Swindon news, August 2026: day by day
35 stories from August 2026, under the day each one is about. Stories marked Looking back were written later from the published source and show the date Swindo published them.
Saturday 29 August 2026
- Looking backA Day at the Wharf: free family day at Wharf Green on 29 August
Looking back, 29 August 2026: Swindon Borough Council's free A Day at the Wharf event was scheduled for Wharf Green in the town centre from 10am to 4pm, to mark the end of the summer holidays.
Things to do · Source: Swindon Borough Council · Published on Swindo
Friday 28 August 2026
- Looking backPadel Nova: former food warehouse in Westlea becomes indoor padel club
Looking back, 28 August 2026: Padel Nova, an independent indoor padel club with three courts in part of a former food warehouse on Rivermead Drive, Westlea, was visited by Swindon South MP Heidi Alexander.
Sport and fitness · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
- Looking backFleming Way bus interchange one year on: three million journeys
Looking back, 28 August 2026: a year after the £33m Fleming Way bus interchange opened in Swindon town centre, the council said more than three million bus journeys had departed from or passed through it.
Transport · Source: Swindon Borough Council · Published on Swindo
Thursday 27 August 2026
- Looking backCCTV cameras more than doubled in Swindon's town centre car parks
Looking back, 27 August 2026: Swindon Borough Council said it was raising the number of CCTV cameras in its town centre car parks from 64 to 139, with speakers so officers can talk to people on site.
Transport · Source: Swindon Borough Council · Published on Swindo
Wednesday 26 August 2026
- Looking backSwindon swimming coach Aimee Masters wins European Masters golds
Looking back, 26 August 2026: Aimee Masters, 21, a swimming coach at David Lloyd Swindon and Swindon ASC club captain, won backstroke gold medals at the European Aquatics Masters Championships in Slovakia.
Sport and fitness · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
Tuesday 25 August 2026
- Looking backYellow thunderstorm warning issued for Swindon for 27 August
Looking back, 25 August 2026: a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms and heavy rain had been issued for Swindon and parts of north Wiltshire, in force from 6am to 10pm on Thursday 27 August.
Community · Source: Wiltshire 999s · Published on Swindo
Monday 24 August 2026
- Looking backMore than 40 councillors join Swindon town centre clean-up session
Looking back, 24 August 2026: more than 40 borough and parish councillors had joined volunteers on Saturday 22 August to clear alleyways off Crombey Street, remove graffiti and restore benches at Wharf Green.
Council and services · Source: Swindon Borough Council · Published on Swindo
Saturday 22 August 2026
- Looking backUkraineFest 2026 draws 5,300 people to Town Gardens
Looking back, 22 August 2026: organisers counted 5,300 people at UkraineFest in Swindon's Town Gardens, the festival's biggest year yet, marking Ukrainian Independence Day.
Things to do · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
Friday 21 August 2026
- Looking backMore than 230 volunteer places booked for Swindon town centre clean-up
Looking back, 21 August 2026: more than 230 volunteer places had been taken up for The Big Town Centre Clean-Up, with the first group litter-picking on Canal Walk and The Parade.
Community · Source: The Ink · Published on Swindo
Thursday 20 August 2026
- Looking backSalvation Army turns neglected land in Gorse Hill into the Eden Patch garden
Looking back, 20 August 2026: The Salvation Army launched the Eden Patch, a wildlife-friendly garden and community growing space on unused land at its church and community centre on Chapel Street, Gorse Hill.
Community · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
- Looking backSwindon GCSE results 2026: 61.3 per cent pass both English and Maths
Looking back, 20 August 2026: 61.3 per cent of the 2,374 Swindon students whose GCSE results were returned to the council achieved grades 9 to 4 in both English and Maths.
Education · Source: Swindon Borough Council · Published on Swindo
Wednesday 19 August 2026
- Looking backPlans for shops and three flats at Newspaper House, Victoria Road
Looking back, 19 August 2026: plans for two commercial units and three flats in the Grade II-listed front of Newspaper House, the former Swindon Advertiser offices on Victoria Road, drew no objection from the council's conservation officer.
Housing and living · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
- Looking backDevizes Road in Old Town closed without warning; council apologises
Looking back, 19 August 2026: part of Devizes Road in Old Town, Swindon, was closed for road repairs without notice to traders, and Swindon Borough Council apologised, blaming a miscommunication with its contractor.
Transport · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
Tuesday 18 August 2026
- Looking backSouth Marston primary school limits swimming lessons to Key Stage 2 from September
Looking back, 18 August 2026: South Marston Church of England Primary School told parents that swimming lessons would be limited to Key Stage 2 pupils from September, citing a reduction of about £16,000 in its PE and Sport Premium funding.
Education · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
Monday 17 August 2026
- Looking backDiscarded cigarette blamed for Grafton Road house fire in Penhill
Looking back, 17 August 2026: a fire that spread from a garden to a house in Grafton Road, Penhill, on 13 August was started accidentally by a discarded cigarette, the fire service said. Nobody was hurt.
Community · Source: Wiltshire 999s · Published on Swindo
Sunday 16 August 2026
- Looking backCouncillors help finish polytunnel at Ukrainian community garden in Upper Stratton
Looking back, 16 August 2026: five Swindon councillors spent the day volunteering at the Ukrainian community garden at St Philip's allotments in Upper Stratton, finishing its polytunnel and weeding beds.
Community · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
Saturday 15 August 2026
- Looking backSwindon Film announces 14-film international season at the Arts Centre
Looking back, 15 August 2026: not-for-profit Swindon Film announced a 14-film season of international cinema at the Arts Centre in Old Town, opening with Dragonfly on 9 September.
