Club Benefits
The Crufts 2026 live streams are the biggest deal in the world of dogs. More than 18,000 canines will descend on Birmingham's NEC Arena over four days to decide which of the very good boys and girls will win individual breed and scruffts categories, and agility contests, before the prestigious Best In Show is crowned on Sunday, March 8.
Below, we'll explain how to watch Crufts 2025 live streams from anywhere with a VPN — and potentially for FREE.
► U.K. date and time: Crufts 2026 runs from Thursday, March 5 to Sunday, March 8.
• U.K. — Channel 4 (FREE)
• Global — YouTube (FREE)
• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free
Twelve months ago, a four-year-old whippet from Venice called Miuccia became the first winner from Italy to take the Best In Show crown, with Viking, a Tibetan mastiff from Romania, the runner-up.
But there's more than just the individual breed winners. The Scruffts category — for crossbreeds — is where the heart of the event comes from, while there’s also agility contests and flyball, head-to-head relay races between dog teams. In 2026, there will be a dog grooming championships for the first time.
You can get involved, too. Featuring pooches performing rescue acts, being support animals or sharing unique bonds with their owners, the Kennel Club Hero Dog Award will be decided on Sunday, and you can vote for your favorite. Visit the Crufts website to cast your vote!
The action begins on Thursday, with the Working and Pastoral categories selecting their winner.
Ready for a whole lot of the goodest boys and girls? Here's how to watch Crufts 2026 online and on TV — including free streaming options.
Watch Crufts 2026 for FREE in the U.K.
In the U.K., Crufts 2026 will air across Channel 4 and More4, both of which are available to live stream via the Channel 4 streaming service. All are free to use with a valid UK TV Licence.
There will be daily coverage, which will all be available on demand to watch at your leisure. Timings are as follows (all GMT)...
Channel 4 Coverage
Thursday, March 5 – 3pm to 4pm and 7.30pm to 9.30pm
Friday, March 6 – 3pm to 4pm
Saturday, March 7 – 2pm to 6pm and 7pm to 9pm
Sunday, March 8 – 3.30pm to 6.30pm and 7pm to 9pm
More 4 Coverage
Thursday, March 5 – 6.30pm to 7.30pm
Friday, March 6 – 6.30pm to 9pm
Traveling abroad? Use a VPN to unblock Channel 4 and watch Crufts 2026 for FREE online, as if you were back home in the U.K..
How to watch Crufts 2026 online from anywhere with a VPN
Not at home for Crufts 2026?
No need to worry, you can still watch all of this weekend's action using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). VPN's allow you to make your device appear as if it's in your home country, no matter where you are, bypassing geo-blockers. Perfect for canine lovers traveling for work or leisure. Our #1 pick is NordVPN. It's the best on the market:
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view a U.K. service, you'd select U.K. from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the show. Head to Channel 4 and stream Crufts 2026 online.
How to watch Crufts 2026 around the world
Crufts doesn't have any international broadcast partners, but rolling coverage of all four days of the event are being live streamed for FREE on YouTube.
Day 1 coverage begins at 3:10am ET / 7:10pm AEDT; Day 2 at 3:20am / 7:20pm AEDT; Day 3 at 3:10am ET / 7:10pm AEDT; Day 4 at 3:30am ET / 7:30pm AEDT.
YouTube is, of course, completely free to watch and compatible with pretty much any internet-connected device out there.
If you are visiting a country where YouTube is not accessible, don't forget you can use a VPN to access YouTube from anywhere.
