Bradford 2025 UK City Of Culture to launch with magical outdoor spectacle and reopening of the National Science and Media Museum

The opening events for the year-long Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture will take place on 10 & 11 January 2025. RISE is a spectacular outdoor theatrical event that will take place in City Park and Centenary Square, launching the year-long programme. Bradford 2025 will celebrate contemporary culture in all forms and showcase the rich history and heritage of the area. Events, performances and activities will spread from the city to the towns, villages and green spaces across the district, running from January to December 2025. 

 Audiences for RISE will be greeted with a buzz of activity and a festival atmosphere as City Park is taken over by DJs, food trucks and entertainers ahead of the show, which is created by the district’s own magician Steven Frayne (formerly known as Dynamo) and directed by Kirsty Housley. The event will feature aerial performers, acrobatics and magic, and will have local people, voices and stories at its heart. Performers include a community choir led by the Friendship Choir, the Airedale Symphony Orchestra, and a multi-generational community ensemble of Bradford residents aged from 12 to 65. Bradford-born poet, spoken word artist and playwright Kirsty Taylor, also joins the creative team as dramaturg, alongside locally based writers and performers Kemmi Gill, Nabeela Ahmed and Kenzo Jae, composer and conductor Ben Crick, and composer and DJ Jae Depz. 

 Two major exhibitions will open in Bradford in January as part of the City of Culture Programme: Nationhood: Memory and Hope (11 Jan – 26 Apr 2025) by acclaimed Ethiopian artist Aïda Muluneh featuring a major new collection of the artist’s surrealist images that reveal the overlooked stories, forgotten histories and quiet moments that shape who we are; and Fighting to be Heard (17 January – 27 April 2025) at Cartwright Hall explores connections between the ancient art of calligraphy and boxing, in collaboration with the British Library.  

 Also launching in January is DRAW! a nation-wide drawing project inspired and supported by Bradford-born artist David Hockney in which members of the public are invited to take part. The National Science and Media Museum reopens in January following a major £6 million development. It presents David Hockney: Pieced Together (15 January – 18 May 2025) which explores the artist’s pioneering use of film and photography.  

 The internationally acclaimed Akram Khan Company will perform in Bradford for the first time, with performances of Jungle Book reimagined at the Alhambra Theatre. The production is based on the book by Rudyard Kipling. Khan and his team have reimagined the journey of Mowgli through the eyes of a refugee caught in a world devastated by the impact of climate change. 

 Cinema is celebrated through the programme in Northern Soul, a season of films from working-class northern women curated by award-winning West Yorkshire born artist and filmmaker Clio Barnard (30 Jan – 9 Feb 2025). Asian Dub Foundation make a welcome return to Bradford to reprise one of their most acclaimed projects, their powerful soundtrack to cult classic French thriller La Haine, performed live to a screening of the film (15 Jan 2025).  

 Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture states:  “All eyes will be on Bradford as we mark the start of 2025 UK City of Culture. Our ambitious opening event will bring the district together reflecting Bradford’s youthfulness, diversity and heritage, lighting the creative spark that will fuel this incredible year and forge unforgettable memories. We’ll introduce audiences to our rural landscapes, pay tribute to our local heroes, and platform the astonishing talent emerging from our radical city. Our time is now – and it starts with RISE.” 

 Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport said: “Our communities can and should be empowered to come together, tell their story and create change in their local area. That is what the UK City of Culture competition is all about. So much enthusiasm and hard work has gone into organising Bradford’s year. There is a real buzz in the city as people get ready to showcase their talents. I would encourage everyone to go and see some of the fantastic events in the new year.” 

 Darren Henley, Chief Executive Officer, Arts Council England said: “This programme in its breadth and range gives people from communities across Bradford the chance to tell their stories, as well as giving visitors the opportunity to discover and rediscover how creative West Yorkshire is. And it’s all happening thanks to public investment from taxpayers and National Lottery players. 2025 is shaping up to be an amazing year.” 

 Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Bradford’s creative industries are brimming with ingenuity, diversity and attitude, and with these spectacular opening events, the whole world will get to see Bradford at its best. That’s why we’re investing £6 million into Bradford UK City of Culture 2025 – to attract visitors and investment, create jobs and growth, and build a stronger, brighter West Yorkshire.” 

 Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture is supported using public investment from HM Government, City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and through National Lottery funding from Arts Council England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Lottery Community Fund, Spirit of 2012, as well as private investment and donations from a number of trusts, foundations and corporate sponsors.