BRADFORD 2025 UNVEILS HUGE SUMMER SEASON
PUBLIC ART, PUPPETS AND THE PROMS
From steam trains to street parades, outdoor cinema and a giant ball of yarn, the city of culture summer programme is packed with big ideas, local stories and joyous discovery.
Here’s just some of what is coming up…
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JUNE
Channels, audio artworks inspired by human-made bodies of water in Bradford District (from 31 May)
Pink in the Park, a free fun day out celebrating the hidden histories of Bradford’s LGBTQ+ communities (28 June)
UNESCO City of Film
Bradford’s status as a UNESCO City of Film will be marked with open-air screenings at the historic 1930’s open-air Ilkley Lido in August and the scenic Thornton Viaduct; curated film programmes developed in collaboration with the National Science and Media Museum; and through The Incredible Moving Cinema, a unique movie experience inside an articulated lorry travelling across Bradford from 7–15 June.
Pop-Ups
Bradford 2025’s touring venue The Beacon will pop up across the district at Bowling Park and at Cliffe Castle over the summer with an array of family friendly events, music and comedy, with all-day festivals from a vibrant celebration of Kenyan culture with Blankets & Wine music festival, and Summer Sounds headlined by Nitin Sawhney – alongside a programme created to mark Refugee Week (16-22 June).
In addition, a new series of walks, Bradford on Foot, will encourage people to explore all 144 square miles rural and urban of Bradford, from secret streets and hidden gems to the great wide open.
Ancient to Modern History
A series of exhibitions spotlight Bradford’s history from ancient to modern. Ice Age Art Now (21 June – 14 September) at Cliffe Castle Museum will present remarkable objects from the British Museum alongside treasures from the local collections of Bradford District Museums & Galleries from the end of the last Ice Age, some as much as 24,000 years old. At Loading Bay, a new pop-up venue in the centre of the city, Tu i Tam / Tyti Tam captures Polish and Ukrainian migration into Bradford following the Second World War and the more recent conflicts through rare archival materials and photography (3 – 27 July).
The New Music Biennial
The New Music Biennial will come to Bradford for 2025, with a free three-day festival celebrating music across all genres, taking over venues across the city centre from 6 – 8 June from Bradford Cathedral to the Underground with live performances of new works including many world premieres. The works will then be broadcast on BBC Radio 3, performed at London’s Southbank Centre, and released by NMC Recordings. Also, in partnership with the BBC, Benin-born Angélique Kidjo will pay homage to the rich tapestry of African musical heritage in a special Proms concert at the grade Il* listed St George’s Hall (7 September).
JULY
The Railway Children
A journey by steam train on a historic railway will transport theatregoers to experience a site-specific stage adaptation of the Olivier award-winning The Railway Children. The enchanting production will be staged in an engine shed at Oxenhope station, where audiences will arrive after travelling on the line that was used as a location for the 1970 film (16 July–7 September).
Memories of the Future
An incredible one-off performance Memories of the Future, created by world-renowned dance company Akram Khan Company and Dance United Yorkshire, brings together a cast of more than 70 participants aged 8 to 79, drawn from diverse communities across Bradford (5 July).
BD:Festival
A Good Yarn, a new project from artist Luke Jerram (Museum of the Moon and street piano project Play Me, I’m Yours) and Bradford-based theatre company Bloomin’ Buds, will plait together community memories of the region’s textile heritage into a giant ball of yarn that will be rolled through the streets of Bradford. In Zee and the City a 4-metre-high puppet of a teenage girl will lead an adventure exploring Bradford’s past, present and future as she looks to find a home for nature in the city. These outdoor events will form the centre point of Bradford’s annual 2-day festival of arts BD:Festival (26–27 July).
Foodie Central
The city’s status as an iconic food spot will be highlighted with a series of projects such as
The World Curry Festival in mid-September, a fortnight of pop-up dinners, food markets, cook-alongs, talks and tours, all exploring how the dish is a global phenomenon well as a national staple.
The Bradford Selection, a limited-edition tin of biscuits inspired by the flavours, communities and stories of Bradford
Meet Our Mothers, a new cookbook of recipes which have been handed down through generations of families
Further events
RIDE, a raw and powerful blend of rap, dance, music, and theatre created with Gypsy and Traveller communities (19-20 September)
Bloom, a magical open-air performance in Shipley created by Upswing contemporary circus (26-27 September)
STRIKE! a spectacular light, sound and projection show marking 19th century protest at Manningham Mills (3-5 October)
Further Bradford 2025 programme can be found here
Images reproduced with permission of Bradford 2025, City of Culture
