The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) announces today the postponement of the Rally for the Bridgewater Canal, originally scheduled to take place at Agden Bridge over the August Bank Holiday (23 – 25 August 2025).
The event was designed to bring together boaters, communities, and stakeholders in support of restoring the Bridgewater Canal following the major breach of New Year’s Day. However, ongoing closures, stoppages, and unpredictable water levels across the network have created significant challenges for boat movements and event planning.
Mike Sumner, Rally Chair, said:
“We wanted this rally to be a celebration of canal culture and a united show of strength but at this moment the system is just too unstable to safely bring the community together. Ironically, boaters are struggling to get to the event to support our waterways and are more worried about being able to get home safely.
“It’s incredibly frustrating but having to do this only reinforces our campaign that Britain’s waterways need investment, resilience planning, and support from every level of government. The event is not cancelled, merely postponed for when conditions are more favourable, and we look forward to welcoming everyone then.”
We’re actively working towards the 2026 August Bank Holiday so the event can have the impact it was designed to do and offer the accessibility it deserves. In the meantime, IWA remains committed to campaigning for long-term solutions to keep our waterways open, resilient, and thriving as it has done for almost 80 years.
