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Yorkshire Voices Take Centre Stage As Ilkley Literature Festival Returns

The north's longest-running literary festival opens in less than a fortnight, with a third of this year's authors drawn from, living in or closely connected to Yorkshire. Ilkley Literature Festival 2026 has something for most tastes, with a programme that runs from Mesopotamian epic to natural cleaning.

P.ublished 25th September 2026

Festivals

Unpublished Women Writers Offered A Route To An Agent And £5,000

For the unpublished writer with a manuscript gathering dust in a drawer, the Women's Prize Trust has just made the case for dusting it off. Its Discoveries prize and programme for 2027 opened on Tuesday 15 September, offering the winner representation from the Curtis Brown Group and a £5,000 bursary.

P.ublished 24th September 2026

Festivals

Why Has Britain Fallen In Love With Running?

Running is having a moment. From the explosion of parkrun and social running clubs to record demand for major races, more of us are pulling on our trainers, and it isn't just the hardcore pounding the streets chasing personal bests. For some, it's about fitness. For others, it's about headspace, friendship, confidence, escape, or simply an excuse to get out of the house.

P.ublished 8th October 2026

Festivals

Why Growing Older Is Something To Be Embraced

Dame Prue Leith

The screen icon Ingrid Bergman once wrote: “Getting old is like climbing a mountain; you get a little out of breath, but the view is much better!” It’s perhaps easy, though, in today’s digital-obsessed world that so often appears to value youth over experience, for older generations to feel like they’re heading for the scrapheap.

P.ublished 1st October 2026

Festivals

Children Turn Sleuths With Help Of Crime Writing Author

Schoolchildren in Harrogate and Knaresborough are getting the chance to channel their inner Sherlock Holmes with the help of detective turned crime writing author Graham Bartlett. Youngsters from nine schools from across the district are taking part in Kids, Spies and PIs this week, learning about the methods used by real-life detectives to help solve a crime.

P.ublished 24th September 2026

Festivals

Stellar Line-Up For Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival

Raworths Solicitors are delighted to announce the full programme for the Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival 2026 which brings together a vibrant mix of big names and compelling stories – covering everything from gardens and The Beatles to crime fiction and memoir.

P.ublished 17th September 2026

Festivals

Hugh Bonneville To Headline Fundraising Evening For Ripon Theatre Festival

Downton Abbey and Paddington star to appear at Holy Trinity in November, with all profits supporting the volunteer-led festival Hugh Bonneville is coming to Ripon for a fundraising evening in support of Ripon Theatre Festival, appearing at Holy Trinity on Saturday 21 November at 7pm for a conversation spanning his career on screen and in theatre.

P.ublished 15th September 2026

Festivals

Krankenhaus Festival

Big is definitely not always better. Krankenhaus Festival, curated and organised by the band Sea Power, is small by design; it doesn’t get bigger and, as a result, is perfectly formed. A completely unique festival that does so much right and is a beautiful combination of quirkiness, chaos and community.

P.ublished 2nd September 2026

Festivals

Leeds Festival Goes Pop

Graham Clark
Music Correspondent

Leeds Festival Photo: Graham Clark

For anyone who went to the Leeds Festival a few years ago, the line-up of the 2026 Festival would have been seen as incomprehensible; whilst in the past the festival always tendered to favour rock and indie acts, the emphasis was more on dance, rap and pop artists. The festival has become a rite of passage for youngsters who are celebrating their GCSE exam results.

P.ublished 1st September 2026

Festivals

Whitby Lit Fest Unveils Star-Studded Programme

John Boyne, Ann Cleeves, Si King, Joanne Harris, Mark Billingham, Greta Scacchi, Corinne Bailey Rae and Dr Sian Williams are heading to Whitby The town that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula and has fired the imaginations of generations of writers is preparing to welcome some of the biggest names in books for the 2026 Whitby Lit Fest.

P.ublished 14th August 2026

Review

Something For Everyone: Lakefest Hits Its Stride At 15

Jeremy Williams
Deputy Arts Editor

Lakefest all photos Jeremy Williams

There are festivals that are built around one particular genre, one particular demographic or one particular headline act. Then there is Lakefest — a festival that seems determined to offer something for everyone.

P.ublished 12th August 2026

Festivals

‘Iconic’ Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Celebrates Record Visitor Numbers

Lee Child and Lisa Jewell Photo: Richard Maude©

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival celebrated significant audience growth with record numbers of crime fiction fans from across the UK, Europe, the US and beyond flocking to the Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate to enjoy more than 34 events with 140 authors over four days, 23-26 July.

