The Top 12 Major Holidays to Market Your Podcast

Publishing episodes consistently matters when it comes to podcasting, but it’s strategic timing that makes the difference between a good episode and a viral one. Whether you release episodes every day, every week, or more sporadically, knowing what major holidays are coming throughout the year is an easy way to strategize your podcast’s schedule. But which calendar events and observances should you bookmark for your podcast marketing strategy? 

We’ve taken a look at 12 major holidays and awareness months to help you make the most of this podcast marketing opportunity, along with some pitch ideas of which types of shows fit best using examples from our roster of high-profile podcast client shows for inspiration. And if you need some additional help to grow your audience, reach out to The Podglomerate for a free consultation.

Why are holidays important for podcast marketing and production? 

Holidays are a big deal when it comes to podcast marketing because they provide something rare in digital media: predictable spikes in attention. The retail industry, for example, capitalizes on holidays by stocking shelves months in advance. This is so they can maximize the number of opportunities to keep customers’ attention until the holiday has passed.

Podcasts can do the same thing. By aligning your podcast marketing around holidays and calendar events, you’re meeting your audience where their attention already is. This makes your podcast much easier to promote, more appealing to share with others via cross-promos or feed drops, and easier to pitch to podcast apps as well as to other podcasts or media outlets that are looking for timely, holiday-specific content. 

From a production standpoint, holidays also give podcasters a number of advantages for long-term planning, including the following:

• Creating episodes around newsworthy topics relevant to the holiday
• Booking guests and subject matter experts for podcast interviews
• Sharing an episode of another podcast’s holiday-specific episode into your podcast feed (which will buy you back some time so you do not have to create new episodes)

As you can see, using holidays as part of your podcast marketing and production strategy has a lot of benefits. Just add these dates to your podcast editorial or promotional calendar, and you can begin creating a roadmap to plan your episodes, create marketing opportunities, and optimize owned media in a way that’s organic and timely.

January: New Year’s Day

January is synonymous with setting goals, improving yourself, and making a fresh start, and what better time to begin than New Year’s Day? Even if your podcast doesn’t publish directly on the day, or you’re on a programming break, consider how people might be looking for content about growth, change, and establishing better habits. It’s a smart way to start the year that helps your podcast stay top of mind for your audience.

This holiday is best suited for podcasts around these categories:

• Business podcasts that touch on entrepreneurship, careers, or professional development
• Educational podcasts with themes on self-improvement
• Health, fitness, and wellness podcasts that inspire new routines

Here are some useful pitch ideas:

• Frameworks for setting goals for the new year
• Reset strategies for business, health, or overall personal development
• Interviews with experts about forming habits, making sustainable changes

No Small Endeavor, hosted by Lee C. Camp, is a podcast that explores meaningful living through engaging conversations with authors, philosophers, scientists, and artists. Each episode tackles questions about happiness, purpose, and communal engagement, making it a perfect listen for those looking to start the year with a renewed sense of motivation and direction.

February: Black History Month

The diversity of the podcast community is one of its strengths, and February is an excellent time to highlight Black voices, stories, and contributions across every industry. It’s a great way to broaden the reach of your show to new listeners, and since this takes place all month, you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to scheduling.

While Black History Month can be applied for nearly any podcast, we’ve found that these categories are especially relevant:

• History, documentary, and society and culture podcasts that amplify stories from the Black community
• Arts podcasts that highlight contributions from Black creatives across books, film, TV, music, and beyond
• News or politics podcasts that center Black voices and perspectives

And here are some pitch ideas to consider:

• Conversations about present-day racial equity and justice
• Stories about overlooked historical events and figures
• Interviews with Black leaders, creators, or innovators in your industry
• Highlighting Black excellence in your podcast’s specific niche (great for cross-promo opportunities)

Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is an award-winning podcast produced by PBS Nature where wildlife ecologist Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant takes listeners on a journey through some of the world’s most remote ecosystems. The show combines science, storytelling, and adventure, highlighting the world of wildlife conservation through interviews with scientists, activists, and adventurers.

March: Women’s History Month

March is all about creating space to amplify women’s voices and talk about their contributions to the world at large. Like Black History Month (and other awareness months during the year), you have a lot of variety for scheduling, and it’s a great opportunity to shine a light on women in every industry.