Arts and culture · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
- Looking backSwindon & Wiltshire Pride 2026: march through the town centre and festival at GWR Park
Looking back, 15 August 2026: hundreds marched through Swindon town centre to GWR Park for Swindon & Wiltshire Pride, a free festival headlined by Nadine Coyle that organisers called their biggest yet.
Things to do · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
Friday 14 August 2026
- Looking backBelstaff opens a store at Swindon's Designer Outlet
Looking back, 14 August 2026: heritage fashion brand Belstaff opened a 1,500 sq ft store at the Designer Outlet in Swindon, the latest arrival since Frasers Group took over the centre.
Shopping · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
Thursday 13 August 2026
- Looking backSwindon A-Level results 2026: pass rate rises to 95.4 per cent
Looking back, 13 August 2026: 1,128 students in Swindon received A-Level results and 454 gained T-Levels, with the borough's A-Level pass rate at 95.4 per cent.
Education · Source: Swindon Borough Council · Published on Swindo
- Looking backProspect Hospice to reopen three inpatient beds after record fundraising
Looking back, 13 August 2026: Prospect Hospice in Wroughton said it would raise its inpatient beds from six to nine by January 2027 after record fundraising turned an expected deficit into a surplus.
Healthcare · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
Wednesday 12 August 2026
- Looking backSwindon submits its bid to be UK City of Culture 2029
Looking back, 12 August 2026: Swindon Borough Council and Swindon Culture Collective formally submitted the town's bid to become UK City of Culture 2029, a title that carries £10m for a year-long programme.
Arts and culture · Source: Swindon Borough Council · Published on Swindo
Tuesday 11 August 2026
- Looking backSwindon urged to save water as drought worsens across England
Looking back, 11 August 2026: people across Swindon and Wiltshire were urged to cut their water use as the Environment Agency said about 71.3 per cent of England was in drought.
Community · Source: Wiltshire 999s · Published on Swindo
Monday 10 August 2026
- Looking backPower-washing begins at Wharf Green in the Big Town Centre Clean-Up
Looking back, 10 August 2026: Swindon Borough Council began power-washing the paving in the town centre, starting at Wharf Green, as part of its Big Town Centre Clean-Up.
Council and services · Source: Swindon Borough Council · Published on Swindo
Sunday 9 August 2026
- Looking backOld Town's Beer & Country Festival draws more than 4,000 to Wood Street and Victoria Road
Looking back, 9 August 2026: more than 4,000 people came to the free Beer & Country Festival in Old Town, Swindon, the first Old Town Business Association summer event to be held on Victoria Road as well as Wood Street.
Things to do · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
Saturday 8 August 2026
- Looking backLove Parks Week 2026: Swindon residents urged to visit green spaces
Looking back, 8 August 2026: Swindon Borough Council was encouraging residents to make the most of the borough's more than 150 parks, play areas and open spaces during Love Parks Week.
Parks and nature · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
Friday 7 August 2026
- Looking backOink Gallery to close its Victoria Road premises in Old Town after 10 years
Looking back, 7 August 2026: Oink Gallery, the independent contemporary art gallery on Victoria Road in Old Town, Swindon, announced it was closing its premises after a decade and moving online.
Arts and culture · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
Thursday 6 August 2026
- Looking backBasset Down opens £400,000 Wiltshire-themed adventure golf course
Looking back, 6 August 2026: Basset Down Complex on Hay Lane, near M4 Junction 16, opened a new adventure golf course themed on the Wiltshire landscape, an investment of around £400,000.
Things to do · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
Wednesday 5 August 2026
- Looking backAugust at Swindon's museums: air raid shelter openings, clay days and £1 entry
Looking back, 5 August 2026: Swindon's three council-run museums, STEAM, Lydiard House and Museum & Art Swindon, were running a month of children's activities, including £1 entry and openings of STEAM's wartime air raid shelter.
Things to do · Source: The Ink · Published on Swindo
Tuesday 4 August 2026
- Looking backThrudball Blood Bowl tournament at Swindon Supermarine raises thousands for charity
Looking back, 4 August 2026: the 20th Thrudball tabletop gaming tournament, held at Swindon Supermarine, drew about 150 players and raised more than £8,000 at its charity auction alone.
Things to do · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
Monday 3 August 2026
- Looking backBath Road, Croft Road, Station Road and Draycot Road to be resurfaced
Looking back, 3 August 2026: Swindon Borough Council added Bath Road, Croft Road, Station Road, and Draycot Road and The Ridgeway to its summer resurfacing programme, with work due to finish before the end of September.
Transport · Source: Swindon Borough Council · Published on Swindo
- Looking backM4 westbound closed between junctions 15 and 16 after hay lorry fire
Looking back, 3 August 2026: the M4 westbound was closed between junction 15 (Badbury) and junction 16 (Swindon) after a lorry trailer carrying hay caught fire, with delays of about an hour.
Transport · Source: Wiltshire 999s · Published on Swindo
Sunday 2 August 2026
- Looking backMore than 1,000 watch Swindon's Bangladeshi community football tournament
Looking back, 2 August 2026: more than 300 players, from six-year-olds to adults, and well over 1,000 spectators took part in the sixth annual football tournament run by Swindon's Bangladeshi community.
Sport and fitness · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
Saturday 1 August 2026
- Looking backLydiard Park's first honey harvest produces just 30 jars
Looking back, 1 August 2026: the first honey from the four beehives in Lydiard Park's Walled Garden went on sale at the Coach House Tea Rooms, with only 30 jars from the first harvest.
Parks and nature · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo
- Looking backStagecoach brings new ticket machines to Swindon buses
Looking back, 1 August 2026: Stagecoach announced it was replacing the ticket machines on its buses in Swindon and the wider West region with Ticketer TK300 devices that feed live bus locations to its app.
Transport · Source: Swindon24 · Published on Swindo