Most of us find death hard to talk about. We change the subject, use softer words, or tell ourselves there’ll be time later. But when those conversations never happen, families can be left guessing what someone wanted, at the worst possible moment.
Dying Matters Week exists to make those conversations a little easier.
What is Dying Matters Week?
Dying Matters Week, sometimes called Dying Matters Awareness Week, is an annual UK campaign led by the charity Hospice UK. Its aim is to break down the stigma around talking about death, dying and bereavement.
In 2026 it ran from 4 to 10 May, with the theme “Let’s talk about Death and Dying”. Hospices, NHS services, universities and community groups hold events throughout the week. These range from information stalls and talks to Death Cafés, which are informal gatherings where people talk about death over tea and cake.
Why talking about death matters
According to Hospice UK, more than a quarter of people find it hard to talk about death with family and friends, and nearly a third say they bottle their feelings up.
That silence can make things harder later:
- If you don’t know what care someone would want at the end of their life, decisions are harder for everyone.
- If funeral wishes were never shared, families can end up disagreeing, or worrying they got it wrong.
- After a death, people who have never talked about grief often don’t know how to ask for help, or how to offer it.
Talking about death doesn’t make it more likely, and for many people it’s a relief. It can also lead to conversations about what matters most, while there’s still time to act on them.
What’s worth talking about
You don’t need to cover everything at once. Some things people find helpful to talk about:
- Care wishes. Where would you want to be cared for if you were seriously ill? What matters most to you about how you’re treated?
- A will. Do you have one, is it up to date, and does someone know where it is?
- Organ donation. Does your family know what you’d want?
- Funeral wishes. Burial or cremation, religious or not, music and readings, and whether you’d like flowers or donations to a charity.
- Your digital life. What should happen to your photos, social media and online accounts?
- How you’d like to be remembered. The stories you’d want told, and the things you’d want people to know.
How to start the conversation
Starting is usually the hardest part. A few things can help:
- Look for a natural moment. A storyline on TV, a friend’s funeral or a news story can be an easy way in.
- Keep it short to begin with. A first conversation might only last a few minutes, and you can come back to it.
- Listen more than you talk. Ask questions, and let the other person go at their own pace.
- Write things down. Once someone has shared their wishes, recording them means they won’t be forgotten or misremembered.
- Be honest with children, in a way that suits their age. Children often cope better with simple, truthful answers than with vague ones. Hospices and bereavement charities have resources that can help.
If someone isn’t ready to talk, that’s OK. Letting them know you’re happy to talk whenever they are is a good start.
Getting involved
You don’t have to wait until May to have these conversations. But if you’d like to take part during Dying Matters Week, you could:
- look for events at your local hospice
- go along to a Death Café
- talk to one person in your life about something on the list above
- share your own experience of loss, if you feel able to
Hospice UK’s website has information and resources each year.
Where The Bridge of Lights fits
The Bridge of Lights is a permanent online memorial. Anyone can light a candle for £1 for someone who has died, with their name, their years and a short message. It isn’t a support service, and it doesn’t replace a funeral or the conversations above. For some families, though, it becomes part of how they remember someone. Thinking about how you’d like to be remembered is part of the same conversation. Ten pence from every pound goes to UK bereavement charities.
Frequently asked questions
When is Dying Matters Week?
It takes place every May. In 2026, it ran from 4 to 10 May. Hospice UK’s website has the dates for future years.
Who runs Dying Matters Week?
It’s led by Hospice UK, with events organised by hospices, NHS services and community groups across the UK.
What is a Death Café?
A relaxed, informal gathering where people meet, often over tea and cake, to talk about death. It isn’t counselling or a grief support group, just an open conversation.
Is talking about death morbid?
Most people who try it find it isn’t. A conversation about death is often really a conversation about what matters in life, and it can make things easier for everyone later on.
What is The Bridge of Lights?
A permanent online memorial where you can light a candle for someone who has died for £1, with their name, their years and a short message. Candles stay on the bridge permanently, and you can find any candle by searching for a name or candle number.