Planning an event at The Beacon – FAQs

We’ll review all the event proposals for each location, and will get in touch with every applicant as soon as possible. We’ll then work with all successful applicants on the specifics of each event, such as the name, date, time and technical requirements.

If you have any further questions please email [email protected]

The Beacon is a fully enclosed temporary structure designed to be flexible enough to accommodate a whole host of events.

The main space will be at least 20m x 15m floor space and 5m height. You will come into the venue straight from the park, so people will be walking over grass to get to it.

Facilities in The Beacon include: 

• Sound system
• Microphones
• Lighting
• Induction loop
• Wifi
• Chairs and seating
• Power points
• Proper weatherproof flooring (you won’t be on the grass)
• Heating

Facilities around The Beacon include: 

• Toilets
• Dressing room for performers
• Kitchen area with fridge, sink, running water, microwave (no cooking facilities)
• Outdoor benches/ seating (weather dependent)

The Beacon is a flexible space and can be laid out in multiple configurations. These layouts and their capacities are:

End-on / rows of seats

For traditional performances, talks etc.
Max capacity: 150

Standing gig

For music, DJ sets, etc.
Max capacity: 300

In the round performance

Max capacity: 100

Audience on 3-sides

Eg. a ‘horse shoe shape’
Max capacity: 100

Cabaret style

Please note there would be an extra charge for hiring in tables.
Max capacity: 80

Workshop

Eg. a yoga class, people moving around, etc.
Max capacity: 40

The Beacon team can offer guidance and support regarding lighting, sound, facilities, equipment, timings and other practical matters. Our Community Connectors can also help you to develop your idea and reach people in your local area. However, we’ll be relying on you to plan, produce and present the best possible event.

We’d be delighted to show you around The Beacon. However, please note that we may need to arrange your advance visit at a different location to the one where your event is due to take place. For example, if you’re planning an event in Bowling Park (22 May – 22 June 2025), your visit may need to take place while The Beacon is in Wibsey Park (3 April – 4 May 2025). We regret that we can’t arrange any advance visits for events in Wibsey Park as it’s the first stop on the tour.

We expect that most events in The Beacon will be ticketed, including free events.

Please supply as much information as possible in our Event Proposal Form about your ticketing requirements, and contact us on [email protected] if you have any questions.

Yes! We can sell tickets through our Ticketing team, through our website at bradford2025.co.uk and our Ticket + Info Hub in Bradford City Centre.

Please supply as much information as possible about your ticketing needs through our Event Proposal Form.

We’ll list your event on the Bradford 2025 website, on social media and in other marketing materials for The Beacon, but we’ll also expect you to promote your event to the people and communities that you’d like to attend. You’ll know your audience better than us – you may even know them personally!

We’re creating an information pack with guidance, tips and ideas about how you can market and promote your event, which we’ll send to all event organisers in due course. We can also arrange a chat with your local Bradford 2025 Networker, who will be able to offer advice on how you can reach your community. The networkers work one day a week so please do bear with us for a response.

Depending on numbers, we would be happy to provide either a basic paid bar offering soft drinks, tea, coffee and snacks (e.g. crisps, snack bars, etc), plus beer and/or wine if appropriate. If you’re planning only a small gathering, we can provide access to kettle and/or hot water boiler so your group can serve themselves with tea and coffee.

The Beacon won’t have full kitchen/catering facilities, so we’re unable to offer anything beyond crisps and snacks. If you would like to bring in an outside caterer, please discuss your plans with us well in advance, and please make sure that your caterers are aware that they would need to prepare all food off site.

We’ll talk to you in advance about how you’d like The Beacon to be set up with chairs, tables, microphones and so on. We’ll try to have everything ready in good time, but please note that we may be completing these preparations when you arrive to do your own preparations.

We will do our best to accommodate requests for run-throughs or soundchecks, but please make sure you make any such requests well in advance so we can factor them into the event schedule. Please also note that there may be only limited time available for such pre-event activities.

Depending on your requirements we may be able to provide an in-house technician to set up basic lighting and sound. If your requirements are more complicated (for example, you need someone to mix sound for a musical ensemble), there are two options: we could make suggestions or arrangements for additional specialist help, which would be subject to a fee; or you could bring in your own technician(s), who would need to undergo a short induction to use our facilities.

Our fantastic team of friendly volunteers will be able to help welcome people to your event and show people to their seats. However, they won’t be able to help with moving furniture or equipment, or any specific responsibilities such as collecting money or supervising groups of people, so please factor this into your planning.