Here are a few relevant categories:

• History or society and culture podcasts
• Documentary podcasts
• Business podcasts (entrepreneurship, careers)
• Arts podcasts
• Science podcasts

Here are some pitch ideas to think about for this month:

• Discussions about women’s efforts and causes that have been historically overlooked
• Interviews with women in your industry or around your podcast’s category (scientists, leaders, artists, etc.)
• Conversations around current challenges with respect to progress in gender equity, accessibility, etc.

American Masters: Creative Spark features in-depth narrative interviews with musicians, comedians, and artists of all stripes. A month of episodes centered around women artists is a great way to observe the month and offer deep conversations and insights around their work.

April: Earth Day

We only have one planet, and Earth Day in April is dedicated to celebrating it. Environmental topics tend to peak around this day, making it ideal for any podcasts exploring climate change, conservation efforts, sustainability, or our relationship with the natural world. 

These types of shows would be best suited for this holiday:

• Podcasts around earth sciences, natural sciences, or nature
• Documentary podcasts
• News podcasts
• Education podcasts

And here are a few relevant pitch ideas:

• Solution-focused discussions around conservation efforts and environmental challenges
• Interviews with environmental scientists, activists, and policy makers
• Climate science explainers
• Tips on sustainable living and other eco-friendly methods

Sea Change is the award-nominated series discussing the environmental issues facing coastal communities on the Gulf Coast and beyond. Despite the focus on one part of the world, these types of issues affect coastal communities everywhere, and Earth Day is an excellent time to draw more awareness.

May: Mental Health Awareness Month

There are a lot of observances in May, and Mental Health Awareness Month is one that’s very important. Mental health still carries a stigma in some places, making this month an ideal time to talk about stress management, therapy, and overall emotional wellness.

These types of shows can really take advantage of the increased awareness:

• Health and fitness podcasts
• Educational podcasts focused on self-improvement
• Religion or spirituality podcasts
• Personal journals

Here are some pitch ideas to consider:

• Interviews with mental health experts, therapists, or counselors
• People sharing their personal or professional stories of mental health challenges and recovery
• Mindfulness, meditation, or emotional regulation techniques

Tricycle Talks is about bringing Buddhist practices into everyday life. Each episode features an interview with a different expert – a poet, a psychotherapist, an educator, etc. – and touches on feelings that are part of the human experience. 

June: Pride Month

June is for Pride Month, which is a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Like the other awareness months in the year, there are a lot of opportunities for inclusive storytelling and advocacy across multiple podcast categories. While October is technically LGBTQ+ History Month, you could also highlight that history during this month for greater visibility.

Given the theme, here are some types of shows that we think work well during this month:

• Arts-focused podcasts
• Society and culture podcasts
• Documentary and history podcasts
• News podcasts
• Health and fitness podcasts

And here are a few pitch ideas to consider for your podcast:

• Queer perspectives on your podcast’s specific topic area
• Interviews with queer artists, activists, and thought leaders
• Discussions about current LGBTQ+ issues and policy
• LGBTQ+ history and civil rights milestones

RnR with Courtney Act is hosted by international drag icon and performer Courtney Act, and each week she has deep one-on-one conversations with LGBTQ+ celebrities and experts. These candid conversations are all about sharing experiences and discussing a number of different topics from inclusive perspectives.

July: Holiday Programming or Celebrating Freedom 

Whether it’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere or winter in the Southern Hemisphere, July can be a good time for lighter or more relaxed episodes, such as a “best of” compilation of previous episodes. This type of evergreen content works across every podcast category, especially for podcasts with years of past episodes.

July is also a month of celebrating national independence in several countries, so if that’s the case for where you and the majority of your audience lives, it could be a good idea to lean into patriotic themes that are relevant to your podcast.

 These types of shows would be best suited for those themes:

• Documentary and history podcasts
• Society and culture podcasts
• News podcasts

And here are some pitch ideas along those lines: 

• Interviews with historians about your country’s history
• Deep dives into your country’s government or culture

American Prestige, despite the name, focuses on foreign policy and global affairs. Its wider focus on stories outside of the United States makes each episode a fascinating and informative exploration into the culture and history of countries around the world. 

August: National Wellness Month

National Wellness Month emphasizes self-care, stress management and other healthy habits during a time when the seasons are starting to change and people are beginning to lock in for the latter third of the year. Unlike Mental Health Awareness Month in May, National Wellness Month encompasses physical and emotional health, as well as spiritual wellness.