P.ublished 7th August 2026

Festivals

Big Names Headlining Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival 2026

Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival is back with a bang this autumn featuring a host of national treasures and literary stars. The Literature Festival, sponsored by Raworths Solicitors, is one of the biggest dates in the country’s literary calendar taking place across two action-packed weeks (11 – 25 October) in the North Yorkshire spa town.

P.ublished 4th August 2026

Festivals

Rich Pickings And Rueful Choices: Lisa Jewell On Building Harrogate's Biggest Festival Yet

Fresh from a morning of interviews and still buzzing between events, this year's Festival Programming Chair, Lisa Jewell, talks to Andrew Palmer at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival about omissions, instinct, and the coercive-control novel taking shape for 2027. The deckchairs are out on the lawn of the Old Swan Hotel, the sun is doing exactly wha…

P.ublished 25th July 2026

Festivals

A Stunning Conclusion: Romeo and Juliet Brings The Curtain Down On Ripon Theatre Festival 2026

Andrew Palmer, Group Editor, on how The Duke's Theatre Company concluded this year's festival at Ripon Racecourse with a Romeo and Juliet that showcased wit, precision, and considerable heart – a fitting finale!

P.ublished 25th July 2026

Festivals

Robbie Williams To Headline Lytham Festival 2027

ternational pop megastar Robbie Williams is heading to the North West in 2027 to headline the region’s largest live music festival. The 18 time BRIT Award winning pop giant will headline Lancashire’s Lytham Festival on Saturday July 3 – his only headlining show in mainland UK next summer.

P.ublished 24th July 2026

Festivals

Elly Griffiths Crowned Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel Of The Year For The Frozen People

Andrew Palmer
Group Editor

Elly Griffiths presented with the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the YEar 2026 by Simon Theakston Photo: Harrogate Festival

Sussex novelist Elly Griffiths has won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2026 — the most coveted prize in British and Irish crime writing — for The Frozen People, a genre-bending mystery that sends a modern-day cold case detective back to the ice-bound streets of Victorian London.

P.ublished 24th July 2026

Opinion

No Town Of Culture Title, But Ripon Already Knows What It's Worth

Andrew Palmer
Group Editor

Ripon Theatre Festival arrives at the Market Square

Ripon's theatre festival has earned more than applause — it has earned investment writes Andrew Palmer, Group Editor Somewhere between the deckchairs on the Market Place and this Friday's season finale — the Duke's Theatre Company's touring Romeo & Juliet at Ripon Racecourse, still to come — it has become clear that this year's Ripon Theatre Festival is no…

P.ublished 22nd July 2026

Festivals

Voice In The Dark

Andrew Palmer
Group Editor

Genie Chance (Ellie Jay Cooper) & Dom (Robert Merriam) Photo: Helen Tabor © https://www.helentaborphotography.com/

Ripon Theatre Festival continues to unearth stories that deserve a wider audience, and Down to Chance is one of its finest discoveries yet.

P.ublished 13th July 2026

Festivals

Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Returns With All-Star Programme For Biggest Year Ever

Steph McGovern & Val McDermid Photo: Gerard Binks©

The 2026 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the world’s largest and most prestigious celebration of crime fiction, returns to the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate 23-26 July with an all-star line-up of bestselling authors and crime fiction names.

P.ublished 10th July 2026

Festivals

Riot Women, Meet Your Match: Batty! Brings Menopausal Rebellion To Ripon

Part witch, part wood nymph, wholly herself – Firth's Batty! turns midlife and menopause into a riotous, tender celebration of women who refuse to be tamed.

P.ublished 10th July 2026

Review

Lewis Capaldi Graces Roundhay Festival

Following in the footsteps of The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Genesis, U2, Robbie Williams and Ed Sheeran, Lewis Capaldi arrived at Roundhay Park as the Saturday night headliner at the newly inaugurated Roundhay Festival.

P.ublished 6th July 2026

Review

Stroke Of Genius, Jagged Little Thrill: Lytham Festival Opens In Style

Lytham Festival, the north west's largest live music event, returned to the Lancashire coast this week for five nights, marking its fifteenth anniversary with a run of contrasting but equally compelling headline shows.

P.ublished 6th July 2026

Festivals

Magical Spiegeltent Festival Is Back In Town

The much-loved Spiegeltent is back with a bang and a sizzling summer programme of jazz, rock, burlesque, dance and much more. The Spiegeltent Festival 2026 – in association with Ogden of Harrogate, one of the country’s best known family jewellers – runs from 25 June to 4 July in Crescent Gardens, featuring an exciting line-up curated by award-winning saxophonist and composer Camilla George.

