H0, 00, 7mm, and 00-9 narrow gauges, plus 10 traders and five society stands. | |
| 07/08 Nov 26 | IPMS Scale ModelWord |
| Telford International Centre, St Quentin Gate, Telford TF3 4JH | |
| International Plastic Modellers’ Society (IPMS) annual show. Last year they had over 190 displays featuring thousands of models, plus 120 traders. | |
| 21/22 Nov 26 | National Festival of Railway Modelling |
| National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham B40 1NT | |
| No details yet, but usually there are around 60+ of the country’s best layouts, and 70+ manufacturers, retailers, specialist suppliers and clubs/societies. | |
| 21/22 Nov 26 | Solrail Model Railway Exhibition |
| ENERGUS, Blackwood Road, Lillyhall, Workington CA14 4JW | |
| At least 15 layouts, plus demo, society & trade stands. | |
| 12 Dec 26 | Gauge 0 Guild Winter Show |
| Kempton Racecourse, Sunbury-on-Thames TW16 5AQ | |
| “7mm” or Gauge O railway modelling show. This is the 70th anniversary of the Guild and they have four railway modelling exhibitions lined up this year. This is the fourth. | |
| 12/13 Dec 26 | Manchester Model Railway Show |
| The Sugden Centre, 114 Grosvenor St, Manchester M1 7HB | |
| No details yet. Last year was the Manchester Model Railway Society’s 100th anniversary so they had a larger than normal show with 26 layouts and around 27 traders & other exhibitors. | |
NB. This page is being continually updated, but things change: sometimes events get postponed, cancelled or there’s a change of venue. It’s worth double-checking on the organiser’s website before visiting.
