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A shot of four people performing at Contains Strong Language

18 – 21 Sep 2025

BBC Contains Strong Language

The UK’s biggest poetry and performance festival comes to Bradford.

Event Details
Date 18 – 21 Sep 2025
Location To be announced
Ages All ages

The UK’s biggest poetry and performance festival for new writing is coming to Bradford for the first time.

Contains Strong Language is the BBC’s annual celebration of poetry, performance and spoken word – and next year, it’s coming to Bradford for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture. 

There’ll be four days of performances, readings, events and activities at venues across the city, and a host of BBC radio programmes will be recorded or broadcast live from Bradford – including The Verb, BBC Radio 4’s ‘cabaret of the word’. Much of the weekend will be free.  

Check back later this year for full programme details. 

Credits
BBC Contains Strong Language 2025 is a partnership between the BBC, Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture Trust and Word Up North. It is supported by Arts Council England.

Lead image: © BBC
Backs of heads of an audience in a performance hall watching a group of people on stage. The lighting is dark on the audience and light on the stage where there is a yellow banner.
© BBC
© BBC
Backs of heads of an audience in a performance hall watching a group of people on stage. The lighting is dark on the audience and light on the stage where there is a yellow banner.
© BBC
An audience in a performance hall watching a group of people on stage. The lighting is dark on the audience and light on the stage where there is a yellow banner.
© BBC
Backs of heads of an audience in a performance hall watching a group of people on stage. The lighting is dark on the audience and light on the stage where there is a yellow banner.
© BBC

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