P.ublished 25th June 2026

Festivals

Winner Announced In Hunt For Uk’s Best Classical Vocal Talent

Jack Redman (piano) with Tom Lilburn (counter-tenor) Photo: Ann Chadwick

The 2026 winners of the Northern Aldborough Festival New Voices Singing Competition have been crowned as countertenor Tom Lilburn and his accompanist Jack Redman. Now in its fourth year, the nationwide search spanning concert halls and conservatoires has become a showcase of the hottest rising stars, with a £7,000 prize fund.

P.ublished 25th June 2026

Festivals

Festival Legends Oddsocks Are Back In Town

Oddsocks with a previous production at RHS Harlow Carr. Photo: Charlotte Graham

Festival favourites Oddsocks are back in town this summer bringing their irresistible mixture of mayhem and family fun with them. The travelling troubadours return to the sumptuous grounds of RHS Harlow Carr on 30 June and 1 July, with their new take on Shakespeare’s classic tale Romeo & Juliet. A family feud divides the community. Violence stalks the streets.

P.ublished 24th June 2026

Festivals

Lytham Festival Guide

Music fans are preparing for the biggest week in the North West music calendar as TK Maxx presents Lytham Festival gets ready to kick off for 2026. Over five nights from Wednesday July 1 to Sunday 5 huge international icons will top the bill as more than 100,000 people descend on the Fylde coast town for the 15th Lytham Festival.

P.ublished 22nd June 2026

Festivals

Camilla George Leads Exciting Spiegeltent Jazz Programme

Camilla George Photo: Daniel Adhami

Award-winning saxophonist, composer and bandleader Camilla George brings a thrilling jazz programme to Harrogate this summer. The acclaimed musician, winner of Best Jazz Act at the Urban Music Awards in 2023, is Guest Curator of this year’s Spiegeltent, which returns this month.

P.ublished 22nd June 2026

Festivals

‘Ambitious’ And ‘Highly Entertaining’ Storytelling Showcased As Shortlist For Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel Of The Year 2026

Harrogate International Festivals today announced the shortlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2026, the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious crime fiction award. The winner will be revealed on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 23 July.

P.ublished 18th June 2026

Review

Download Festival - Metalheads Unite In The Spiritual Home Of Metal

Regarded by many as the headbangers' Glastonbury, the 23rd Download Festival returned to Donington Park for three days filled with raw energy, featuring denim, distortion, and dangerously sore ears, all while offering the ultimate in rock music.

P.ublished 17th June 2026

Festivals

Writers In Live Bid For Publication At York Festival

Scores of writers will share their stories and poems aloud at Merchant Taylors Hall on Thursday June 25, as part of this year’s York Mystery Plays Festival and Fringe.

P.ublished 17th June 2026

Festivals

All Singing, All Dancing, All Amber

She's the cabaret siren, bringing a blaze of Broadway glamour, old Hollywood shimmer and flame-haired icons to Ripon – and she cannot, she insists, do a show without funny bones. There is a particular kind of performer who walks into a room and instantly rearranges its atmosphere. Amber Topaz is one of those.

P.ublished 13th June 2026

Festivals

Davóne Tines – Meet The ‘Electrifying’ Singer Rewriting The Rules

Davóne Tines Photo: Bailey Holiver, courtesy of CAP UCLA

US-born baritone Davóne Tines, renowned for his work in opera and gospel, has been described as an “electrifying” performer (The Guardian). The Grammy-nominated singer, named Musical America’s Vocalist of the Year in 2022, is appearing at the Wesley Centre, in Harrogate, on 12 June.

P.ublished 10th June 2026

Festivals

Stellar Line-Up Announced For 60th HACS Harrogate Music Festival

Harrogate International Festivals is celebrating its 60th anniversary in style by bringing some of the biggest names and brightest emerging stars in classical music to Harrogate this summer – from the boundary-pushing stars such as Abel Selaocoe and Aurora Orchestra to legendary cellist Julian Lloyd Webber and the renowned BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.

P.ublished 28th May 2026

Festivals

Shortlist For Mcdermid Debut Award 2026 Revealed

Harrogate International Festivals has announced the shortlist for the McDermid Debut Award for new UK and Irish writers. The winner will be revealed on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 23 July.

P.ublished 21st May 2026

Festivals

Science Meets Royal Scandals At Raworths Salon North!

Dr Lucy Rogers Photo: Karla Gowlett

Raworths Salon North returns with star-studded line-up at The Crown Hotel. The latest instalment of Raworths Salon North – dubbed the "night out for your brain" – comes to The Crown Hotel, Harrogate, on Thursday 4 June, featuring an all-female line-up of award-winning speakers.

P.ublished 19th May 2026

Festivals

Festival Expansion Celebrated At Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 2026

Harrogate International Festivals has announced the launch of the Swift Half Stage at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the world’s largest celebration of criVme fiction, taking place in Harrogate, 23-26 July.

