8 Biggest Cat Conventions and Festivals in the World (2024 Update)

Cat lovers appreciate and honor their four-legged friends in many ways, including holding and attending cat conventions and festivals. We’ve scoured the internet to bring you this list of upcoming cat conventions and festivals so you can celebrate your love of cats with like-minded people.

Note: Due to the ongoing pandemic and local restrictions, some cat-related events are on hold or being held virtually. If you decide to attend any of these events, it’s up to you to keep tabs on the event’s status or change of venue.

Have fun checking out these worldwide cat celebrations that pay homage to our feline friends!

Top 8 Cat Conventions & Festivals

1. Edmonton Cat Festival

The organizers of the Alberta-based Edmonton Cat Festival have decided to hold the 2022 Edmonton Cat Festival virtually, to play it safe. Even though it’s online this year, this big celebration of cats, cat culture, and cat people is loaded with fun things to do.

The mission of this festival is to bring together cat lovers from all over to celebrate cats and feline culture while raising money and awareness for organizations that help cats in need.

The great thing about this event is that 100% of all net proceeds raised are donated to local animal rescue groups. We think that’s paw-some and are sure you agree!

2. CatFest

The UK’s largest cat-related event called CatFest is held at the historic Beckenham Place Mansion located in a South London park. CatFest was created out of love for cats and to help animals in need. This event-packed festival offers loads of cat-related things to see and do, including:

CatFest features merchandise for sale for cat folks like t-shirts, hats, and jewelry. There will also be vendors present offering cool stuff for cats like collars, bedding, and accessories. When you get hungry, there’s plenty of delicious food on hand featuring fare from around the world.

3. CatCon

It would be a catastrophe to miss this two-day conference celebrating innovative products and ideas in cat art, cat design, and all-around feline culture. CatCon is where pop culture meets cat culture, and it’s a pawsome event not to be missed.

While the exact date of CatCon hasn’t been announced, this event will take place sometime in August of 2022 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. So, plan on grabbing your feline-loving friends so you can head out to LA for this fantastic event that celebrates your favorite furry friends!

4. PopCats Chicago

POPCats is a fun-filled festival inspired by the spirit of cats and pop art. This weekend-long event is being held at Artifacts Events in the Windy City. POPCats is the place to be if you’ve ever dreamed of being surrounded by everything cats. When you attend this festival, you’ll enjoy a colorful feline-themed atmosphere featuring loads of things to do, including:

POPCats’ mission is to help cats by inspiring people to get involved in the animal welfare community and by supporting feline organizations across the United States. If you can’t make it to Chicago for POPCats, check the official website to see if there’s a POPCats festival scheduled near you.

5. Cat Lovers Show

The Cat Lovers Show is Australia’s largest feline-focused festival that celebrates everything that’s cool about cats. This festival is held at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Center.

If you love cats and plan on being in or near Melbourne, Australia at the end of May, the Cat Lovers Show is the place to be!

6. Kattenstoet 2023

Kattenstoet is a Belgium-based festival celebrating cats. The highlight of this event is the celebratory parade in Ypres, Belgium. The parade features floats, giant cat effigies, costumes, and whiskers, all dedicated to our feline friends.

Kattenstoet, which means cat parade, takes place every 3 years in the streets of Ypres, which is a small town near the French border. When the parade ends, the celebration continues with numerous concerts and performances around the town. If you plan on going to Kattenstoet, be sure your camera’s battery is fully loaded because you’ll want to snap lots of photos of the amazing cat-themed parade.

7. Festival of Cats

Taking place in the beautiful English seaside city of Margate, the Festival of Cats started from a love of T.S. Eliot’s book of poetry titled “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”. Much like the book, the Festival of Cats celebrates the psychology, sociology, and whimsy of our favorite feline friends.

If you love art and cats, you’ll appreciate this festival where artists of all ages submit their best feline-themed pieces to the main exhibition. There are also poetry readings, workshops, and discussion groups to join at this cat-themed festival that attracts hundreds of art and cat lovers from across the UK and beyond.

8. MeowFest Virtual

For the past few years, cat lovers gathered at MeowFest in Toronto and Vancouver to celebrate cats. But since the pandemic has changed our lives, this big Canadian feline festival has gone online.

MeowFest offers cat lovers lots of fun things to do like meet and greets with famous cats, cat expert presentations, and a merchandise-packed marketplace.

MeowFest is sponsored by some big brands like MeowBox, Modern Cat Magazine, and Catit, so you know it’s going to be pawsome! The exact date has yet to be announced for 2022 MeowFest, but we do know it will be held during the summer months.

You can attend this cat-themed virtual festival from the comfort of your home, which means you can wear your cat-themed pajamas to send out a cat vibe!

Benefits of Cat Conventions and Festivals

There are many great reasons to attend cat-themed conventions and festivals. First and foremost, you’ll be able to connect with other cat lovers to share stories and get cat care tips. You can also pick up some amazing cat merchandise, whether it’s cat t-shirts and hats for you or cat collar or scratching post for your feline friend. So, go through the list of cat conventions above and choose the events you’d like to attend.

Conclusion

Without question, the pandemic has put a damper on many cat conventions and festivals, resulting in numerous cancellations. However, there are still some great cat conventions and festivals to attend. All the events listed above are great for celebrating and rejoicing in the glory of cats! And you must admit that being able to attend a cat convention or festival via your computer screen is A-OK, considering you don’t have to dress up!

See also:

• Do Cats Like Music? Feline Auditory Facts & FAQs
• Are There Wild Cats in Illinois? Common Species

Featured Image Credit: Monkeyoum, ShutterStock