Ilkley will be celebrating Yorkshire Day 2025 in style, with a whole weekend of events and activities for the whole family.
Held on 1st August every year and led by The Yorkshire Society, Yorkshire Day celebrates the county’s heritage, history, landscape, culture, and its people.
First celebrated in 1975 by the Yorkshire Ridings Society, it became an official event in 1985, and since then, a different town or city is chosen every year as official hosts of the event.
This year, thanks to the Ilkley Business Improvement District (BID) and Bradford Council, Ilkley has the honour of co-hosting the official Yorkshire Day civic celebration, the centrepiece of Yorkshire Day, alongside Bradford, the UK City of Culture 2025.
Philip Bell, Chief Executive of The Yorkshire Society, said:
"The Yorkshire Society was delighted when Bradford and Ilkley asked to host our Yorkshire Day civic celebration for 2025 and to see it feature so prominently in Bradford's year of culture makes us, and the whole Yorkshire proud".
The activities will run from Friday 1st August to Sunday 3rd August with three fun-packed days of live music, food, drink, family fun, poetry, drama and lots of civic pride.
A dedicated project team, consisting of Ilkley Town Council, Bradford Council, Ilkley BID and volunteers from local businesses and organisations, has been working to create this weekend of celebrations that will capture the essence of the community and celebrate everything that makes Yorkshire such a special place.
Speaking ahead of the event, Ilkley Mayor Cllr Jane Gibson, said:
“We’re delighted to be co-hosting Yorkshire Day in Ilkley, and we look forward to showing the best of our beautiful town to those visiting us from right across Yorkshire. Ilkley, recently named as the Sunday Times Best Place to Live in the North and North East 2025, has a wealth of attractions from the iconic Cow and Calf rocks and famous Ilkley Moor to the wonderful riverside green spaces, as well as many historical attractions, including Ilkley Manor House.
“We’re incredibly proud to host this joint event with Bradford which will shine a spotlight on Ilkley, our county and the true diversity of the Bradford district.”
On Friday 1st August, the civic celebration will follow the traditional format of events, including a multi-faith thanksgiving service, a procession along The Grove featuring invited dignitaries and guests and a civic lunch and reception.
[170 mayors, town criers and dignitaries will parade along The Grove on 1st August Photo: Stephen Garnett]
Spectators will be able to join in with a rousing rendition of Ilkley’s famous anthem, ‘On Ilkla Moor Baht’at’’ which is sung every Yorkshire Day following the Yorkshire Day Proclamation by Ilkley’s Town Crier, Isabel Ashman.
On Saturday 2nd August, The Grove will be closed for traffic and there will be an eclectic programme of drama, dance, poetry and music with local artists performing throughout the day, culminating in a headline act by a popular Yorkshire band well known for their up-tempo performances.
A Yorkshire Day Market organised by Real Markets Ilkley, will focus on Yorkshire based traders and include demonstrations and activities in the centre of town.
Family Activities will take place at the Riverside Park.
The Clarke Foley Community Hub will host a Yorkshire Beer Festival on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd August showcasing local breweries based within Yorkshire.
There will be an evening session from 5-9pm on both days and a family friendly session on the Saturday from 1-4pm. Tickets for all sessions are available to buy at https://yorkshirebeerfestival.eventbrite.co.uk.
On Sunday 3rd August, the Yorkshire Real Markets will be offering local and speciality food produce, drinks, crafts, artwork, homeware and more.
Sarah Brookfield-Almond, Manager of Ilkley BID, is looking forward to the weekend and said:
“We’re looking forward to our Yorkshire Day celebrations and we’re sure it’s going to be a weekend to remember for local residents and visitors to the town.
The spectacle of 170 mayors, town criers and dignitaries parading down The Grove on 1st August will be a particular highlight for me.
This celebration weekend is a culmination of over three years of planning and preparations and we’re so excited to be able to share now the details with the community. All the event details and timings can be found on our Discover Ilkley website, so please save the date.”
Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport said;
“As Bradford is the UK City of Culture 2025, it is the perfect time for us to host this year’s official Yorkshire Day civic event and it’s been fantastic working with Ilkley BID and other partners to make it happen across Bradford & Ilkley. It will the third time that Bradford as a district has hosted the celebration, but the first time for Ilkley, home of the unofficial Yorkshire anthem, ‘On Ilkla Moor Baht ‘at'.
“There are loads of events being planned across the weekend and 2025 is certainly proving to be the year that people recognise the heritage, culture and hospitality of the Bradford district, as well as its warmth and community spirit.”
For all the details of the celebration weekend, visit www.discoverilkley.co.uk.
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