What’s on

Rose Illingworth: Born to the Boats

Northern Duck Productions

Historical theatre on the Leeds-Liverpool canal.

Extraordinary Portraits with Bill Bailey

Breathtaking portraits – incredible personal stories.

Nationhood: Memory and Hope

Aïda Muluneh

A modern-day insight into our four nations.

Fighting to Be Heard

British Library

Boxing, calligraphy and the collections of the British Library.

I AM ME

A new exhibition created with young people from across Bradford District.

David Hockney: Pieced Together

A new temporary exhibition at the National Science and Media Museum.

Ramadan Pavilion 2025

Zarah Hussain & Fatima Mejbil

A specially commissioned structure to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan.

National Saturday Club: Performance & Theatre

Join Bradford College’s new Performance & Theatre Saturday Club.

National Saturday Club: Games Design

Join Bradford College’s new Games Design Saturday Club.

Share Your Story: Bradford Stories Bus

National Literacy Trust in Bradford

We’re inviting children and young people to share their stories aboard a classic American school bus.

Pauline Black: A 2-Tone Story [+ Q&A]

Pauline Black tells her extraordinary life story in a feature documentary, showcased at Pictureville in Bradford.

asses.masses: game making workshop

Join asses.masses creators Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim for an afternoon of game making.

YOU:MATTER

Marshmallow Laser Feast

Explore how we’re all connected at this spectacular immersive experience.

Clean North

Tranquil Productions

Join Bradford’s premier breakdance crew in Wibsey for a high-energy show and dance workshop – no experience necessary.

International Roma Day Celebration

European Drom CIC

Everyone’s welcome at this celebration of Roma culture.

The Great Adventure Build – for home educators

Woodland Tribe

Home educators, let's make an adventure play structure like no other!

BD: Walls – Session 1: techniques and methods

Practical session. An introduction to street art painting, part of the BD: Walls Talent Development Programme.

Let’s Make

Lou Sumray

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

The Great Adventure Build

Woodland Tribe

Build the playground of your dreams – then play!

Play Bradford’s Mobile Adventure Playground

Play Bradford

We’re teaming up with Play Bradford to bring mobile play to The Beacon in Wibsey Park

Eliza Carthy

The Queen of English folk music visits The Beacon for a rare solo show in Bradford.

asses.masses

Patrick Blenkarn & Milton Lim

A live video game played by you, the audience.

Claytime

Indefinite Articles

Welcome to a family show with a difference – an interactive play made out of clay!

Palette(s)

Cie Moost

A show for two artists, 20 wooden pallets – and one bottle of water.

Toxic

Nathaniel J Hall

Sometimes, survival means knowing when to leave.

Feed your Mind: Curator’s Talk and Tour

Join Curator Anne McNeill on a special talk and tour of Nationhood: Memory and Hope, celebrating the diversity of the UK today.

Roshni

Sonia Sabri Company

A beautiful blend of South Asian dance and music

The Big Beacon Family Welcome

Join us in Wibsey Park for an afternoon of family fun.

BBC Radio 2 Loves Brass

with Marti Pellow and Carly Paoli

Join us for a night showcasing the range of brass music - hosted by Zoe Ball.

Echoes of the North

BD1 Brass play live to an extraordinary film celebrating the way we were.

Reggae + Brass

Jerry ‘Red Dred’ Crawford, Natural Rhythm

Join us as we celebrate the first night of The Big Brass Blowout with a reggae and roots reunion headlined by a true Bradford legend.

The Big Brass Blast

We’re taking our weekend-long brass celebration to the heart of the city with a series of free outdoor gigs.

Balkan Beats & Brass

DJ Marco

The Underground goes east for a night of Balkan brass bangers.

Brass Oranje

Kymara, Sam Newbould Quintet, Peter Somuah

We’re going Dutch for The Big Brass Blowout with this showcase of three great new acts from the Netherlands.

Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers – Live

Back on the big screen – with the soundtrack played live by the City of Bradford Brass Band.

Richard Hawley & the Black Dyke Band

Bradford’s brass legends team up with Sheffield’s favourite son for one night only.

Hall Royd Band

The famous Shipley band celebrates its 80th birthday with a free concert in Wibsey Park for The Big Brass Blowout.

LOUD & PROUD Dhol Drumming

Punjabi Roots

Learn to play the iconic dhol drum at this free workshop – no experience necessary.

Augmenting Bradford’s DNA: Kala Sangam Calligraphy Workshop & Talk

Razwan Ul-Haq

Help to make a unique work of homegrown art.

Brass on a Sunday Afternoon

Toby Brazier Sextet, Omotola & Friends, Hot Aire!

Cool jazz, hot Yoruba sounds and a classic brass band – it’s an eclectic Sunday at Loading Bay.

