For festivals Yorkshire is a prime spot for each and every type of event, with the Leeds Festival perhaps being the most famous. It is also home to all manner of arts festivals, such as local music festivals, folk festivals and jazz festivals. Classical music is well represented by the Castle Howard Proms Spectacular, one of the biggest Proms-style concerts outside of London.
>> Find Events and Festivals in Yorkshire
Yorkshire arts festivals are popular locally, such as Wetherby Arts Festival, which features theatre and dance performances as well as music. The Harrogate International Festival and Crime Writing Festival are two popular Yorkshire book festivals. Film festivals in Yorkshire include the Leeds International Film Festival, Bradford International Film Festival and the Sheffield International Documentary Festival.
As for Yorkshire food festivals, the York Food & Drink Festival is a great family friendly event. If you're looking for a beer festival Yorkshire offers a number of those, such as Skipton Beer Festival, Harrogate Beer Festival and Boston Spa Beer Festival. If sport is more to your taste, Yorkshire offers motor festivals and horse racing festivals amongst others.
Yorkshire is also home to a number of carnivals such as the Leeds West Indian Carnival. There are lots of Yorkshire St Patricks Day parades, taking place in Leeds, Huddersfield and York among others. Gay pride festivals are abundant in Yorkshire, with Leeds Pride, York Pride, Sheffield Pride, Bradford Pride, Doncaster Pride and Hull Pride providing many alternatives to the popular Manchester Pride across the border. The York Lesbian Arts Festival is held every year.
Finally there is an enormous choice of themed festivals and niche events on offer in Yorkshire. Take the Wetwang Scarecrow Festival for example, or the Jorvik Viking Festival. The Cuckoo Festival is held in Marsden near Huddersfield every April. For festivals Yorkshire has something for everybody.
If you are seeking York events, Leeds events or Sheffield events there are numerous famous Yorkshire events on the calendar. Sports events such as the World Snooker Championship and the St. Leger Festival are well-established at Yorkshire venues. Yorkshire museums and stately homes are also great events locations. Sewerby Hall in Bridlington has a packed events programme, and features music, tea dances, piano recitals, arts exhibitions and a Medieval Jousting event. The Great Yorkshire Show at Harrogate is ideal for fans of show jumping, and also features a cattle parade and 'name the lamb' competition, ensuring fun for all the family.
Fun daily York events such as the York Historic Pub Tour and the Ghost Hunt of York are consistently well-received. Other Yorkshire events include art & craft fairs, flower shows, annual events like fireworks displays and Christmas celebrations. Traditional English pastimes like morris dancing and brass bands are well represented by the events Yorkshire has on offer.
There is a great range of music festivals in Yorkshire for fans of every genre and style. For rock music Leeds Festival, held at Bramham Park, attracts 70,000 visitors every year, and features some of the most popular indie, metal, punk and alternative bands. In 2009 the line-up includes Fall Out Boy, Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead. Smaller independent music festivals in Yorkshire representing folk, blues and jazz music are also widespread. For Yorkshire Dales music festivals, look no further than the Moor Music Festival held every August in Skipton.
Yorkshire sporting events include motor festivals and horse racing events. York Racecourse hosts the famous York Festival of Racing. In addition the St. Leger Festival takes place at Doncaster Racecourse. Take a trip to Scarborough Castle in September and see Yorkshire County Cricket Club taking part in the annual Scarborough Cricket Festival. Sailing and fishing festivals abound on the Yorkshire coast, with Whitby hosting Whitby Regatta in August and Whitby Angling Festival in September. One of the most famous sporting events in Yorkshire is the World Snooker Championship which is held yearly at the Crucible theatre in Sheffield.
Yorkshire beer festivals are great days out, with CAMRA real ale festivals such as Halifax Mayfest and Skipton Beer Festival, and larger national beer festivals like Ilkley Beer Festival and Harrogate Beer Festival attracting many visitors every year. Black Sheep Brewery combines walking festivals and beer festivals hosting the Boots and Beer Walking Festival! This festival also includes a range of live evening entertainment such as a race night, quiz night and Ceildh night. Beer festivals in Yorkshire will often offer a great range of country wines, ciders and perry as well as real ales.
The York Food and Drink Festival is one of the most famous food festivals in the region and there are many more food festivals in Yorkshire, especially in the more rural areas like the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors. The Dales Festival of Food & Drink in Leyburn and the Ryedale Festival of Food & Drink at Castle Howard are popular Yorkshire food festivals. Harrogate's Great Yorkshire Show features a cheese and dairy show.
Events in North Yorkshire
Events on the Yorkshire Coast
Events in the Yorkshire Dales
Events in West Yorkshire
Events in East & South Yorks
