Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams, picture courtesy of Jill Furmanovsky
prints available from rockarchive.com

Towel Day is an annual celebration on the 25th of May, as a tribute to the late author Douglas Adams (1952-2001). On that day, fans around the universe carry a towel in his honour.


I love Douglas Adams! How can I get involved?

  • Help spread the word about Towel Day (#towelday): share a link on Facebook, blog, post in forums, make art, etc.

  • Tell us about events you organize on Towel Day, and we will announce them here.

  • On Towel Day, carry a towel. Where? Everywhere!

  • Proudly show the world you've observed Towel Day! Post for example a photo or video with your towel on the Towel Day Facebook page and enjoy other people's. Some alternatives are the Flickr group for pictures and of course YouTube for videos.


What is happening on Towel Day 2025?

This list is just starting and very incomplete. Know about any Towel Day events we should add? Please mail us!


ONLINE

    Nitin Goel, 2025 Towel Day Ambassador

  • Nitin Goel has been elected Towel Day Ambassador 2025! You may know Nitin from Project Bibliotherapy, which he and Nandini run in India to promote reading.
    Here's the video in which he presented himself.
    To help him with his enormous responsibility, Nemo Thorx will assume the role of regional TDA for Europe, Asia and Africa, and Ed Hunter will care for North and South America, Australia, and Antartica.
    Congratulations Nitin and thank you for your contributions to Towel Day over the years! Thanks to the other contestants for making great videos and bringing awareness to Towel Day. And thanks to the organizers and all the people who voted!
  • From 14 April until Towel Day, Towel Day Ambassador Nitin and Nandini from Project Bibliotherapy will be sharing one link related to Douglas Noel Adams every day for 42 days, for your reading / viewing / listening pleasure, via the following platforms:
    Hit those follow buttons and join him on this wild ride from April 14 until May 25!
  • On May 29 at 6pm EDT, from John Hopkins University, the Office of Alumni Relations Lifelong Learning and Alumni in Technology are celebration of Towel Day with a lively virtual panel discussion exploring the enduring relevance of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in our rapidly evolving digital world. Moderated by artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity expert Alex Sharpe, Engr '95, this conversation will bring together digital transformation and AI experts. Together, the panel will dive into how Douglas Adams' iconic sci-fi satire anticipated many of the questions we face today around technology, information, and disruption. Towel Day honors the legacy of Douglas Adams. Fans worldwide carry a towel - a nod to the book's beloved guide - to show their appreciation for his wit, imagination, and insight into the human (and technological) condition. Registered attendees are entered into a drawing to win a Hopkins Alumni beach towel. Please attend the event by using the Hopkins at Home link. The general public can attend, but registration is necessary. Details here
  • Every year on Towel Day Lego and Legal publishes Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy themed Lego builds. Their stuf is seriously over the top, we love it! Here's what they published for Towel Day 2024! For Towel Day 2025 they will add many improvements and additional builds, including a proper Marvin. It will appear here. Normally the theme of their Lego builds is legal subjects, not kidding! Kudos to Zarfster and his kids for roughly a decade of highly original tributes to Douglas Adams.
  • Some very hoopy frood, on Towel Day, is releasing a multiplayer remake of the classic Atari 2600 game Adventure. It's browser based, so no need to dig up your old 2600! Enjoy!
AUSTRIA
  • On Saturday, May 24th, there will be a Meet & Greet with Arthur Dent (galactic hitchhiker) at the NöRD Shop in Bludenz from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Meet Philipp Horatschek, European Towel Day Ambassador 2015, and find out everything you need to know about Towel Day on May 25th.
    Details and RSVP on Facebook
  • On Sunday, May 25th, there will be a Meet & Drink at the Seeanlage Bregenz. Philipp Horatschek will be out and about as Arthur Dent at 5:00 PM. Come by for a beer.
    Details and RSVP on Facebook
GERMANY
