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The Evolution of the Essex Carp Show from Brentwood to Brands Hatch
Carp Social | Feature Date: 14th April 2026
How Trade Shows and Social Events Shaped the UK Carp Fishing Community
For many carp anglers across the UK, the Essex Carp Show has become one of the biggest annual dates in the fishing calendar, bringing together tackle brands, bait companies, fisheries, media personalities and anglers from across the country.
The event originally began as the Brentwood Carp Show before rapidly growing in popularity and eventually relocating to the larger North Weald venue in Essex to accommodate increasing demand from exhibitors and visitors alike.
Over the years, the show developed into one of the best-known carp fishing exhibitions in the UK, attracting major tackle brands, fisheries, bait companies and carp fishing holiday providers from across Britain and Europe.
Brentwood Carp Show 2020 – A Snapshot Before the Boom
Looking back at the 2020 Brentwood event now, it feels like a snapshot of the carp scene just before the COVID angling boom transformed participation across the UK.
The show brought together a huge mix of exhibitors ranging from tackle retailers and bait firms through to fisheries, casting tuition specialists and carp fishing holiday companies offering trips to famous French carp lakes and venues across Europe.
The event also reflected the growing scale of the carp fishing industry at the time, with seminars, competitions and appearances from respected names within UK angling helping to attract large crowds across the weekend.
Major Exhibitors at Essex Carp Shows
The exhibitor list highlighted just how broad the modern carp fishing industry had become, with companies covering everything from bait and terminal tackle through to bivvies, bait boats, fisheries and French carp fishing holidays.
Brands and exhibitors attending included Nutrabaits, Cypography, Crafty Catcher, Rigmarole, Avid, Monster Baits, Gardner Tackle, Solar Tackle, Total Fishing Tackle, CC Moore, Sonik, RidgeMonkey, Navitas Apparel, Matrix, Free Spirit, Trakker, Thinking Anglers, Delkim, Century, Wolf International, DNA Baits, Urban Baits, Team Craft Tackle, Speero, Fish Spy, Cult Bait Boats, Angling Technics and many more.
The show also featured fisheries, travel companies and angling destinations including Gillhams Fishing Resort, Angel Des Lac, Fishing In France, Ashbury Fisheries, Berners Hall Fishery, Picks Cottage Fishery and Par Fisheries, reflecting the continued popularity of carp fishing holidays in France and mainland Europe.
Alongside the tackle trade and fisheries were casting demonstrations, slideshow talks, charity initiatives and specialist angling retailers, giving visitors the opportunity to discover the latest products and developments ahead of the new season.
From North Weald to Brands Hatch
As the Essex Carp Show continued to grow, the event established itself at the North Weald site in Essex, where it gained an even larger following within the UK carp fishing scene.
However, following the purchase of the North Weald site by Google, organisers were forced to relocate the event once again.
As a result, the 2026 Essex Carp Show — held on the 7th and 8th February 2026 — moved to the iconic Brands Hatch venue in Kent, marking a new chapter for one of the country’s most recognisable carp fishing events.
The move to Brands Hatch reflected both the continued growth of the show and the increasing demand for larger venues capable of hosting major exhibitors, media personalities and thousands of visiting anglers across the weekend.
A Major Date in the Carp Fishing Calendar
Today, the Essex Carp Show remains one of the most recognisable names in the UK carp fishing exhibition calendar, continuing to connect anglers with brands, fisheries, tackle companies and carp fishing holidays throughout the UK and Europe.
Looking back now, the earlier Brentwood and North Weald events serve as reminders of how quickly the carp fishing industry evolved during one of the most transformative periods the sport has experienced.
Other Major UK Carp Fishing Shows and Angling Exhibitions
Alongside the Essex Carp Show, several other major carp fishing shows and angling exhibitions continue to play an important role within the UK fishing calendar. Events such as The Big One at Farnborough International in Hampshire, the Doncaster Carp Show in South Yorkshire, The Winter Carp Show at Sandown Park in Surrey, The Big Fish N Show at Baden Hall Fishery in Staffordshire, Northern Angling Show events and Carpin’ On have all helped shape the modern UK carp fishing scene. These carp fishing trade shows attract leading tackle brands, bait companies, fisheries, media personalities and carp fishing holiday operators promoting trips to famous French carp lakes and venues across Europe. For many anglers, these events are now just as much about the social side of carp fishing as they are about discovering new tackle, bait, rigs and fishing technology ahead of the season.
The Future of UK Carp Fishing Events
Despite changes in retail habits and the growth of online shopping, carp fishing trade shows continue to thrive because they offer something digital platforms cannot fully replace — face-to-face interaction, live demonstrations and the atmosphere of the angling community itself.
As venues, organisers and audiences continue to evolve, one thing remains clear: trade shows and social events are now firmly embedded within modern UK carp fishing culture.
Compiled by Carp Social | April 2025
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