These types of podcasts can take advantage of the broader theme for this month:

• Health and fitness podcasts
• Self-improvement podcasts
• Podcasts around society and culture
• Podcasts with themes around religion and spirituality

There’s a variety of pitch ideas here to tap into the theme:

• Work-life balance strategies to prevent burnout
• Holistic wellness approaches that combine physical, mental, and emotional health
• Sleep hygiene techniques
• Digital detox and setting boundaries around technology and social media
• Nutrition and fitness tips

Tomorrow’s Cure from the Mayo Clinic features interviews with researchers, doctors and industry experts about advancements in healthcare and medicine. The Ambie Award-nominated podcast covers a number of topics, including wearable tech, pregnancy, and neurological care.

September: Back to School

In much of the world, September signals a return to school and a return to routine, making it great for showcasing educational content, discussing career development topics, or even providing parenting advice.

This time of year is great for these types of shows:

• Education podcasts
• Podcasts around children and families
• Science podcasts
• Business and careers podcasts

And here are a few related pitch ideas:

• Different learning techniques for children, teens, and adults
• Educational technology and other teaching innovations
• Career development and workplace learning

Think Big, Buy Small, which is co-hosted by Harvard Business School professors Rick Ruback and Royce Yudkoff, talks about the unique path of entrepreneurship through acquiring small, profitable businesses. Based on their popular Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition course, the podcast features real-life stories from acquisition entrepreneurs and stakeholders who are sharing their insights on navigating this often-overlooked aspect of business.

October: Halloween

Spooky season is upon us! While Halloween does take place on the last day of October, you can dedicate the entire month to observing it, giving you plenty of opportunities to explore themes around horror, mystery, or true crime content.

Here are a few categories of podcasts that are relevant to this time of year: 

• Fiction or audio drama podcasts
• True crime podcasts
• Documentary and history podcasts
• Arts podcasts

And here are a few pitch ideas to consider:

• Cold cases and deep dives into true crime stories
• Fictional and real life horror stories 
• Historical mysteries
• Halloween-themes entertainment

Scared to Death, like the name implies, delivers episodes that touch on paranormal activity and other terrifying tales. It’s hosted by Dan and Lynze Cummins, and this husband-wife duo swaps stories about all types of chilling encounters on every episode. They also touch on horror fiction with special bi-monthly episodes.

November: Thanksgiving / Gratitude

As the year winds down, it’s a time for people to reflect on gratitude, on family, and to connect with their communities. Many countries also have some form of Thanksgiving celebration during November, a holiday that resonates across a lot of podcast categories.

For example, these categories of shows are particularly relevant this month:

• Society and culture podcasts
• Health and fitness podcasts
• Food podcasts
• Religion and spirituality podcasts

And here are some related pitch ideas: 

• Gratitude practices and positive thinking
• Family dynamics and navigating the holidays
• Food traditions and culinary history
• Conversations around community and giving back

Gravy is a podcast about the changing landscape of the American South as told through food. Nothing quite says gratitude and community like sitting down for a meal with your family, but Gravy goes further than what’s on your plate. The podcast is an entry point into deeper stories about identity, migration, and culture.

December: Holiday Programming (Year in Review)

December is about reflecting back on the year, looking ahead to the future, and making lists (and maybe checking them twice). Globally, there are several holidays during this time – Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, etc. – and similar to January, you can use this time for lighter programming or even for taking a short break.

Nearly every podcast category can take advantage of this time of year, especially these types of shows:

• Business podcasts
• Religion and spirituality podcasts
• Comedy and entertainment podcasts
• News podcasts

Here are some pitch ideas for the month:

• Year-end roundups and “best of” lists
• Looking back at the year’s biggest events in your industry or niche
• Holiday traditions across cultures and religions
• Predictions and trend forecasts for the coming year

What Could Go Right? is a podcast with a clear premise: what if the best thing truly is yet to come? This podcast explores the world through a prism of hope and solutions, examining the people, policies, and structural shifts reshaping our world. 

Conclusion

Planning your podcast around holidays and awareness months is an effective way to maximize your reach and tap into cultural moments when your audience is already engaged and looking for relevant content. These 12 major holidays and themes are a good framework to follow, but feel free to shake it up and lean into what works best for your podcast, your location, and your audience. The key here is planning in advance, and using that knowledge to align your podcast with these events in a way that is thoughtful and authentic and adds to the overall value of your show.

Have questions? Interested in working with The Podglomerate to help grow your audience and improve your podcast marketing strategy? Email us to learn more about our services.