Bournemouth based digital agency Cold Banana will be providing round the clock web support for Crufts during the world famous dog show’s main event, taking place from Thursday 5th March to Sunday 8th March 2026.
Crufts, organised by The Royal Kennel Club, is widely recognised as the largest dog show in the world. Each year it attracts over 150,000 in person visitors, alongside a substantial global online audience of approximately 4 million unique web visitors accessing schedules, results, and event updates in real time. In 2026, more than 18,000 dogs across 200 pedigree breeds will compete for prizes, with owners competing to win the grand prize of Best in Show; which attracts a live TV audience exceeding 4.5 million on Channel 4.
With significant spikes in traffic expected across the four day event, Cold Banana will deliver dedicated 24 hour monitoring and technical support throughout the live show period. The agency’s development team will proactively manage performance, respond rapidly to demand surges, and ensure the platform remains stable and accessible during key moments including group judging and Best in Show.
Cold Banana has partnered with Crufts alongside 3mil (a Wimbledon based creative design agency) since 2023. Cold Banana conducted an upgrade to Crufts’ digital platform using the Umbraco CMS, providing web support during Crufts’ main event each year since.
This upgraded web architecture is designed to allow independent scalability throughout the site, creating a resilient and high performing foundation capable of handling intense traffic peaks without compromising user experience. This infrastructure will underpin the 2026 event, supported by continuous oversight from Cold Banana’s technical specialists.
Luke Fribbens, Founder and CEO of Cold Banana, said:
“Crufts is a globally recognised event with an enormous digital audience. Our responsibility as Crufts’ digital partner is to ensure the website performs flawlessly during the busiest moments of the show. We will be providing continuous web support across the entire event window so visitors can access the information they need without disruption. With our team of talented developers all having a love for man’s best friend, we always look forward to doing our part to make sure everything runs smoothly!”
As live events become increasingly dependent on digital performance, proactive support and infrastructure resilience are critical. Cold Banana’s 24/7 support model gives organisations confidence that their platforms are monitored, maintained and optimised during high profile periods of demand.
Founded in 2015, Cold Banana operates internationally with offices in Bournemouth (UK) and Dubai. The agency is an Umbraco Gold partner specialising in enterprise level Umbraco website builds, complex migrations and performance led optimisation strategies for organisations seeking scalable digital growth.
For Bournemouth and the wider Dorset community, this partnership highlights how local digital expertise is supporting one of the world’s most prestigious live events on a global stage.