P.ublished 15th May 2026

Festivals

Whitby Lit Fest Start New Charity Chapter As More Authors Announced

Whitby Lit Fest marks a new exciting chapter as it’s been granted charitable status. The festival, which launched last year, was created to celebrate Whitby’s literary heritage, as well as connect readers to contemporary writers and inspire readers and visitors alike. The second Whitby Lit Fest takes place 19 to 22 November.

P.ublished 14th May 2026

Festivals

Bradford Literature Festival Receives Two Awards For Best Civic & Social Organisation Business

Bradford Literature Festival (BLF) has been announced as Best Civic & Social Organisation Business of the Year at both the 2026 SME500 UK and the Global 100 awards. The SME500 UK recognises the UK’s small and medium-sized enterprises driving growth, resilience and innovation. They celebrate organisations that are making a difference in the UK.

P.ublished 7th May 2026

Trentham Live Returns For It’s 5th Year

The Trentham Estate are delighted with the return and complete line-up to their 4-day event TRENTHAM LIVE 2026 taking place in the stunning surroundings at Trentham Gardens in Staffordshire from Thursday 20th August through to Sunday 23rd August. Over four days at the historic gardens and lakeside setting, the event will showcase a strong live music line-up.

P.ublished 6th May 2026

Festivals

Percussionist To “Play The Landscape”

Delia Stevens 'playing the trees' of Intake Wood near Fremington on 23 April, in advance of her Swaledale Festival performance on 28 May

Visitors to this year’s Swaledale Festival can expect to experience the Yorkshire Dales in a whole new way, thanks to support from the National Park Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund. From woodland performances to music shaped by the landscape itself, the Fund is helping the festival connect people more deeply with the Dales’ natural environment.

P.ublished 1st May 2026

Books

Longlist For Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel Of The Year 2026

Harrogate International Festivals today announced the 18 titles longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2026, the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious crime fiction award, now in its twenty second year.

P.ublished 30th April 2026

Britain’s Favourite Clarinettist Heads To Northern Aldborough Festival

Almost ten years since her last appearance in Aldborough, the famed clarinettist Emma Johnson MBE is making a much-anticipated return with her star-studded trio. Described by The Times as ‘Britain's favourite clarinettist’, Emma Johnson is one of the few clarinet players to have made a career as a soloist.

P.ublished 30th April 2026

Festivals

Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Returns For Biggest Year Ever

Harrogate International Festivals has revealed the full programme for the 2026 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the world’s largest and most prestigious celebration of crime fiction, at a special reception at Hachette, Carmelite House in London. This year marks Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival’s twenty-third year.

P.ublished 15th April 2026

Festivals

Famous Spiegeltent Returns To Harrogate For Summer Extravaganza

It’s back, and it’s bigger than ever. The much-loved Spiegeltent makes a joyous return to Harrogate this summer with 10 days of non-stop entertainment and unforgettable nights.

P.ublished 9th April 2026

Festivals

Live@tc

When Darren Goulden talks about festivals, there’s a sense that he’s not just producing events—he’s crafting experiences. As the driving force behind The Festival Alchemist, Darren has spent years shaping live entertainment across the UK, earning particular acclaim for Irlam Live, which continues to grow in stature each year.

P.ublished 9th April 2026

Festivals

Salon North Is Back With A Bang And An Exciting New Season

Ever wanted to know more about the hidden world of dreams, the science behind small talk, or the magic of indoor jungles? Well, Raworths Salon North has the answers to all this and a whole lot more.

P.ublished 8th April 2026

Interview

Woody Cook At Lakefest

As Lakefest prepares to return to the stunning grounds of Eastnor Castle from 5–9 August, the line-up promises a vibrant mix of nostalgia, dancefloor energy and eclectic talent. Alongside acts including The Charlatans, Bananarama, Soul II Soul, Madness and The Lightning Seeds, DJ and producer Woody Cook is set to bring his infectious, free-flowing energy to the festival crowd.

P.ublished 1st April 2026

Festivals

Small City, Big Landscape: Ripon Theatre Festival At Five

Andrew Palmer
Group Editor

Five years in, Ripon Theatre Festival has grown from promising newcomer to cultural cornerstone — and this year it's bigger, bolder, and more inclusive than ever. There are festivals that happen to a city, and there are festivals that happen with one.

P.ublished 30th March 2026

Festivals

The Shiiine On Weekender

The Shiiine On Weekender heads back to Minehead this November for its 11th year, bringing with it the biggest and most ambitious programme to date. Spanning an entire weekend, the 2026 edition delivers a packed schedule of live music, DJ sets, comedy, exhibitions and special events—promising a standout celebration of indie, dance and alternative culture.

P.ublished 27th March 2026

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