Local news

Ilkley local heroes are in the spotlight this month as a new campaign goes live to celebrate the people and organisations who give back to their community, with the chance to win a share of £1,500 in Ilkley Gift Cards.

Addingham Allotments & Gardens Association has partnered with the village Primary School once again this year to host PUMPKINFEST.

The Clarke Foley Community Hub has announced its inaugural Autumn Food & Drink Festival sponsored by The Ilkley Cow, bringing together a delectable array of local vendors and artisans for a celebration of food, drink, and community.

Ilkley Preschool, Ilkley’s longest standing provider of early years education since 1968, has relocated to new premises at Ilkley Cricket Club on Middleton Avenue.

Ilkley Cricket Club is marking 175 years of cricketing history with a spectacular Gala Ball on Friday 28 November 2025 at the Craiglands Hotel in Ilkley.

Local businesses gathered at The Craiglands Hotel last night, Wednesday 8th October, for the highly anticipated launch of the Ilkley Business Awards 2026.

Ilkley Manor House will host a new exhibition this November that spotlights the intimacy and resonance of textile art. 

One of the district’s most “precious heritage assets” will soon undergo major repairs to help secure its future.

Addingham Scouts, the team that ran the Ilkley Scare Trail from 2015 to 2020, and now run the massively successful Leeds Scare Trails are returning to Ilkley this year with The Ilkley Pumpkin Trail!

Rainfall from Storm Amy, which hit parts of Yorkshire over the weekend, resulted in a further boost to the region’s reservoir levels – meaning they have now increased for four weeks in a row.  

The Ilkley Pool and Lido Community Group has launched its 2026 fundraising calendar helping to ensure the future of this great community asset.

Ilkley Town Council has expressed strong objection to the decision of Bradford Council’s Executive Committee regarding proposed parking changes in Ilkley — including the limited compromise to retain approximately 160 one-hour free parking spaces near the town centre.

Ilkley Grammar School [IGS] brings its popular musical showcase back to the King’s Hall on Friday 7th November 2025, presenting an evening of diverse performances by talented students.

Outside the Box (OTB) joined the UK’s biggest poetry and performance festival recently hosted by the BBC in Bradford as part of the 2025 City of Culture celebrations.

‘Iconic Ilkley’ has launched this week, a new campaign showcasing the town’s breathtaking landscapes and creative community through high fashion, art, and sustainability, aimed at redefining Ilkley’s image and attracting a new, younger audience.

Ilkley Literature Festival continues as this week and highlights include Alan Davies, Mary Portas, and Simon Armitage.

Dame Jilly Cooper DBE, who grew up in Ilkley, has died at the age of 88. The much-loved author passed away Sunday morning after a fall, her publisher has confirmed.

Ilkley Musical Theatre Society [IMTS] has announced exciting things are happening within the group, a brand-new President, Gary Holmes – El Presidente, a new full committee and an influx of new members - the society is buzzing with creativity and energy.

Ben Rhydding based, Bramhope Beauty Clinic, has announced it will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most spray tans applied in 3 minutes on 26th October to raise awareness of skin health.

Ilkley & District Round Table is inviting community groups, charities, and local organisations across the area to apply for one-off grants to support their work.

The Friends of Ashlands Primary School have announced that Ilkley’s much-loved Bonfire & Fireworks Spectacular will return on Saturday 8 November 2025, taking place in the grounds of the school on Leeds Road.

Returning to the Clarke Foley Community Hub in Ilkley on Saturday October 11th is an unusual exhibition designed to appeal to all those with an interest in the pre-digital age.

Ilkley resident and property professional, Paul Wilson, will cycle the entire 127-mile length of the Leeds Liverpool Canal next Thursday [9 October] for The Principle Trust Children’s Charity.

Met Office Yellow warnings have been issued as Storm Amy will bring very strong winds and heavy rain to the Ilkley area over the next few days.

A Burley-in-Wharfedale nutritionist is celebrating five years in practice this October, after turning her own health struggles into a new career.

Ilkley Town Council has announced the return of the popular lantern parade as part of its annual Christmas Lights Switch On event, taking place on Saturday 22nd November 2025.

The Penny Bun in Askwith near Ilkley is one of the 20 cosiest pubs for autumn according to The Times newspaper.

Free one-hour parking will be scrapped on all but three streets in Ilkley as Bradford Council's Executive committee approve 'amended' parking plans.

Steel City Media and Humble Bikes are bringing back 'Bike Night' to Burley-in-Wharfedale on 25 October, in partnership with the Burley In Wharfedale Community Trust. 

Last call for £2 tickets! Northern's Flash Sale ends today - including routes to and from Ilkley.

The comment from an Addingham Moorside resident as she shines a light on the Community Day Services at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice – a team dedicated to helping people with life-limiting conditions to live well every day. 

Stagefright Comedy return to Ilkley Playhouse in November, Caroline Mutton takes a look ahead at the line-up and what else is coming soon for Your Ilkley.

St Margaret’s Church in Ilkley is inviting local community groups, charities, and schools to take part in the much-anticipated Ilkley Christmas Tree Festival 2025.

