An image of a microphone in focus with a crowd of seated people blurred in the background

17 Jul 2025

Say It As It Is: Cliffe Castle Park

with Kirsty Taylor

Speak up and listen in – Kirsty Taylor hosts a special open mic night for Bradford 2025

Event Details
Date 17 Jul 2025
Times 7:30pm
Location The Beacon – Cliffe Castle Park
Tickets £3 ↓
Ages Aimed at 14+
Under 18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult
Access
  • Wheelchair user access

We’re turning over the stage to the people of Bradford for an open mic night in The Beacon hosted by the one and only Kirsty Taylor.

Say It As It Is is a night for bold voices, open hearts and truth-telling. A space to speak, listen and connect. Whether you’re a poet, a storyteller, a rapper or a musician, this is your chance to share something raw, real or brand new. No fancy stages and no big egos – just voices, words and proper Bradford flavours.

A night for bold voices, open hearts and truth telling. Step up, speak out, and connect through words, community and the power of shared stories.

The mic is open. Come to perform. Come to listen. Come to be part of something.

Please note
This event is not aimed at children, but families are welcome with the understanding that content may include adult themes and language.

Open Mic Ethos

Say It As It Is is an open mic event where words take the spotlight. This could be poetry, story telling, a comedic ditty, rapping, or playing an acoustic guitar song with lyrics. Purely instrumental performances aren’t part of this event as we feel the setting is most suited to spoken and sung words.

Open Mic Information

  • Each open micer will have 3 minutes maximum to share, including any introductions they would like to give about them/their performance.
  • The set up will be one singular mic, centre stage.
  • Music acts will be unplugged, a cappella only (unfortunately we can’t plug in amps, USB’s, backing tracks).
  • Performances don’t have to be in English, we encourage multi lingual artists to share too.
  • 12 performers will be selected using a ballot process. We will also operate a waiting list but please only sign up if you can definitely attend.
  • We can support access needs and travel costs to the event – we will discuss this with you if your slot is confirmed.
  • If you are selected in the ballot to perform, you will receive a confirmation email at least a week before the event with all the relevant information.

Visit The Beacon at Cliffe Castle Park

The Beacon is a custom-made touring venue for Bradford 2025.

From 10 July – 10 August, The Beacon will be at Cliffe Castle Park.

Plan your visit below, or get in touch with us on [email protected] for more information.

Cliffe Castle Park
Spring Gardens Ln,
Keighley,
BD20 6LH

Credits
Images © Karol Wyszynski

Past event

Were you at this event?

Complete our feedback form and let us know what you thought.

Share your feedback

Related Events

Cose shot of a crowd of peoples feet and legs walking on a dusty path

Bradford City Centre guided walking tour

Follow Bradford’s history, origins, and its transformation into the city it is today on this guided walking tour.

Three children in Victorian dress wave red flags at a steam train, on a sunny day in West Yorkshire.

The Railway Children

The classic production heads to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.

FREE Part of Our Patch

Bradford West Fun Day

Feel the culture, share the joy!

children running about outside on the grass on a sunny day
FREE Part of The Beacon

Rugby Tots

Try Rugby with Rugby Tots at The Beacon!

A young boy pulls another young boy who is sat in a makeshift cart across some grass
FREE Part of The Beacon

Play Bradford’s Mobile Adventure Playground

We’re teaming up with Play Bradford to bring mobile play to The Beacon at Cliffe Castle Park.

A collage of various materials including cardboard, feathers and googly eyes
FREE Part of The Beacon

Let’s Make

Lou Sumray

Get creative with artist Lou Sumray at these free family-friendly workshops in Cliffe Castle Park.

Part of Loading Bay

Palingenesis

D_Antidote Production

A mesmerising exploration of life's cycles, intimacy, and transformation through dance.

FREE Part of The Beacon

Little Explorers, Festival of Archaeology

Bradford District Museums & Galleries

Craft activities and exploration stations for little archaeologists and scientists.