12 months of inspiring events will shine a light on bold and brilliant Bradford.
It was back on Tuesday 31st May 2022 that Bradford was announced as the UK City of Culture 2025, beating out competition from Southampton, Wrexham and County Durham. The news may have been revealed by – ahem – Nadine Dorries, but it was still a sweet moment for the team behind the bid. Since the good news, they’ve been working overtime to make it a reality.
Credit: Simon Dewhurst
So what does being UK City of Culture mean? Well, for Bradford it means a chance to showcase what makes the city so special. That means the people, the heritage and the character of the place. But it also means access to significant funding to help it not only deliver events, but also invest in the city’s infrastructure and art facilities.
The numbers are startling, with Arts Council England contributing £5 million and The National Lottery Heritage Fund £4.95 million. On top of that, the government is chipping in an extra £10 million. It’s estimated that almost 7,000 new jobs will be created, with £389 million of growth in the local economy and over £136 million of additional visitor spend during 2025.
Credit: Aida Maluneh
It will manifest a year-long celebration of Bradford that will include a whole host of events across town. At the same time, it will open up opportunities for writers, performers and artists of all types and unlock the potential of the city’s young and vibrant population.
The calendar of events is being overseen by Shanaz Gulzar, Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture creative director, and those that have been announced are truly mouthwatering. The curtain will be raised on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th January 2025 in City Park and Centenary Square with RISE. This open-air event will be a thrilling collaboration between Steven Frayne (formerly known as Dynamo) and theatre director Kirsty Housley.
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Something that’s striking about the announced events is how diverse they are. Fast forward to May and St George’s Hall will be the scene of Bassline Symphony, as 4×4 and bassline legends work with the Orchestra of Opera North to deliver dance music as you’ve never heard it before.
By contrast, the children’s classic tale The Railway Children will be brought to life when you board the famous Keighley and Worth Valley Railway (as seen in the film). It will whisk you to a purpose-built auditorium in Oxenhope Station where you’ll watch an immersive performance right next to the tracks. All aboard!
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If you can’t make it to Bradford, then Bradford might just make it to you. They’ve developed The Beacon, a mobile performance space that will be heading to parks in Manningham, Keighley, Bowling and Wibsey, It’ll host gigs, theatrical events and workshops, delivering art to the heart of various local communities.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. The city will also host prestigious modern art gong the Turner prize, there’ll be fascinating reinterpretations of the work of the Brontës and Bradford’s own David Hockney will be supporting a nationwide drawing project. New photography, theatre work, exhibitions – heck, they’ll even have Asian Dub Foundation providing a live soundtrack for a screening of modern French classic movie ‘La Haine’.
Credit: Tommy London
There’s a lot more to be announced during the rest of 2024, with the city racing to finish some major pieces of infrastructure work in time for the celebrations to commence. Delays to the opening of Bradford Live and work on pedestrianisation have caused some consternation, but the city, the council and the Bradford UK City of Culture 2025 team remain confident.
Keep your eyes peeled for fresh announcements and for when tickets go on sale – you really don’t want to miss out on some of these events. Want to do more than just attend? You can also volunteer for everything from meeting and greeting to helping run events. It’s your chance to be part of the city’s success in 2025 and beyond.
Credit: Max Lee