  • In Berlin, at 20:15, under the starry sky of the Zeiss Planetarium, come celebrate Towel Day with a reading from Douglas Adams' cult classic "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", by Dr. Monika Staesche. You need a ticket, but they are affordable and reduced price tickets are available for those who come with a towel.
    Details and tickets here
  • In Hamburg, at 17:00 in the Monkeys Music Club, froods from Back on stage present an interactive multimedia reading for Towel Day. Beside reading from the book, they'll have videos, music ("The Blessed Acceleration" a. k. a. the 2nd loudest band in the universe) and a bar at the end of the universe serving Pan galactic gargle blasters. Due to the lack of Babelfish in this area of Germany the language spoken will be German. But they're sure it will be a lot of fun!
    Details and RSVP on Facebook
  • In Lüneburg, at 16:00, actor and director Thomas Ney will continue his public reading of Douglas Adams' work (in German). Several years in a row now, Thomas Ney has read from the works of Douglas Adams on Towel Day. He's now on the second volume "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe". Please don't forget your towel and bathrobe! Club Fahrenheit - the live audiobook experience at mosaique with Thomas Ney. Where: mosaique - Haus der Kulturen, Katzenstr. 1, D-21335 Lüneburg.
    Details here
INDIA NETHERLANDS
  • In Rotterdam, from 17:40-23:40, fans of Douglas Adams and/or Terry Pratchett are welcome at Cafe Pardoen, Spaansekade 62. Bring a towel, wear the lilac. In honour of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. Rotterdam Editie The 10th Edition will feature: Pangalactic Gargleblasters, Vogon Poetry Contest, Dwarfish Battle Bread Battle, Elvish Impersonation Contest, Dirk Gently's Holistic Treasure Hunt and much, much more! Prizes galore!" FOR TRUTH, JUSTICE, FREEDOM, REASONABLY PRICED LOVE, AND A HARD BOILED EGG! Adress: Cafe Pardoen, Spaansekade 62
    Details and RSVP on Facebook
NEW ZEALAND
  • In Hastings, from 1:30pm to 3:30pm, the NERDVANA25 programme of the Hastings district Libraries does a Towel Day book pop-up book club, with a focus on sci-fi, fantasy and speculative fiction. No set text; just let them know what you've been reading lately, hear what others have loved or hated, and connect with like-minded book geeks. Books and spot prizes! It's three weeks after Nerdvana to give you a chance to read those books you got in the Geek Box. (You can still join if you didn't get a Geek Box.) Registration required. Register through the Hastings Libraries website. Limited numbers. 18+ only!
UNITED KINGDOM
  • In Cambridge at 13:00 David Haddock of ZZ9 fame will be your guide on another Towel Day Cambridge tour. "Start at Cambridge Railway Station. We will walk into Cambridge passing various Douglas Adams related places, e.g. where he was born, lived, studied and drank plus Dirk Gently and Shada locations. We take a roundabout route so there is nearly three miles of walking and end about two and a half hours later or thereabouts in central Cambridge." Details and RSVP on Facebook
USA
  • In Chicago, IL, the Dirk Gently play is being put on by Theatre-on-the-Hill, from May 23rd - 25th at Roger C Claar Performing Arts Center, 375 West Briarcliff, Bolingbrook, IL. And if you can't wait until Towel Day, they also perform it from April 11th - 13th at Warrenville Community Building, 3S240 Warren Ave, Warrenville, IL.
    Get your tickets here
  • In Columbia, IL, on the 1st of May, DONUT PANIC is opening! They will be doing a Towel Day giveaway on the 25th! The first 200 customers to spend $10 or more get a free Towel Day 2025 towel! They look awesome!
    Find them on 1005 S Main St, Ste B, Columbia, IL.


This list is incomplete. Know about any Towel Day events we should add? Please mail us!

Want to organize a Towel Day event? Inspiration can be found in the Archives




NASA Astronaut Dan Tani speaking about Towel Day and towels on space missions


Thank you for being part of this & always remember: DON'T PANIC


This site is not endorsed by or associated with the Douglas Adams Estate, systemtoolbox.com, kojv.net, ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha, Pan MacMillan, Penguin Group, Hyperion Books, Flickr, YouTube or any other organisation. It is run by a bunch of Douglas Adams loving ape descendants who thought it was a shame that this domain was parked, and bought it. They are not liable for any incorrect information - the information on this site is provided in good faith, but may be inaccurate. Don't panic.
info at towelday dot org


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