The Great Dorset Steam Fair no longer runs. Once one of Dorset’s largest annual events, the fair was last held in August 2022 near Tarrant Hinton, north of Blandford Forum.
First held in 1969, the Great Dorset Steam Fair grew to become one of the world’s largest gatherings of steam and vintage equipment. The five-day event covered more than 600 acres and attracted around 200,000 visitors.
The fair featured traction engines, steam rollers, vintage tractors, classic vehicles, agricultural machinery and working horses. One of its most memorable attractions was the traditional fairground, with steam-powered rides, fairground organs and illuminated Showmen’s Engines.
Following cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the fair returned for the final time in 2022. Rising costs subsequently made staging such a large event increasingly difficult. The fair was cancelled in 2023 and 2024, and attempts to find a buyer who could continue the event were unsuccessful.
There are no plans for the Great Dorset Steam Fair to return, bringing to an end more than 50 years as one of Dorset’s best-known summer events.
Location: Tarrant Hinton, near Blandford Forum
First held: 1969
Last held: August 2022
Status: No longer running
Photos of the Great Dorset Steam Fair from previous years