KOKOROKO

Plus support from TC & the Groove Family

The powerhouse London collective round out our brass weekender.

Curious Investigators

One Tenth Human

Stop an egg from smashing in this cracking new adventure for children aged 3–7 and their grown-ups…

BD: Walls – Session 2: digital design and scaling

Classroom-based session. An introduction to digital tools used in mural design, part of the BD: Walls Talent Development Programme.

CBeebies Bedtime Stories Day

CBeebies

Once upon a time… Evie Pickerill and George Webster from CBeebies bring the magic of Bedtime Stories to The Beacon.

It’s Your Round

Scary Little Girls

Pens at the ready – comedy meets cabaret down the pub at our fabulous quiz night.

Amar Akbar Anthony (1977)

Bollywood action comedy with a memorable soundtrack!

Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)

‘India’s most-loved film’

Frontline 1984/1985

Victor Wedderburn

A fascinating exhibition exploring Bradford's African Caribbean communities in the ’80s.

Speed (1994)

Fasten your seatbelts…

The Wild Robot (2024)

A classic DreamWorks animation.

Jab We Met (2007)

Imtiaz Ali’s joyous romantic musical comedy.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)

Three friends take a batchelor road trip to Spain.

Pop!

Vince Virr

Vince Virr’s exhilarating dance piece explores the fears, the surprises and the joys of growing up.

An Evening with Jacqui Dankworth

One of Britain’s finest jazz singers brings her trio to The Beacon – exclusively for Bradford 2025.

Easter Party in the Park

Teen Scene Parties

Bradford’s premier teen party producer present an unmissable Easter special in Wibsey.

Easter Sunday Fun

Christians Together in Wibsey and Buttershaw/Shelf

Join Christians from across Wibsey and Buttershaw/Shelf to mark one of the most important days in the church calendar – all welcome.

Beacon Church Community Cuppa

The Beacon Church

Beacon, meet Beacon – the local church comes to our pop-up venue in Wibsey for a relaxing coffee morning.

Say It As It Is

with Kirsty Taylor

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

WoW Community Partnership

Connect with your community and check your health at this free daytime event in Wibsey.

Little Wimmin

Figs in Wigs

An unorthodox, apocalyptic, cosmically catastrophic adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel.

BBC Introducing at The Beacon

BBC Introducing

The BBC’s music discovery platform takes over The Beacon for an open mic night of live music.

Simon Boccanegra

Opera North

Opera North’s first performances of the Verdi classic.

Lanre Bakare – ‘We Were There’ book launch

Bradford writer Lanre Bakare joins Victor Wedderburn in conversation, chaired by Dawn Cameron.

Tower of Now

Saad Qureshi

This soaring sculpture explores what it means to be British – and celebrates Bradford’s dazzling diversity.

Digital marketing – Elevate Workshop

A practical workshop exploring different digital marketing platforms and how to make them work for you.

BD: Walls – Session 3: doodle grid and pounce practice

Practical session. An explanation of the doodle grid and pounce methods, part of the BD: Walls Talent Development Programme.

Share Your Story: On Board at The Beacon

National Literacy Trust in Bradford

The Bradford Stories Bus is coming to The Beacon for a one-day story spectacular.

West Yorkshire Young Poet Laureates – Open Mic

with Sharena Lee Satti

Join the West Yorkshire Young Poet Laureates and other young poets for an afternoon of wonderful words.

A Night at the Musicals

Youthology

Young performers bring the West End to Wibsey at this special concert.

The Sticky Dance for Sensory Groovers

Second Hand Dance

An interactive performance installation for autistic/neurodivergent children aged 3–7.

The Sticky Dance

Second Hand Dance

An interactive, engaging and colourful performance installation for children aged 3–5 and their families.

Lay Down Your Burdens

Rhiannon Faith Company

Rhiannon Faith’s acclaimed dance theatre show explores hope, compassion and transformation through the prism of a local pub

HOPE/ACT

People Powered Press

Installations from the world’s largest letterpress printing press.

The Bradford Selection

Edible Archives

Take a bite out of Bradford with our magnificent biscuits.

Bradford on Foot

Walk a mile or more in our shoes…

We Will Sing

Ann Hamilton

Ann Hamilton transforms the immense top floor at Salts Mill for her largest solo UK installation to date

Peace Picnic: Wibsey

The Peace Museum

The Peace Museum host the first of five free gatherings to celebrate peace, protest and community.

Les Enfants Terribles: A Gameshow for Awful Children

Marcel Lucont

Comedian Marcel Lucont pits kids against grown-ups as he looks to crown the most awful child in Bradford…

Marcel Lucont’s Whine List

Alternative comedy meets group therapy – get your moans off your chest with the UK’s favourite French comic

Bradford Belles

The mighty Belles bring their new walkabout street performance to The Beacon

Augmenting Bradford’s DNA: Theatre in the Mill Workshop & Talk

Razwan Ul-Haq

Help to make a unique work of homegrown art.

