Events for 2021:
Next year's events are all subject to confirmation by the event organisers.

• 16 - 17 January: Strathpuffer 24-hour Mountain Bike Endurance Event in Strathpeffer CANCELLED
• 13 February: Inverness Chinese New Year Celebrations and street parade
• February: The Inverness Music Festival - ONLINE ONLY FOR 2021
• early March: The Snowman Rally - annual event organised by the Highland Car Club. CANCELLED FOR 2021 BUT BACK IN 2022
• tbc April: A Taste of Nairn (food and drink festival)
• tbc April: OutDores music festival by Loch Ness
• 17 April: Annual Commemoration Service at Culloden Battlefield
• 25 April: Etape Loch Ness cycle race
• 28 April - 3 May: Spirit of Speyside whisky festival (distilleries around Moray & Speyside)
• 30 April - 2 May: Crime and Thrillers Weekend organised by Cromarty Arts Trust
• 1 May: Inverness Gin Festival - the Scottish Gin Festivals tour reaches the Highland capital with a day of events including tastings, tapas and live music.
• tbc - usually in May: Inverness Classic Vehicle Show
• 16 May: Inverness Half Marathon and 5K
• 28 - 30 May: The LochNess360 Challenge - 3 marathons, an ultra marathon or a mountain bike challenge.
• mid June tbc: Truckness at Dores, by Loch Ness
• mid June tbc: Woodzstock family friendly music festival on the Black Isle at Woodside of Drumnamerg
• 16 - 17 June: XPO North Festival - for the creative industries of the Highlands will take place online for 2021
• tbc end June: European Pipe Band Championships at Bught Park, Inverness.
• tbc mid July: Inverness Highland Games
• 24 July: Loch Ness Film Festival
• 29 - 31 July: Belladrum - Tartan Heart Festival on the Belladrum Estate, near Beauly.
• tbc 7 August: Nairn Show with livestock exhibitions, craft fair, food stalls and amusements is held at Kinnudie Farm, Auldearn.
• 4 - 5 August: Black Isle Show at Mannsfield Showground, Muir of Ord (tel: 01463 870870). This is the largest agricultural show in the North of Scotland. It attracts over 2,000 cattle, horse and sheep entries, more than 300 trade stands and over 25,000 visitors to the show each year. There is plenty to see and do, craft fair, food fair, 'On the Farm' exhibition for the kids, agricultural stands, vintage rally and sheep shearing.
• 6 - 7 August: Highland Field Sports Fair at Moy Hall (between Aviemore and Inverness).
• 21 August: Nairn Highland Games
• mid August: Nairn Half Marathon
• late August : Northern Meeting Piping Competition at Eden Court
• 28 August: Glenurquhart Highland Games at Drumnadrochit, Loch Ness
• late August - early September: Doors Open Days in Inverness and area (More info)
• 4 September: The Gathering is a music festival in Inverness at the Northern Meeting Park featuring Wolfstone, Peatbog Faeries, Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Trail West, Torridon and more. (Event re-scheduled from late May)
• 4 - 12 September: Nairn Book & Arts Festival
• 30 September - early October: NessBookFest - Inverness book festival
• 3 October: Loch Ness Marathon plus 5K and 10K River Ness fun runs.
• 8 - 16 October: Gaelic Royal National Mod including a Torch Light Procession and Massed Choirs Procession. Postponed from 2020.
• 9 October: World Porridge Making Championship at Carrbridge
• tbc late October 2021: Halloween on Ness Islands
• tbc 5 November: Civic Bonfire and Fireworks Display, Bught Park, Inverness
• tbc early December: Winter Wonderland at Whin Park, Inverness
• tbc 31 December 2021: Red Hot Highland Fling Hogmanay party, Northern Meeting Park, Inverness

For additional events listings, see:

• The Inverness City Advertiser - detailed events listings covering music, nightclubs, cinema, theatre, sports, exhibitions, restaurants, etc.
• invernessGiGs