Ilkley community garden music festival back bigger and better

Monday, 1 July 2024 15:45

Ilkley’s Garden Music festival, Ilkley Live, returns on 12th and 13th July for its fourth year and it’s bigger than ever.

The number of acts has risen again and is now over 90 and the festival has expanded to cover two days to fit in all that music.

Music will fill the streets of Ilkley again as members of the community play and sing in gardens across town. The festival started in 2021 as a way to bring the community together after lock-down and was so popular that it has become an annual staple for the town.

The festival, which organisers believe to be the only one of its kind, is run by the community for community. Anyone can perform in their garden (or borrow one) and the program is published so that the public can walk from one garden to another to see music of their choice.

‘It has really taken off this year!’

says Festival Co-Director Dan Hammond

We have over 90 acts signed up which is a lot, even for a commercial festival. The festival is highly inclusive – anyone can play if they want to and the range of music has expanded too with everything from rock to Rachmaninoff so we hope to see an even bigger audience walking from place to place and soaking up the great atmosphere.

"The heart of the festival is the community. It is very much a do-it-yourself event. People have improvised stages, promoted their venues on social media, offered their gardens to performers and much more, it has been truly heartening!

"The festival is free to attend and performers play to benefit the community and to support our official charity, Outside The Box. Outside the Box runs a popular local café and brings a fresh approach to enabling adults and young people who have learning disabilities and other support needs to achieve more and have greater independence, choice and fulfilment in their lives. All commercial venues are generously donating to Ilkley Live and there will be a chance to for everyone to give on the day."