About

The UK’s biggest poetry and performance festival for new writing is coming to Bradford for the first time.

Contains Strong Language is the BBC’s annual celebration of poetry, performance and spoken word – and this year, it’s coming to Bradford for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.

There’ll be four days of performances, readings, events and activities at venues across the city, and a host of BBC radio programmes will be recorded or broadcast live from Bradford – including The Verb, BBC Radio 4’s ‘cabaret of the word’.

Thursday 18 September

• 16:30–17:45 National Young Poet Laureate Launch Celebrating emerging poetic voices. St. George's Hall. (By Invite only).

• 17:00-17:45 – The Archers Podcast Recording Behind-the-scenes with Emma Freud and cast. St. George's Hall. Free, Ticket Required.

• 19:00-21:00 – Bradford Open Mic Night Local artists take the stage. City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 19:00-20:00 – BBC Radio 4 Front Row Live Joint presenter Nick Ahad for an edition of Radio 4’s flagship arts programme. St George’s Hall Free, Ticket Required.

Friday 19 September

• 11:00-12:00 – Start the Week (BBC Radio 4) Tom Sutcliffe explores Bradford’s poetic legacy. St George’s Hall, Free, Ticket Required.

• 12:15-13:15 – BBC Writers: who we are and what we do Career insights from BBC writers. City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 13:00-14:30 – BBC Radio Club Youth performances from Keighley schools. St George's Hall, Free, Ticket Required.

• 14:00-14:45  – CSL Poetry Shorts: Mind & Body Can poetry be a tool for healing both mind and body? City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 14:00-16:00 - Language is a Queer Thing: Workshop by Parth Rahatekar - Explore the emotional engine of your writing. City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 15:00-15:45 - CSL Poetry Shorts: Poetic Justice What is poetry’s role in social action movements, both historically and present day? City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 16:00-16:45 - CSL Poetry Shorts: Music & Lyrics Explore the blurred lines between lyrics and spoken word, musicality and metre. City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 17:00-18:00 – Laurel Prize Announcement Honouring nature poetry. City Hall: Banqueting Suite.

• 19:00 -20:00 – BBC Radio 4 The Adverb Testament presents - Poets reflect and perform. St George's Hall, Free, Ticket Required.

• 19:00-21:00 – Sisterverse Poetry Night Space for women and marginalised voices. City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 20:30-22:30 – Antony Szmierek Spoken-word artist and musician. St George's Hall, £17.50, Book Tickets.

Saturday 20 September

• 10:00-16:00 – Make Yourself at Home: Family Poetry Family photographs celebrating Bradford’s communities. Impressions Gallery.

• 10:00-12:00 – Laurel Prize Workshop: Reading the Finalists Nature and climate poetry from this year’s finalists. City Library | £25 Book tickets.

• 10:30-11:15 – CSL Poetry Shorts: Power of the Women of Bradford Vibrant poetry by Bradford’s women past and present. City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 12:00-13:30 – CSL Poetry Gala: Part I Core CSL poets unite on stage for the first time. St George's Hall, Free, Ticket Required.

• 12:30 -13:30 – Sustainability Panel: The Present Exploring poetry’s role in connecting us with nature. City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 13:00-15:00 – Book of Bradford Launch Comma Press presents a new cultural anthology. Loading Bay, Free, Ticket Required.

• 14:00-14:45 – PLOT17 Performance Hip-hop eco block party for ages 7+. City Park, Free, No ticket required.

• 14:30-16:00 - The Verb Ian McMillan’s cabaret of the word welcomes guests Imtiaz Dharker, Keiron Higgins and Nabeela Ahmed. St. George's Hall, Free, Ticket Required.

• 14:00-16:00 – Laurel Prize Workshop: Ecopoetry’s Cutting Edge Daljit Nagra explores contemporary ecological poetry. City Library, £25, Ticket Required.

