From June 5 – 7, 2026, The British Antique Dealers’ Association (BADA) will open the doors to an event that marks a notable shift for the organization.
For the first time since its founding in 1918, BADA will stage a major art and antiques fair outside London. The inaugural BADA Art & Antiques Fair Rutland will take place at the Pavilion at Rutland Hall Hotel, set within the quiet countryside of England’s smallest county.
The decision signals a thoughtful expansion — one that extends the association’s presence beyond the capital while maintaining the standards and scholarship that have long defined BADA events.
A Fair Built on Connoisseurship and Trust
The Rutland fair will bring together 40 BADA member dealers, presenting material that spans fine art, antiques, and design across a wide range of specialist disciplines. Jewelry, fine furniture, drawings, paintings and watercolors, sculpture, clocks and watches, glass, rare books, and silver will all be represented across the fair floor.
As with all BADA events, every object exhibited will be individually vetted for quality, authenticity, and attribution by the association’s experts. That rigorous process has long been central to the BADA model — offering buyers confidence in both provenance and scholarship.
For collectors, designers, and members of the trade, the result is a fair where expertise is not simply assumed, but actively upheld.
Why Rutland — and Why Now
Rutland may be the smallest county in England, but its location places it at the geographic heart of the UK. Surrounded by historic villages and rural countryside, the setting offers something quite different from the pace of London’s fair circuit.
That shift in location also opens the door for regional BADA members who may not typically exhibit in London. At the same time, the fair will bring some of the association’s most established dealers to an audience that may be encountering a BADA event locally for the first time.
In that sense, the Rutland fair functions as both an expansion and a recalibration — widening access while maintaining the standards that define the association.
Exhibitors to Watch
The inaugural edition already features an impressive roster of specialists from across the BADA membership, including:
- Tomasso, international experts in European sculpture and Old Master works
- Freshfords Fine Antiques, specialists in 18th and early 19th-century furniture
- Gladwell & Patterson, renowned dealers in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art
- Holly Johnson Antiques, known for 19th and 20th-century furniture
- Richard Price, a French clock specialist familiar to many from BBC’s Antiques Roadshow
- Abbott and Holder, dealers in drawings, watercolors, prints, and oils dating from 1750 to 2000
Together, the group reflects the breadth of disciplines represented within BADA’s membership — from sculpture and fine art to decorative objects and horology.
A Response to a Changing Fair Landscape
The fair also arrives at a moment when the UK antiques fair calendar continues to evolve.
BADA Chairman Louise Phillips notes that the years following the pandemic reshaped the exhibitions landscape across the country. Rising operational costs and shifting market conditions led to the closure of several longstanding fairs — both in London and beyond.
The search for a new venue capable of hosting a BADA event outside the capital took time. Rutland, she suggests, offers the right combination of setting, accessibility, and appeal for both exhibitors and visitors.
The result is an event designed not only as a marketplace, but as a destination — one that encourages visitors to experience both the fair itself and the surrounding region.
For tickets, schedules, and full programming details, please visit: www.badafair.com
