CBeebies TV Guide: Listings, Schedule & What’s On CBeebies Tonight

CBeebies is the BBC’s channel for children aged six and under, and it runs without adverts or sponsorship between shows. The licence fee pays for it instead, which is why nothing on the channel is trying to sell a three-year-old a toy. Today, Saturday 29 August 2026, the schedule runs its usual shape from 6am sign-on to closedown shortly before 7pm, all of it streaming live on BBC iPlayer alongside the broadcast.

CBeebies Schedule: Saturday 29 August 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete CBeebies schedule for Saturday 29 August 2026, on Freeview 202.

Overnight

Breakfast

Morning

Afternoon

Early evening

What’s on CBeebies today

Saturday’s morning follows the shape CBeebies mornings always take: once the “This Is CBeebies” ident clears at 6am, short five- and ten-minute shows stack one after another so a young child can drift off and come back without losing the thread. Bing gets three outings today, at 6:10am, 7:20am and 7:30am, each a different episode, and Hey Duggee runs in back-to-back pairs twice, 7:40am–7:45am and again 9:35am–9:45am, before a single extra slot at 12:50pm. Something Special, still built around Makaton signing throughout, has two slots today, 9am and 2pm, with a different episode in each.

The afternoon works through the channel’s usual rotation, Octonauts, Zog, Go Jetters, Puffin Rock, Roots and Fruits, Love Monster, Big Lizard, Piripenguins and Yukee among them, most of them getting a morning-or-lunchtime slot and a separate afternoon repeat with a fresh episode. Bluey is the exception worth flagging: it airs four times today, at 9:20am, 9:30am, 3pm and 5:05pm, but only three of those are different episodes. The 5:05pm teatime slot repeats the same 3pm episode, “Mum School”, rather than giving the afternoon a new instalment. From 5:45pm the schedule narrows into the bedtime run proper, which is short and covered below.

CBeebies tonight — the evening schedule

CBeebies’ evening is short by design, and tonight is no exception. There’s no primetime drama or film slot to speak of; the last two hours of the day are simply the run-down to bed.

Moon and Me — CBeebies, 5:45pm

Andrew Davenport’s stop-motion series, in which a collection of nursery toys wake up and wander the night garden of their own imaginations, opens the wind-down at 5:45pm. It’s gentler and slower-paced than most of the day’s live-action strands, which is rather the point at this hour.

BeddyByes — CBeebies, 6:10pm

A short puppet strand built entirely around the business of getting ready for sleep, BeddyByes takes the 6:10pm slot as the schedule keeps narrowing toward bedtime.

In the Night Garden — CBeebies, 6:20pm

Iggle Piggle, Upsy Daisy and the rest of Andrew Davenport’s cast, narrated by Derek Jacobi, fill the half-hour from 6:20pm. It’s one of the channel’s longest-running bedtime fixtures, and its slow, near-wordless pace hasn’t changed in years.

CBeebies Bedtime Stories — CBeebies, 6:50pm

Emily Watson closes the night with a reading of Natasha Farrant’s Lost for Words, the last programme before sign-off. The Bedtime Story slot has drawn guest readers from Tom Hardy to Harry Styles over the years, and tonight’s eight-minute reading is the entire evening’s drama.

Closedown — 6:58pm

CBeebies goes off air at 6:58pm with a “programmes start at 6.00am” card, handing its broadcast slot to BBC Four overnight. There’s nothing to watch here; it’s the sign that the day is done.

What kind of shows are on CBeebies

CBeebies’ own commissions

Most of the schedule is BBC-commissioned. Hey Duggee, from Studio AKA and BBC Studios, has taken multiple Children’s BAFTAs since 2015 and is one of the most-streamed titles the channel has ever had. Something Special, presented by Justin Fletcher since 2003, is the longest-running preschool series in Britain. Sarah & Duck, Numberblocks and Charlie and Lola have all been in rotation for years too.

Imported animated hits

Bluey, made by Ludo Studio in Australia and co-commissioned with the ABC, has been CBeebies’ most-watched show since 2024. It’s rare for a preschool cartoon to hold an adult’s attention as well as a child’s, but Bluey manages it. Puffin Rock and Zog, adapted from Julia Donaldson’s picture book, are the other imports you’ll see most often.

Inclusive and accessible programming

Accessibility isn’t parked in one corner of the schedule here. Something Special was built around Makaton signing from the outset, for children with delayed learning and communication needs, and presenters use Makaton in the links between programmes. The nightly Bedtime Story has run episodes signed in British Sign Language and read in Braille.

How to watch CBeebies

Channel numbers

Here’s where to find CBeebies across the main UK television platforms:

Virgin Media and Freesat numbers can vary slightly depending on your box and region, so check your on-screen guide if these don’t match.

Streaming online

CBeebies streams live and free on BBC iPlayer, either through a browser at bbc.co.uk/iplayer or via the iPlayer app on smart TVs, games consoles and phones. You’ll need a free BBC account, and the same TV Licence that covers the broadcast covers the stream. Full box sets of most CBeebies shows sit in the on-demand section as well, usually for weeks or months after they first air, which is how most parents actually use it.

CBeebies and CBBC

The two channels launched on the same day, 11 February 2002, and the split between them is purely about age. CBeebies is for six and under, and leans hard on gentle pacing, repetition and routine. CBBC takes over from six to twelve, runs much later into the evening, and moves at a considerably faster clip. If your child has started finding Bing and Hey Duggee babyish, our CBBC TV guide covers what’s next.

Frequently asked questions

What channel is CBeebies on Freeview?

Freeview channel 202, with an HD simulcast on 204. No subscription is needed on any Freeview device.

What channel is CBeebies on Sky, Virgin Media and Freesat?

Sky channel 608, Virgin Media channel 702, and Freesat channel 644, with Freesat HD on channel 608.

What time does CBeebies start and finish each day?

6am to 7pm, every day, with a short “This Is CBeebies” ident from around 5:30am. BBC Four has the same broadcast slot outside those hours.

When is the CBeebies Bedtime Hour and Bedtime Story?

It’s the last hour or so of the day, renamed simply Bedtime in 2023. It ends with the CBeebies Bedtime Story at 6:50pm, the final programme before sign-off.

Is CBeebies free to watch and does it carry adverts?

No advertising at all, which is unusual among children’s channels. A valid TV Licence is needed to watch it live or on iPlayer, as with any BBC service.

Can I watch CBeebies on BBC iPlayer?

Yes. There’s a live feed plus a dedicated CBeebies section, and a free BBC account is all you need to sign in.

Verdict

CBeebies doesn’t autoplay into the next episode or push in-app extras between shows. The channel just stops at 7pm and hands over to BBC Four for the night.

For a remit this narrow, the range holds up: decades-old homegrown commissions sit next to recent imports without looking out of place. Is it good for a toddler? Reliably, and that’s the only test worth applying. Nobody puts CBeebies on for appointment viewing. They put it on to get a small child calm and pointed at bed.

Related: What’s On TV Tonight | CBBC TV Guide | Films on TV This Week