Leicestershire anniversaries, the last hundred years

In 2026 we are celebrating so many Leicester and Leicestershire anniversaries that we’ve had to split our list in two! The first part focuses those less than 100 years old, and we’ve got a second part looking at some of our more historic celebrations. Read on to find out more!

Leicester’s iconic National Space Centre celebrates its 25^th Birthday on 30 June 2026. The UK’s premier space related attraction, they are one of our absolute jewels in the crown, inspired by the space expertise of the University of Leicester and showcasing our place in the Universe plus the wonders of space exploration. Over the last 25 years they have welcomed more than 6 million visitors through their doors, hosted astronauts, scientists, performers, and creators, and inspired a generation of children to go into careers in STEM and the space industry. They deliver award-winning exhibitions, full-dome shows in the UK’s largest planetarium, education programmes, and fantastic family-friendly events covering everything from boardgames to LEGO and Star Wars. The Space Centre continues to drive tourism, overnight stays, restaurant and retail spend and supports the wider cultural economy. They are also at the heart of Leicester’s growing space ecosystem alongside organisations such as Space Park Leicester.

Visit the Space Centre

While the less said the better about their current predicament, it would be remiss of us not to mention the fact that it has been 10 years since Leicester City Football Club’s legendary Premier League win. The story of the 5000-1 shot that became a reality has been told and told again, but how can we forget Jamie Vardy having a party, Riyad Mahrez’s silky skills, Ngolo Kante being everywhere at once, the iconic Captain Wes Morgan, Claudio “dilly ding, dilly dong” Ranieri, the pizza party, the earthquake at King Power, Spurs coming third in a two horse race, pandemonium in the streets of Leicester, Kasabian in Viccy Park. So let’s relive that unbelievable achievement! De Montfort Hall are hosting a special event with Danny Simpson, Wes Morgan, Robert Huth, and Christian Fuchs, the four defenders who held firm that season to bring the Premier League trophy to Leicester!

Book your seats here

The Jewry Wall Museum is marking 60 years since it first opened, showcasing the city’s ancient history. The museum became a staple of school trips, with kids exploring the city’s Roman and Saxon history with one of the best collections of Roman artefacts in the UK. Over time it became quite tired, and a recent refurbishment saw the relaunch of the museum as the Jewry Wall Real Roman Experience, becoming one of the top Roman museums in the Midlands. They are celebrating their 60th all year with special offers, competitions and chances to experience this modern interactive trip through Ratae Corieltauvorum.

2026 marks the seventh decade of the conservation work of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife trust, who have been committed to fighting for the wild places and wildlife of our county and neighbour. Since their establishment in 1956 the Trust has grown from small beginnings to today’s huge organisation. They look after 37 sites of natural beauty and significance around the region, they have over 19,000 members and a volunteer force of over 700 passionate nature lovers who make sure that we (and our animal friends) can enjoy a clean, safe and well maintained countryside!

Find out more about their work here

It is the 40^th anniversary of the closure of Snibston Colliery, along with Whitwick Colliery and South Leicester Colliery. The Colliery park is now a fantastic attraction with lovely open spaces and bike tracks around the former mining area. The site is also home to the Century Theatre, one of Leicestershire’s most unique performance spaces. The Century is Britain’s oldest surviving travelling theatre, built some time between 1948 and 1952. After it was decommission, it was renovated and reassembled on this purpose-built site at Snibston, and will be celebrating the 30^th anniversary of its opening this year!

Find out more here

One of the UK’s most iconic toys was first made at Coalville’s Pallitoy factory exactly 60 years ago! Action Man and his eagle eyes became synonymous with kids toys from in the 1970s and he was made right here in Leicestershire (alongside a few other famous lines such as Star Wars and Care Bears!) There will be a special commemorative edition of the book My Palitoy Story which launches in early 2026, alongside a special edition Action Man figure of England’s World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore, who also led the team to victory 60 years ago!

The Leicester Marriott Hotel is celebrating its 20^th birthday in May this year. Opened in 2006, they will be celebrating two decades of delivering brilliant service, warm welcomes, and unforgettable stays right here in Leicester. While technically in Blaby district, and located right next to Fosse Park and the Everards Meadows development, their perfect location just on the M1 means that they welcome guests spending time both in the city and county, alongside hosting visiting sports teams, conferences and much more!

Book your room here

Leicester Print Workshop are marking their 40^th anniversary this year with a variety of exhibitions and events throughout 2026. They are bringing back their its renowned Small Print International exhibition in 2026, featuring contemporary Mini prints under 100 sqcm. The celebration also includes a global open call, with selected works to be exhibited in June/July 2026, marking four decades of supporting printmakers. 

Find out more about their work here

Born on the 2 April 1946 Sue Townsend is best known for creating the iconic character Adrian Mole. Born in Leicester and attending Glen Hills Primary School, she began writing in secret before attending a writers’ group at the Phoenix Theatre (now named the Sue Townsend Theatre in her honour). She took inspiration from her upbringing in the city to create the iconic diary of a regular working class teenager. To mark what would have been her 80th birthday, several events and projects are planned. Students from Moat Community College are working on a project to create diary entries and explore Townsend’s work, which will be featured in a public exhibition at the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery. The BBC have also commissioned a new ten part adaptation of The Secret Diary, which is currently in production and will be aired on BBC One and iPlayer, once again shining a light on this most Leicester of creations!

One of the Golden Mile’s most famous and iconic spots for a curry, Bobby’s is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year! Named after the famous Bollywood movie, Bobby’s opened on Valentine’s Day 1976! The restaurant was opened by Bhagwanjibhai and Manglaben Lakhani in 1976 and their fully vegetarian Gujarati menu has proved hugely popular over the years, with visitors including Rick Stein coming to sample their flavours. They also offer a stunning Indian afternoon tea, perfectly mixing English and Indian traditions!

Check them out here

Also marking a significant anniversary this year is Mirch Masala, which is just a stone’s throw from Bobby’s! They opened in 1996 as the city’s first world street food restaurant, pre-dating the current trend for fusion street food by some decades. Leicester’s vegetarian restaurants have a reputation for being the best in the UK and Mirch Masala is no exception. Still run by the same family, their Indian fusion dishes are an absolute treat, and their chilli paneer is an absolute classic!

Find out more here