Bradford District
Your guide to attractions, events, and activities in and around Bradford... There's a lot to discover; visit www.visitbradford.com for more possibilities.
Summer officially begins in just a few days so it's the perfect time to look ahead and plan all the great fun you'll be having in the Bradford district. Choose some walking routes that will take you to some of the best views in the district over the Ilkley and Haworth Moors or take a break from the summer sun by exploring the galleries of some of the district's fascinating museums like those of the Bradford Industrial Museum. Take the kids to have a blast climbing, bouncing and racing through an activity centre or join some of the incredible events and festivals which are coming to the district including the Bradford Literature Festival, BD:Festival, the Railway Children and many, many more!
A jam-packed weekend of fun for all the family, from incredible circus acts to larger-than-life puppets, music, crafts, parkour and dance, BD: Festival is to return to Bradford city centre on 25 and 26 July. Featuring world-class performers, including international names and home-grown talent, BD:Festival is free to attend and suitable for families and people of all ages.
Check out the brilliant line-up of events coming to this year's Brontë Festival of Women's Writing in Haworth on 26th-28th September organised by the Brontë Parsonage Museum. Fabulous authors and writers including Emerald Fennell who will be speaking about the new adaptation of Wuthering Heights, Rizie Kelly and Anna Chilvers will be hosting talks and panels covering this years theme - writers from and based in the North and on stories that centre around northern landscapes and Brontë influence. Discover the programme of events and activities today - tickets are on sale now.
Join a mini mela in celebration of Eid al-Adha on the lower fields at NT East Riddlesden Hall in Keighley on Saturday, 21st June. Step inside the Airedale Barn and discover a museum of ordinary objects for Eid or enjoy dhol drummers, crafting and games in the beautiful summer sunshine. Everyone is welcome to join in! Bring along your picnics and celebrate with the local community.
Refugee Week 2025
Join us at The Beacon for a welcoming and inclusive programme of artworks, events and activities.
Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. We’re delighted to be taking part in its 2025 edition, titled ‘Community as a Superpower’.
Location: The Beacon, Bowling Park
Dates: 16-22 June 2025
The centrepiece is What Will We Do Without Exile?, a new artwork created by UK-based Palestinian artist Basel Zaraa and commissioned alongside Counterpoints Arts with the support of Moomin Characters – one of four new UK artworks celebrating 80 years of the Moomins.
Alongside it, we’re presenting a series of family activities in partnership with Stand & Be Counted, including Happy Baby!, free sensory play sessions for under-4s, and The Big Blue Bradford House, an invitation for young people and families to help create a Moomin-inspired cardboard house in Bowling Park. You can also join us at a Peace Picnic, enjoy family activities galore at the free Intercultured Festival, and follow one man’s journey from Syria to England in Penguin.
 Image by Guy Farrow
The Railway Children
Revisit the much-loved children’s classic – on the very train tracks where the film was shot. The classic production heads to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.
Dates: 15 Jul – 7 Sep 2025
Times: 1pm (arrive at Keighley 11.10am), 6.30pm (arrive at Keighley 4.30pm)
Location: Keighley Station
Tickets: From £15, Children: half price (band A&B)
Mike Kenny’s enchanting stage adaptation of E. Nesbit’s classic novel has won thousands of admirers since it premiered in 2008. Now, for the first time, we’re taking this production for a ride along the iconic Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, familiar to millions from the film adaptation of The Railway Children.
Exclusively for Bradford 2025, the show begins when you board a steam train at Keighley, then travel the full length of this historic railway. When you reach the end of the line at Oxenhope, you’ll find a purpose-built auditorium within the station’s Engine Shed – and a new version of the production, which tells the story of three children forced to move from London to Yorkshire after their father is falsely imprisoned.
 If you're planning to visit the Bradford District in the next few months, here are some highlights for your diary.
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