26 – 28 Sep 2025
HONK!
The Peace Artistes
A weekend of live music with Bradford's beloved street band
A three-day street musical extravaganza featuring community bands from around the UK and beyond.
About this project
HONK! Bradford will bring 15 street bands from the UK, Spain, Germany, France and the US to play across the district – in community centres, parks, high streets and the city centre.
300+ musicians playing with a passion that’s as infectious as it is inspiring, blending genres from bhangra to Balkan, jazz to hip hop.
Organised by Bradford’s very own street band – The Peace Artistes – HONK! will celebrate cultural diversity with school and community involvement and a brand new pick-up band for local musicians. Join us for a weekend of cultural celebration, echoing the global movement of HONK!, uniting communities through music and activism.
Programme
Friday 26th September
- 7-9pm: Let the Music Loose 15 bands playing in 15 community centres – from Keighley to Queensbury, Ilkley to Windhill. Find out more here.
Saturday 27th September
- 11-1pm: Sound of the Streets. 16 bands from across the world playing in public spaces across the district. No booking needed – just turn up and enjoy the music! Find out where here.
- 2-4pm: Bring it to the City. The biggest busk Bradford has ever seen! Bands from the UK, Australia and America, Spain, France, Germany and the Netherlands playing across the city centre. Find out more here.
- 4-6.30pm: The Big HONK! Showdown of the International bands in Centenary Square, with the HONK! Band, the Peace Artistes, Punjabi Roots, Bradford Voices and special guest SilverFinger Singh.
- 8-11.30pm: Bandslam at the Bradford Hotel. 300+ musicians, 17 fantastic streetbands, plus a few special guests – this is going to be a night to remember! A totally unique one-off evening where every band will play a few of their favourite tunes, from Balkan to bhangra, secondline to ska, Latin to legendary pop classics. Genres will be mashed up with a passion that’s as infectious as it is inspiring. Tickets now on sale at https://tinyurl.com/a5bc79mx
Sunday 28th September
Workshops for all participants, with musical genres including bhangra, samba and Balkan; a history of streetband activism; playing for peace, choreography and costume.
- 10.30-11.30am: Workshop 1
- 12-1pm: Workshop 2
- 1-3pm: Lunch and farewells
Artist-Led Project Awards
This project is supported by the Bradford 2025 Artist-led Project Awards programme.
Find out more about this programme and the projects we’ve supported below.
Past event
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