Crufts schedule 2026
All times GMT
Thursday, March 5
08.15am: Agility — Crufts Novice Cup (Jumping)
09.25am: Agility Championships — Large/Intermediate (Jumping)
10.30am: Heelwork to Music Competition
11.50am: Break
12.30pm: Agility — Crufts Novice Cup Final (Agility)
1.25pm: Agility Championships — Large/Intermediate (Agility)
2.15pm: Young Kennel Club — Jumping Cup
3.10pm: Flyball — Team — The Last 16
3.50pm: Heelwork to Music Competition Winner
3.55pm: West Midlands Police Dog Display
4.25pm: Break
5pm: Agility Championships — Large/Intermediate Final
5.40pm: Junior Warrant Competition Final
6pm: Breeders Competition Final
6.25pm: Group Judging (Working) and Presentation
7.15pm: Group Judging (Pastoral) and Presentation
Friday, March 6
08.30am: Joe Cartledge Memorial International Junior Handling competition
10.20am: Agility — Crufts Medium ABC & Intermediate/Large Novice ABC Final (Jumping)
11am: Agility — Crufts Singles Heat — S/M/I/L — Jumping
11.55am: Freestyle Heelwork to Music competition
1.30pm: Agility — Crufts Singles Heat — S/M/I/L — Agility
2.25pm: Agility — Crufts Medium ABC and Intermediate/Large Novice ABC Final (Agility)
3.10pm: Flyball — Team — The Last 16
3.50pm: Freestyle Heelwork to Music Competition Winner
3.55pm: West Midlands Police Dog Display
4.20pm: Break
5.05pm: Agility — Crufts Singles Final: Small, Medium, Intermediate and Large (Agility)
5.50pm: Vulnerable Breeds Competition Final
6.15pm: Joe Cartledge Memorial International Junior Handling competition Final Judging
6.35pm: Group Judging (Terrier) and Presentation
7.25pm: Group Judging (Hound) and Presentation
Saturday, March 7
8.15am: Crufts — International Invitation – Large (Jumping)
9am: Scruffts Semi-Final
10am: Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme Display
10.30am: Hoopers Display
11am: Southern Golden Retriever Display Team
11.20am: West Midlands Police Display
11.50am: Heelwork to Music — Freestyle International Competition
1.40pm: Agility — International Invitation — Large (Agility)
2.20pm: Young Kennel Club — Agility Dog of the Year Finals
3.40pm: Flyball — YKC Flyball finals followed by Team Quarter Finals
4.25pm: Break
4.50pm: Show Opening and Parade
5pm: Agility – International Invitation — Large — Agility Finals
5.40pm: Scruffts Final
6.05pm: Heelwork to Music — Freestyle International Winner
6.10pm: Obedience Champion (Bitch) and Reserve (Bitch) Display
6.25pm: Gamekeepers Competition Final
7pm: Group Judging (Utility) and Presentation
7.50pm: Group Judging (Toy) and Presentation
Sunday, March 8
8.35am: Agility – Championships — Small/Medium (Jumping)
9.40am: Rescue Dog Agility
10.10am: Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme Display
10.40am: Heelwork to Music Winner
10.45am: Dog Activities Display
11.15am: Southern Golden Retriever Display Team
11.35am: Break
12pm: Agility Championships — Small/Medium (Agility)
1.05pm: Medical Detection Dogs Display
1.35pm: Arena cleared
3pm: Doors open for Best in Show ticket holders
4.15pm: Special Musical Performance
4.30pm: Flyball — Semi-Finals and Final
4.50pm: Special Musical Performance
5pm: Agility — Championship — Small/Medium — Agility Final
5.40pm: The Kennel Club Hero Dog Award
5.50pm: Young Kennel Club Stakes Final and Presentation
6pm: Group Judging (Gundog) and Presentation
7.50pm: Special Musical Performance
8pm: West Midlands Police Dog Display
8.20pm: Presentation of the Police Dog Team Operational and Humanitarian Action of the Year Award
8.30pm: Best in Show and Presentation
Crufts 2026 — FAQs
When is the 2026 Crufts Best in Show presentation?
As the crowning moment of Crufts 2026, the Best in Show presentation has been given pride of place at the end of day four. It's scheduled for 8:30pm GMT on Sunday, March 8.
What breeds are at Crufts 2026?
More than 200 different types of breed will be at Crufts 2026, with 18,698 dogs set to compete, which is up 123 entries on 12 months ago.
Labrador retrievers will feature most prominently, with 586 entries, followed by golden retrievers with 529. Cocker spaniels have 409, whippets 403 and Staffordshire bull terriers 393.
Spare a thought for the lonely Komondor, though, who are represented by just three dogs.
Which breed has won the most Best In Shows at Crufts?
Over the years Cocker Spaniels have won Best in Show seven times, more than any other breed, with Irish Setters, Standard Poodles and Welsh Terriers tied on four titles apiece. Rivaling the competition for top billing is the Kennel Club Hero Dog Award, which this year celebrates five finalists.
What is the history of Crufts?
Named after found Charles Cruft, the annual dog show began in 1891 and featured 2,000 entries. It was first hosted in Islington, North London. Cruft was a traveling salesman specializing in "dog cakes" — food filled with meat, wheat and vegetables — before running the show that still bears his name with his wife.
After he died in 1938, his wife took over the running of the event, before she sold it to the Kennel Club, who have run it ever since.
It has been held at the NEC in Birmingham since 1991, with hundreds of stalls and lots of dog display to keep punters entertained, along with all the awards, showcases and tricks events.
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