The Ilkley Beer Festival will return on Friday 13th and Saturday 14th February 2026, bringing two packed days of great beer, cider, gin, food, music, and entertainment to the King’s Hall and Winter Garden.

Ilkley Literature Festival opens this Friday 3 October with Nick Clegg and his latest book, How to Save the Internet.

Run Bolton Abbey 2025 is set to return this autumn.

Northern has launched a Flash Sale with three million tickets for journeys across the North of England available from just £2.

After 6 years since the initial idea and two years fundraising by the Burley-in-Wharfedale Community Trust and Parish Council, it been announced that a top quality pump and balance bike track will start construction early in 2026.

Ilkley District Councillor Andrew Loy has commented after Bradford Council announced last week that it had “listened to residents’ concerns” about parking proposals which include removing the 1-hour free street parking, and has offered an alternative.

Friends of Ilkley Riverside Parks have planted a memorial tree to honour the memory of their much-loved volunteer, Paul Timson.

The Addingham Beer Festival returns for its 13th year at Addingham Memorial Hall this weekend, Friday 3rd and 4th October 2025.

The Inspiring Ilkley textile exhibition is on display at Ilkley Manor House, celebrating Bradford UK City of Culture 2025.

Ilkley Grammar School is to hold an open day and evening on Wednesday, 1st October.

Ilkley MP Robbie Moore has visited Addingham Moorside to celebrate the latest round of tree planting delivered by the White Rose Forest, part of England’s Community Forests network.

A section of the main path at Strid Woods on the Bolton Abbey estate will be shut for two days next week while a number of trees are removed.

Bradford Council says it has listened to residents’ concerns about parking proposals for Ilkley and is offering an alternative.

On Saturday 27th September from 12 noon, Ilkley's Strongman, Mark Kelly, will take part in a 30 tonne charity truck pull for Andy's Man Club.

If you’ve ever stepped into Clarke Foley Community Hub in Ilkley, you’ll know it’s more than just a building. It’s a place where friendships are made over cups of tea, where people find companionship, and where groups come together to learn, laugh, and share.  

Two of Leeds United’s most celebrated figures, Gordon Strachan and Gary McAllister, will take the stage at Ilkley’s King’s Hall on Wednesday 25 February 2026 for an evening of memories, insight and fan interaction.

The event ‘Be The Leader in Your Own Field’, hosted by Anisa Lewis of Positive Parenting, Cecilia Costello Photography, the Inspire and Connect Network, is headlined by Lisa Bean.

Dog owners are being reminded to keep their pets under control in Middleton Woods, on Ilkley Moor and across all of Bradford District’s National Nature Reserve and Local Nature Reserve sites.

Reservoirs in Yorkshire saw the largest weekly rise in over 30 years.

Right at Home Ilkley, Keighley & Skipton is celebrating a remarkable double success after winning two major accolades at the prestigious Right at Home UK Annual Awards 2025, held at the luxurious Mottram Hall in Cheshire.

Ilkley Philharmonic Orchestra has announced its 2025/26 concert season starting on 2nd November at All Saints Church with an afternoon concert featuring the very best moments from the world of opera.

Ilkley Manor House will host a special coffee morning on Friday 26 September from 10:15 am to 12:00 pm, welcoming visitors to hear Caitlin Greenwood, Heritage Development Officer at The Folly in Settle.

Ilkley Literature Festival welcomes journalists, authors, and politicians to the festival, which runs from 3 to 19 October, for its 2025 strand: Talking Politics.

Caroline Mutton looks ahead to Ilkley Playhouse's second fringe production of the season '8x8x8' and many more events coming to the Ilkley's much loved venue this autumn.

Weekend DalesBus services into the Yorkshire Dales will continue a full summer timetable until 19th October, with the not-for-profit company searching for more volunteers.

Local schools, including Ilkley Grammar School, have contacted parents warning of a fraudulent ParentPay app.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) is celebrating reaching £1 million in donations and is calling on supporters to take on the "Recycle 25 in 25" challenge.

Crimestoppers, the independent charity, has announced a national campaign tackling the key risks students confront on and off campus.

Climate Action Ilkley and other local organisations involved with addressing the climate emergency met Ilkley's MP Robbie Moore last week to urge him to support making the Climate and Nature Bill law.

Workers at Airedale Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have been talking about why they feel valued by their employer as part of National Inclusion Week.

Ilkley residents are being encouraged to step up their recycling efforts this week for the 2025 Rescue Me! Recycle Week campaign

Audiences can enjoy a rare opportunity to experience music and art in harmony on Saturday 4 October at 4pm, when the acclaimed Pinsuti Chamber Choir will perform a free concert at Ben Rhydding Methodist Church.

The long-established Ilkley Flower Show made a triumphant return to All Saints Church on Saturday, drawing a steady stream of visitors and lively community participation for the first event since 2018.

The Joyful Deli in Addingham is reopening its indoor space today, less than four months after a devastating fire which destroyed a large part of the building.

Silsden Town Hall has announced details of its festive programme for December, including a production of Cinderella and the return of some Christmas favourites.

Yorkshire Water will start essential improvement works on Bridge Lane, Ilkley, from Monday, 22 September, until late February 2026.