Bassline Symphony

The sound of our city as you’ve never heard it before.

The 56

LUNG

‘Nobody dies in football matches'

BD: Walls – Session 4: responding to a brief

Classroom-based session. Learn how to analyse and respond to a brief for a public mural, part of the BD: Walls Talent Development Programme.

Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali Group

The torchbearers of Qawwali music visit Bradford for their only show in the North this year.

The Bradford Progress

Paraorchestra with Charles Hazlewood & Jeremy Deller

A musical journey created with the people of Bradford.

Nadine Shah

Plus support

Mercury Prize-nominated Shah brings her mesmerising voice to Bradford.

Public Interest

Common/Wealth

An urgent immersive show on youth culture.

Portrait of Mai

Sir Joshua Reynolds' spectacular portrait visits Bradford on a UK-wide tour.

Tape Letters

Modus Arts

An exhibition exploring migration on tape.

Earth & Sky

Opera North

An immersive sound walk over the moors above Haworth.

BD: Walls – Session 5: collaborative design

Classroom-based session. Develop your skills in collaborative design, part of the BD: Walls Talent Development Programme.

BD: Walls – Session 6: pitching work

Classroom-based session. Refine your pitching skills, part of the BD: Walls Talent Development Programme.

TESTO

Wet Mess

Wet Mess, Wet Messifies transitions, testosterone and the edges of drag.

Loaded Laughs

Bradford 2025's new comedy night.

ReelBFD: Digital Arts, Bradford Stories

Experience the creativity of Bradford’s young digital artists in a new exhibition.

Language: no broblem

Marah Haj Hussein

A theatrical journey into multilingualism.

EGGS COLLECTIVE’S DARK NIGHTS

Twisted cabaret nights at Loading Bay.

Ice Age Art Now

British Museum

Travel back in time at this British Museum Partnership Exhibition.

BD: Walls – Session 7: mockup and scaling

Practical session. An introduction to mockup and scaling in street art, part of the BD: Walls Talent Development Programme.

The Pahari-Pothwari Literature Project

Nabeela Ahmed

New writing in the rarely-seen Pahari-Pothwari language and English.

BD: Walls – Session 8: selecting paint and materials

Classroom and practical session. Learn how to choose the right materials for your work, part of the BD: Walls Talent Development Programme.

Tu i Tam/Tyt i Tam

Tim Smith & Marta Szymańska

An exhibition documenting our Polish and Ukrainian communities.

Memories of the Future

Akram Khan with Helen Linsell

An ambitious dance work starring the people of Bradford.

BD: Walls – Session 9: public mural creation, part 1

Practical session. Get closer to creating a mural in a public space in this training session, part of the BD: Walls Talent Development Programme.

The Railway Children

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

BD: Walls – Session 10: public mural creation, part 2

Practical session. The second session of two, part of the BD: Walls Talent Development Programme.

The Book of Bradford

Comma Press, Saima Mir

Ten short stories by Bradford writers.

Dialled In

A celebration of South Asian music and culture.

BD: Walls – Session 11: unveiling and programme wrap-up

Classroom and practical session. The final session, including a public unveiling of the finished mural, part of the BD: Walls Talent Development Programme.

BBC Contains Strong Language

The UK’s biggest poetry and performance festival comes to Bradford.

Wandering Imaginations

The Brontës’ imaginary worlds reimagined for 2025.

New Focus: Bradford Young Curators

Ten young people curate a major exhibition at Impressions Gallery.

Meet Our Mothers

Deepa Mann-Kler

An interactive cookbook celebrating Bradford’s heritage.

Elmet

The Javaad Alipoor Company

An epic northern noir.

John Grant

Plus support

John Grant makes his Bradford headline debut.

Roots

Peachzz

A vibrant street-art homage to a Bradford legend.

The Portal

NeSpoon

New street art inspired by old traditions.

Sing, Dance, Leap

Royal Ballet and Opera, Northern Ballet, Opera North

A major programme to inspire young people’s creativity.

FORGE Shorts

New films from Bradford writers and directors.

REPLAY

The Herd

Enter an endless world of play in this interactive experience.

Flesh and Flamingos (working title)

Dominic Leclerc

The hidden history of northern queer culture.

Bradford Digital Creatives

New digital artworks exploring what it’s like to grow up in 2025.

The Ceremony

Jack King

An award-winning debut feature set in Bradford.

So Far, So Good…

TC Howard & Dance On Bradford

An inclusive new dance show about growing older.

The Local (working title)

Kim Hopkins

Step inside a Bradford landmark…