Red Nose Day 2026 took place on Friday 20 March 2026, broadcast live from MediaCityUK in Salford from 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, and it raised an incredible £30,004,040 for Comic Relief. Davina McCall hosted alongside Joel Dommett, Katherine Ryan, Nick Mohammed and Catherine Tate, with BBC Radio 1’s Greg James completing a 1,000km tandem bike ride from Weymouth to Edinburgh that alone brought in £4,225,939. If you’re catching up after the fact, or planning ahead for next year, here’s the full picture of what happened and what to expect for Red Nose Day 2027.
What happened on Red Nose Day 2026
The three-hour telethon leaned heavily on comedy sketches and celebrity challenges rather than straight appeals, a format Comic Relief has refined over nearly 40 years since the charity was founded by Richard Curtis and Sir Lenny Henry in 1985. Highlights included “The Bank Job”, a heist sketch starring Sir Idris Elba, Alison Hammond, Dermot O’Leary and Chris McCausland, and a Traitors parody with Anna Friel standing in for Claudia Winkleman. Katherine Ryan delivered a stand-out stand-up set, and Catherine Tate brought back Nan for a surprise performance of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”.
Greg James’s cycling challenge became the standout fundraiser of the night, and thousands lined the streets along the route, including a surprise appearance from Prince William near the finish. All money raised goes towards tackling poverty, conflict and climate related hardship in the UK and internationally, according to Comic Relief.
A brief history of Red Nose Day
Red Nose Day launched in 1988 as Comic Relief’s flagship fundraising event, three years after the charity itself was founded in response to famine in Ethiopia. Between 2002 and 2022, it alternated with Sport Relief, running every other year rather than annually. Since 2022, Red Nose Day has been an annual fixture again, and the campaign has raised over £1.6 billion since it began.
Fundraising has stayed strong through the return to an annual schedule, with tens of millions raised most years. There have been more than 80 official red nose designs over the decades, sold in shops, supermarkets and online in the run-up to the big night.
When is the next Red Nose Day?
Red Nose Day 2027 is expected to take place on Friday 19 March 2027, following the pattern of a Friday in mid to late March each year. Comic Relief typically confirms the exact date and presenting line-up several months in advance, so it’s worth checking the official Comic Relief website nearer the time to confirm, since scheduling can shift.
How to get involved next time
If you missed Red Nose Day 2026 but want to take part next year, there are a few simple ways in. Buying a red nose from Comic Relief’s website, Amazon or participating supermarkets is the most visible option, with proceeds going directly to the charity. Schools, offices and community groups also run their own fundraisers, from dress-up days and bake sales to sponsored challenges in the style of Greg James’s ride.
Donating directly through the Comic Relief website works year round, not just on the night itself, and text donations are usually available during the live broadcast. If you’d rather fundraise than donate, setting up a JustGiving page tied to Comic Relief is the most common route people take for a personal challenge.
When is Pancake Day 2026?
Pancake Day, also called Shrove Tuesday, fell on Tuesday 17 February 2026 this year, a month before Red Nose Day. It’s always calculated as exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date moves every year along with the rest of the Lent and Easter calendar.
The tradition dates back to the practice of using up eggs, milk and fat before the fasting period of Lent began, and “shrove” comes from the old word “shrive”, meaning to be absolved of sin through confession. Pancake races, a very British addition to the day, are said to have started when a housewife ran to confession while still holding her frying pan. For 2027, Pancake Day falls earlier still, on Tuesday 9 February, because Easter itself shifts backwards that year.
When is Mother’s Day UK 2026?
Mother’s Day in the UK, properly called Mothering Sunday, fell on Sunday 15 March 2026, five days before Red Nose Day and almost a month after Pancake Day. Like Pancake Day, the date is tied to the Christian calendar rather than a fixed spot on the Gregorian one: Mothering Sunday always lands on the fourth Sunday in Lent, three weeks before Easter.
This is different from the US, Canadian and Australian Mother’s Day, which falls on the second Sunday in May every year regardless of Lent or Easter. It’s a genuinely older tradition in the UK, going back to the custom of returning to your “mother church” once a year, and it isn’t a bank holiday, so shops and most businesses open as normal. In 2027, Mothering Sunday moves to Sunday 7 March.
Why these three dates cluster together
It’s not a coincidence that Pancake Day, Mother’s Day and Red Nose Day all sit close together on the UK calendar between February and March. Pancake Day and Mother’s Day are both fixed relative to Easter through the Lent calendar, which is why they shift every year, while Red Nose Day has settled into a habit of landing on a Friday in mid to late March, close to where Mothering Sunday tends to fall. Knowing all three dates in one place makes it easier to plan family time, fundraising and gifts across a busy six week stretch without missing one while focused on another.
Mistakes people make around Red Nose Day
A few things trip people up every year, according to how Comic Relief structures the campaign. Waiting until the last minute to buy a red nose is the most common one, since supermarket stock can sell out in the final week before the broadcast. Assuming the date is fixed from year to year is another, since Red Nose Day moves within March rather than sitting on a set calendar date. Finally, treating the telethon as the only way to donate misses the point that giving directly through the Comic Relief website works at any time of year, not just on the night.
FAQS
When was Red Nose Day 2026?
Red Nose Day 2026 took place on Friday 20 March 2026, broadcast live from MediaCityUK in Salford on BBC One from 7pm.
How much did Red Nose Day 2026 raise?
Red Nose Day 2026 raised £30,004,040 for Comic Relief, according to the charity’s own figures, helping fund support for over 1.3 million people.
Is Red Nose Day every year or every two years?
Red Nose Day has been an annual event since 2022. Before that, from 2002 to 2022, it alternated each year with Sport Relief, which has since been discontinued.
When is Pancake Day 2026?
Pancake Day 2026, also known as Shrove Tuesday, fell on Tuesday 17 February 2026, exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday.
When is Mother’s Day UK 2026?
Mother’s Day in the UK, or Mothering Sunday, fell on Sunday 15 March 2026, the fourth Sunday in Lent and three weeks before Easter.
When is the next Red Nose Day?
Red Nose Day 2027 is expected on Friday 19 March 2027, though Comic Relief usually confirms the exact date closer to the time.
Where can I buy a red nose?
Red noses are typically sold through the Comic Relief website, Amazon, and participating UK supermarkets in the weeks leading up to Red Nose Day.
Why does Mother’s Day fall on a different date in the UK than in the US?
UK Mother’s Day, or Mothering Sunday, is tied to the Christian Lent calendar and always falls on the fourth Sunday in Lent, while the US, Canada and Australia mark Mother’s Day on the fixed second Sunday in May.