• 14:15-15:00 - CSL Poetry Shorts: Migration and Belonging The story of Bradford, like so much of the UK, is the story of migration. City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 15:30-16:15 - CSL Poetry Shorts: Words in the Wild Explore the powerful connection between nature-connectedness, poems and wellbeing. City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 16:15-17:30 - BBC Introducing Panel Come and get involved in the BBC's platform for emerging talent, meet fellow artists and get advice on submitting your own music. Loading Bay, Free, Ticked Required.

• 17:30-18:30 – Word Out Sharing Event Celebrating creativity, individuality, and pride. City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 18:00-19:00 – BBC Radio 4 Loose Ends with Edith Bowman Comedy, music, and lively conversation. St George’s Hall, Free, Ticket Required.

• 19:00-21:00 – An Evening with the Beehive Poets: Poetry Playground Playful readings with Bradford’s poetry collective. City Library, Free, No Ticket Required.

Sunday 21 September

• 10:00-16:00 - Bards of Bradford Installation (Doodlewall) Discover the people's poetry of Bradford and add your own Doodles! The Broadway Bradford.

• 10:00-11:30 - Peregrinations: Urban Nature Poetry Walk Explore the heart of Bradford from an unusual new perspective with poet Antony Dunn. Meet Outside Bradford City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 10:00-10:45 - Yoga & Poetry Workshop Join poet and yoga teacher Emma Conally-Barklem for a Sunday morning stretch Ages: 14+. City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 10:30-11:45 - BBC Radio 4 Beyond Belief Giles Fraser Explore the place and shape of faith in today's world. St George's Hall, Free, Ticket Required.

• 11:00-12:00 - Sustainability Panel: Shadows and Light We live in a time in a time of great loss and great possibility. How can poetry help us balance the two? City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 12:15-13:45 - CSL Poetry Gala: Part II 10 of the Core Poets The second part of our very special events with the Core CSL Poets on the same bill for the first time. St. George's Hall, Free, Ticket Required.

• 12:30-13:30 - Sustainability Panel: Future How do we want to live with nature in the future - and can a poem help us to get there? City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 12:30 - 14:00 - Language is a Queer Thing Showcase Six queer poets from India and the UK take to the stage to explore how language can be reclaimed, refashioned, and made bigger, to hold queer lives and longings.  Loading Bay, Free, Ticket Required.

• 14:15-15:30 - Forward Prize Launch Celebrating the 2025 Forward Book of Poetry with readings from Rommi Smith, J. R. Carpenter, Griot Gabriel and Isabelle Baafi. St George's Hall, Free, No Ticket Required.

• 14:15-15:00 - CSL Poetry Shorts: Mills & Hills Emma Conally-Barklem, Testament, Saju Ahmed, Emily Zobel Marshall and Antony Dunn read work shaped by the North’s bricks and becks. City Library, Free, Ticket Required.

• 15:30-17:30 - Listen In: Nick Ahad An exclusive chance to hear the Radio 4 comedy drama Blue Envelopes by Nick Ahad, presenter for BBC Radio Leeds and Radio 4’s Front Row followed by a Q&A. Loading Bay, Free, Ticket Required.

• 15:30 - 16:15 - CSL Poetry Shorts: Love in the 21st Century How do I love thee, let me 'swipe right' the ways? City Library, Free, Ticket Required. 

• 16:00-17:15 - Words First Showcase Celebrate the most talented emerging poets and spoken word artists from across the UK. St George's Hall, Free, Ticket Required. 

• 18:00-19:30 - Alfred Bradley Bursary Award (ABBA) Hear extracts from the scripts shortlisted for this year's Alfred Bradley Bursary Award for radio drama and discover who has won the coveted prize. St George's Hall, Free, Ticket Required. 

Saturday & Sunday 

• 10:00-16:00 – National Literacy Trust Stories Bus Storytelling and reading space for children and families. City Park | Free

• 10:00-16:00 - Public Art on City Park Creativity hits the pavement in Bradford! Join in and put your mark on City Park.

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Partners: BBC Contains Strong Language 2025 is a partnership between the BBC, Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture Trust and Word Up North. It is supported by Arts Council England.

Lead image: © BBC

>> Explore more events in the UK City of Culture as part of the #Bradford2025 celebration.