Glee is set to return to Spring Fair in February 2026 for the first time in six years, taking advantage of Spring Fair’s unparalleled scale, cross-category audience and influential position in the early retail calendar. Hosted within the UK’s most comprehensive sourcing event, the Glee at Spring Fair concession show will strengthen Spring Fair’s garden and outdoor offering bringing the very best in garden, outdoor living, decorative accessories and leisure to the NEC Birmingham – this time with a refreshed and carefully curated format designed to meet the evolving needs of the garden retail sector.
The decision to bring Glee back to Spring Fair follows a period of exceptional growth for both events. Spring Fair continues to stand as the UK’s most comprehensive retail marketplace, drawing thousands of buyers across Home, Gift, Fashion, Greetings, Beauty, and Lifestyle. Its unmatched scale and cross-category reach make it the ideal platform to elevate the garden and outdoor sector, offering suppliers access to new audiences and buyers the convenience of sourcing complementary ranges under one roof.
With Glee’s September edition achieving record success in 2025, its return to Spring Fair strategically extends the show’s influence into the early buying season. It also responds directly to retailer and supplier demand for a complementary spring touchpoint. Spring Fair is the natural home for this edition, offering the scale, reach and cross-category audience needed to maximise the opportunity for the entire garden retail sector. Together, the two events create a strengthened annual sourcing cycle, September for forward planning and February for in-season agility, supporting retailers throughout the year.
Supporting the Garden & Outdoor Living Retail Buying Cycle
Glee at Spring Fair 2026 will serve as a vital early-season touchpoint within the UK’s most established retail event. Retailers and buyers will benefit from the opportunity to finalise pre-season orders, plug last-minute gaps, and respond to early trading patterns, all while exploring Spring Fair’s 16 curated destinations and over 1 million products.
The timing allows buyers to:
- Complete spring and summer ranges
- Top up core and seasonal stock ahead of peak footfall
- Explore cross-category opportunities across décor, gift, lifestyle, and fashion
- Connect with both established garden suppliers and emerging design-led brands showcased throughout Spring Fair
- By hosting Glee within Spring Fair’s expansive footprint, the concession becomes part of a seamless, discovery-driven visitor journey, one that reflects the evolving ways retailers buy across multiple categories.
Benefits for Exhibitors
For garden and outdoor living exhibitors, Glee at Spring Fair offers exposure far beyond the traditional garden-centre channel. Spring Fair’s broad and diverse audience, from department stores and independents to lifestyle retailers, gift shops, online platforms, and fashion buyers, creates fresh commercial opportunities and new routes to market.
Suppliers will benefit from:
- A centralised, high-traffic garden and outdoor hub within the wider show
- Access to thousands of buyers seeking newness across home, décor, lifestyle, and gifting
- Visibility alongside complementary categories that drive cross-purchase behaviour
- Spring Fair’s elevated visitor experience, curated design, and new feature zones introduced for 2026
- This integration positions garden retail firmly within the wider retail ecosystem, reflecting the sector’s growing presence in lifestyle and home merchandising.
Jackson Szabo, Portfolio Director at Spring & Autumn Fair, said: “Welcoming Glee back to Spring Fair strengthens what we offer our visitors and exhibitors at precisely the moment they need it most. Spring Fair’s scale, its cross-category audience and its reputation as the UK’s definitive buying event create the perfect platform for Glee’s early-season edition. This move gives garden and outdoor brands unrivalled visibility, while offering retailers a richer, more connected sourcing experience across more product categories than ever before. It’s an exciting development for 2026 and one that reflects the momentum driving both shows forward.”
Matthew Mein, Event Director of Glee, said: “Bringing Glee back to Spring Fair is an exciting step forward for both events and for the garden retail community. It strengthens Glee’s position at the heart of the industry and offers a dynamic new platform for growth at a key moment in the buying year. The combination of Glee’s specialist focus and Spring Fair’s extensive reach creates a powerful opportunity for exhibitors and buyers alike and we can’t wait to see the results in 2026.”
Industry Support
Supporting Glee at Spring Fair will be the Garden Industry Manufacturers’ Association (GIMA), with whom Glee enjoys a long-standing partnership. GIMA’s popular Business Village, which achieved record-breaking success in 2025 with more exhibitors and Meet the Buyer meetings than ever before, will once again feature at Glee at Spring Fair, providing a dynamic platform for networking, relationship-building, and new business development.
Vicky Nuttall, GIMA Director, commented: “GIMA is pleased to support the return of Glee at Spring Fair. The return of an early-season edition reflects the growing importance of garden retail within the wider marketplace and provides our members with a valuable opportunity to engage buyers at a key point in the season. Following the success of GIMA’s Business Village at Glee 2025, we’re looking forward to continuing that momentum in February, helping suppliers and retailers strengthen relationships, explore new partnerships, and drive commercial growth.”
The Garden Centre Association (GCA) have also confirmed their support of the move. Peter Burks, GCA Chief Executive, said: “It’s great to hear that Glee will have a presence at the Spring Fair next year. It’s an ideal time to ensure spring orders are in place and aligned with the upcoming season and weather forecasts, while also planning ahead for the rest of the year. It will be a great opportunity for us to catch up with both members and prospective members before the season gets fully underway.”
Find out more
Glee at Spring Fair 2026 will be held from 1–4 February at the NEC Birmingham, as part of the UK’s leading home, gift and lifestyle event.
For more information or to register your interest in exhibiting, visit www.gleebirmingham.com