Suffolk Day

Suffolk Day
Official name	Suffolk Day
Observed by	Residents of Suffolk
Type	Cultural
Significance	Celebration of Suffolk
Celebrations	Local celebrations, Flying the Suffolk flag, Awarding the Suffolk Medal
Date	21 June
Frequency	Annual
First time	2017;8 years ago (2017)
Started by	Mark Murphy
Related to	Yorkshire Day

Suffolk Day is an annual celebration of the county of Suffolk. The day was instigated by Mark Murphy from BBC Radio Suffolk, who was inspired after noticing that Carol Kirkwood made weather reports with a greater focus on Yorkshire on August 1. ^[1]

It is celebrated every year on June 21 - this is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Suffolk Day launch ceremony

Though events are held across Suffolk, Suffolk Day is launched at an annual ceremony. These ceremonies are attended by dignitaries from across Suffolk, and are free to attend by any member of the public.

A ceremony is held annually in Suffolk. The location varies each year, with the next host being announced at the end of the current ceremony.

• 2017: Lowestoft
• 2018: Sudbury ^[2]
• 2019: Felixstowe ^[3]
• 2020: Online due to COVID-19
• 2021: Clare ^[4]
• 2022: Framlingham ^{[5] [6]}
• 2023: Ipswich ^[7]
• 2024: Haverhill ^[8]
• 2025: Lowestoft ^[9]
• 2026: Bury St Edmunds ^[10]

Suffolk Day proclamation

During the ceremony, a proclamation is read. The proclamation is written especially for each occasion, conveying the hopes of the host town and the county of Suffolk as a whole.

In 2025, the proclamation was composed by students of schools across Lowestoft, citing influences from Benjamin Britten to The Darkness. ^[11]

Suffolk Medal

The Suffolk Medal on display at the Suffolk Archives, Ipswich

The Suffolk Medal was created by George Vestey, the High Sheriff of Suffolk in 2018.

Since 2019, the Suffolk Day ceremonies have presented the Suffolk Medal to recognise, reward and champion the exceptional contributions of Suffolk people that have made a fundamental and lasting difference to the county. ^[12] The Suffolk Medal is presented by the Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk

The Medal was designed by notable Suffolk-based artist Maggi Hambling.

Notable recipients ^[13]

• Maggi Hambling ^[14]
• Martin Seeley ^[15]

References

1. "Happy Suffolk Day". East Anglian Daily Times. 2025-06-21. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
2. "Sudbury celebrates launch of Suffolk Day 2018". Suffolk News. 2018-06-21. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
3. Staff, Town Hall (2019-03-12). "Felixstowe to Officially Launch Suffolk Day 2019". Felixstowe Town Council. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
4. "Disabled Door Handles with a View on Door Knobs". Suffolk Latch Company. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
5. "Framlingham to host Suffolk Day 2022". East Anglian Daily Times. 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
6. "Our wonderful county has so much it can be proud of on Suffolk Day". Suffolk County Council. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
7. scf-local-nicki (2023-06-16). "Ipswich set to host Suffolk Day celebrations". Suffolk Community Foundation. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
8. "Suffolk celebrates day held in its own honour in Haverhill". BBC News. 2024-06-21. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
9. Consultancy, 9:55 Creative Marketing. "Lowestoft Town Council | Suffolk Day 2025" . Retrieved 2025-07-11.
10. "Suffolk Day". Suffolk Day. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
11. "Lowestoft students inspired by Banksy, Britten and The Darkness". BBC News. 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
12. "Suffolk Medal". Suffolk Lieutenancy. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
13. "The Suffolk Medal Recipients | The Suffolk Medal" . Retrieved 2025-07-11.
14. Bennitt, Sue (2022-06-27). "Suffolk Medal Winners Receive Medals on Suffolk Day". Suffolk Lieutenancy. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
15. "Five men given medals as part of Suffolk Day celebrations". BBC News. 2025-06-21. Retrieved 2025-07-11.