BD: Festival returns to Bradford City Centre

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. 

Produced by Bradford Council in collaboration with Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, the festival demonstrates the growing ambition set out in Culture is Our Plan, the district’s 10-year culture strategy. The fun-filled weekend will be a welcoming place for all, with a raft of world-class artists and free performances.

Headline moments include:

Zee and the City

Meet Zee, a fearless young girl from the heart of Bradford who’s mad about custom cars and buzzing bees. Zee’s got big dreams for the future – and on Saturday 26 July, this four-metre puppet invites you on a joyful journey through Bradford’s past, present and future as she looks to find a home for nature in the city.

Zee and the City is a high-energy celebration of youth, culture and community in one thrilling street adventure. Created especially for Bradford by Puppets with Guts, this blend of music, storytelling and awe-inspiring puppetry will wind its way through the city centre before reaching a grand finale in City Park.

Luke Jerram: A Good Yarn

Bradford’s textile heritage is the inspiration for A Good Yarn, an extraordinary new creation for Bradford 2025. It’s the brainchild of Luke Jerram, the artist behind Museum of the Moon and street piano project Play Me, I’m Yours, in partnership with Bradford’s Bloomin’ Buds – with a soundtrack from the Broken Orchestra and a helping hand from the people of Bradford.

A Good Yarn is a huge ball of yarn made from fabric and clothing donations across Bradford District. They will be plaited into a rope stretching more than a kilometre, and with the help of community groups in BD10, wound into a ginormous yarn ball, three metres high and wide – then rolling it through the streets of Bradford on 25 July.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “I am delighted that we are able to announce the dates for this year’s BD:Festival so that people can make a note in their diaries for what promises to be a fabulous few days of world class cultural experiences to celebrate our year as UK City of Culture. It’s going to be bigger and better than ever.

Families from all around the district and beyond had a great time at last year’s amazing BD: Festival and we look forward to once again welcoming everyone to the city centre to enjoy this two-day event.”

Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director at Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Bradford Council to present BD:Festival in 2025, which promises to be one of the key summer moments in our year of Culture. Its a chance for families and communities to get together and celebrate the summer, friendships, art and creativity, in playful and unexpected ways!

This year’s festival is set to be the biggest and the best yet, but also the first that will take advantage of the wonderful new city centre park and pedestrianisation.”

A full schedule of performances and activities will be announced in the coming weeks.