9 fun festivals in Bradford in 2015

With it’s gorgeous grand venues – often playing host to comedians and musicians – Bradford is a natural choice for a place to entertain thousands at festivals throughout the year.

Bradford Literature Festival – 15^th-24^th May (Events are individually priced)

Featuring over 150 events in all, Bradford Lit Fest includes many talks by a variety of authors and artists. There will also be various workshops for budding writers, new writers and even kids too. All event venues are in Bradford City Centre, and most are easily accessible and not far from the train stations, so they’ll be easy for all to attend.

http://www.bradfordliteraturefestival.co.uk/

Threadfest – 22^nd-24^th May (Weekend ticket is £27)

Threadfest is a festival of independent music and art, spread over 3 days and all taking place in one location: The Bradford Playhouse. A great way to discover new music and artists, and very reasonably priced!

http://bradfordthreadfest.com/

Bradford Festival – 12^th-14^th June (entry is FREE)

This year’s line-up hasn’t been announced yet but the aim of the festival is to bring together a great mix of local, British and International music, arts, dance and street theatre. Great for families to attend, there will be workshops and activities for the kids, alongside a brilliant variety of food and drink for all the Mums and Dads!

http://www.bradfordfestival.org.uk/

Infest – 28^th-30^th August (Weekend ticket is £60, plus BF)

This is a specialist music festival, with a focus on electronic music in it’s many forms. This year sees Infest host bands such as Chant and Melotron. This festival is indoors at Bradford University’s Union, and you can stay overnight if you wish to, in the halls of residence, for just £20 pppn.

http://www.infestuk.com/

Bingley Music Live – 4^th-6^th September (Adult weekend ticket £49 & Child weekend ticket £34)

This outdoor music fest seems to get bigger and better every year. James will be headlining this year, but we will have to wait for further announcements on the rest of the acts! There’s no onsite camping for this festival, however you could camp nearby if you wanted to (and booked early enough!)

http://www.bingleymusiclive.com/

World Curry Festival – 12th-13th September (entry is FREE)

2 days of curry – what’s not to love?! Now in its sixth year in Bradford, the World Curry Festival is much more than just a few stalls with some curry dishes for sale; it is live cooking demonstrations, it is live music, it is poetry, it is street food, it is pop-up restaurants… it is a true cultural celebration of the nation’s favourite food. See you there!

http://www.worldcurryfestival.com/festival/

Saltaire Festival – 12^th-20^th September (Events are individually priced)

This is a vibrant village festival that involves a bit of everything; food, drink, a beer fest, music, stalls, singing, dancing and cooking. Plus more! My favourite part of last year’s festival was the pop-up events hosted inside real village houses, such as an art gallery in one house and a pub in another!

http://www.saltairefestival.co.uk/

The Shuttle Shuffle Music Festival – 4^th-5^th October (Early bird adult weekend tickets are £15. See website for full ticket price info)

This is a music and arts festival run in aid of a local CIC (Community Interest Company) called Piece Project. It’s an entirely indoor festival, which showcases local talent in the audible and visual arts. There will be stalls too to raise money; selling posters, t-shirts and many other bits and bobs.

http://www.theshuttleshufflefestival.co.uk/

Bradford Animation Festival – November – dates to be confirmed (Events are individually priced)

If you love animation, work in the animation industry, or wish to work in the animation industry, then this festival is for you! Full of workshops, talks, awards presentations, special film screenings, and much more. There are some kid-friendly events too, so the whole family are catered for.

http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/bradfordanimationfestival