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A colourful collage. An illustration showing the character Zee, a large puppet of a young woman.

25-26 Jul 2025

BD: Festival 2025

BD: Festival returned in 2025 for a spectacular two-day takeover in the city centre.

Events

Brilliant and Bradford – BD: Festival returned for a spectacular two-day takeover in the city centre.

Bradford’s much-loved free weekender returned in July 2025 – and to celebrate our year as UK City of Culture, it was bigger and better than ever.

Bradford Council and Bradford 2025 brought dozens of performers into the heart of town, with performances, activities, food stalls, craft stands and other fun stuff across two days in City Park and Centenary Square. With acts from Bradford, the UK and across Europe, it was all family-friendly – and it was all absolutely free.

Highlights included the world premiere of Zee and the City and the arrival of A Good Yarn, plus performance, circus, street theatre and much more.

There were drop-in activities for families and children of all ages, plus food, crafts, making and more. A true high point in our summer of culture.

Events

Look back on some of the events at BD: Festival 2025.

A grandma and a washing line, pegging the hair of a young lady up onto the washing line
FREE Part of BD: Festival 2025

25 & 26 Jul 2025

Now And Then

Pitch'd Productions

When slapstick comedy meets aerial acrobatics.

Young boy arts and crafting on a cardboard car
FREE Part of BD: Festival 2025

25 & 26 Jul 2025

Zee’s Cardboard Car Garage

Puppets with Guts

Want to get involved in Zee in the City? Build your own cardboard car and join the show.

A giant ball of colourful yarn with the Bradford skyline around the edge of it against a blue sky.
FREE Part of BD: Festival 2025

26 Jul 2025

A Good Yarn: City Centre Roll

Luke Jerram & Bloomin' Buds

Roll with it! We’re making a huge new artwork from the very fabric of Bradford.

A colourful collage. An illustration showing the character Zee, a large puppet of a young woman.
FREE Part of BD: Festival 2025

26 Jul 2025

Zee and the City

Puppets with Guts

One giant puppet. One buzzing city. One epic adventure.

Lady on the moors, dressed as one of the Bronte sisters.
FREE Part of BD: Festival 2025

26 Jul 2025

Charlotte Brontë: Senseless Trash

Join our Four Nations recipient, Fran Bundey for a phonic field trip over the Yorkshire Moors.

FREE

25-26 Jul 2025

BD: Festival

A jam-packed weekend of fun for all the family.

FREE Part of BD: Festival 2025

26 Jul 2025

Melter

Robbie Thomson

Uncover a series of encounters with animatronic beings born into late capitalism.

A lady in a black room, a lady stood in white with a bright light shining down on her
FREE Part of BD: Festival 2025

25 & 26 Jul 2025

Dorine Mugisha – Exposed

An exploration of self expression through movement, posing and storytelling.

FREE

26 Jul 2025

So Far, So Good…

TC Howard & Dance On Bradford

An inclusive new dance show about growing older.

Explore more from BD: Festival

Featuring world-class performers, including international names and home-grown talent, BD: Festival is Bradford’s free to attend festival, suitable for families and people of all ages.

Learn more on the Visit Bradford website.

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Two performers in vibrant costumes wave towards the camera.

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