Kate Bush fans around the globe celebrate Kate Bush while dressed as Kate Bush

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By ( Classic Rock ) published

This year's Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever was surely the most popular Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever ever

Kate Bush fans running up a hill
Kate Bush fans in Sydney, Australia, running up a hill (Image credit: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)

Kate Bush's birthday was celebrated on Saturday, and when we say "celebrated" we're not messing about. Because across the globe – from Uppsala in Sweden to Dunedin, on New Zealand's South Island – fans gathered for the annual event known as The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever.

The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever was originally inspired an event held at the Brighton Fringe Festival in 2013, and has grown to become an international event, as "Cathys" congregate in parks and squares the world over, dressed as Bush was in the second of two videos shot to accompany the release of debut single Wuthering Heights in 1978 (in the first video she was dressed in white, rather than red). 

This year's festivities were given extra impetus following the extraordinary renewal in interest in Bush's Running Up That Hill since its appearance in the climactic episode of the current series of Stranger Things, with many celebrants following the traditional choreographed performance of Wuthering Heights with an actual run up a actual hill.

While the Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever is an opportunity to celebrate the witchy genius of chart-busting hitmaker Bush, there's a serious side to all the shenanigans. 

"The Wuthering Sisterhood gives many volunteer hours in their hometowns to bring something joyous to their own communities, often raising money for local womens' causes," explains Samantha, organiser of the Berlin event.

The event proved particularly popular in Australia, where the Bush birthday was celebrated in Adelaide, Bega Valley, Blue Mountains, Brisbane, Bunbury, Cairns, Canberra, Frankston, Fremantle, Gippsland, Gold Coast, Hobart, Lanunceston, Mona Vale, Newcastle, Sydney and Warrnambool.

We've embedded various joyous highlights from The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever from around the globe below. 

Fraser Lewry
Fraser Lewry
Online Editor, Classic Rock

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.