Welcome to Yorkshire
Published on November 14th, 2025
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Yorkshire is stepping into the festive season with a burst of creativity, culture and community spirit, from brand-new theatre and major awards to immersive events and magical winter days out. The county is alive with stories, celebrations and seasonal surprises waiting to be explored:
Two leading Yorkshire theatre companies are teaming up to tour two brand-new festive shows—one for adults and one for families— in Leeds, Wakefield, Huddersfield and more this winter.
The Ivors Classical Awards delivered big wins for contemporary composers, including a standout moment for Yorkshire’s own Helen Grime, who took home her second Ivor Novello Award.
Bradford 2025 is bringing the secret 1980s South Asian “Daytimer” parties to life with Built by Sound — a major new mixed-reality experience running 21 November to 14 December that immerses visitors.
Club Doncaster Foundation has launched its biggest ever “Pass the Parcel” Christmas present drive, inviting people to donate gifts, food and essentials by 11 December.
The luxury Northern Belle train is making festive departures from Hull, Sheffield and York this winter, offering passengers a lavish 1930s-style journey to the Edinburgh Christmas markets.
York’s Mystery Plays return in 2026 with a major community festival, featuring waggon-borne medieval plays, sunset performances and a brand-new two-week fringe.
Garbage and Skunk Anansie are teaming up for a huge joint headline tour next summer, with two major Yorkshire dates at Halifax’s Piece Hall on 16 June and Scarborough Open Air Theatre on 20 June.
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Yorkshire's Winter Wonderland Now Open for 20th Season!
York’s favourite festive event is celebrating its 20th anniversary! Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland, with its glistening outdoor ice rink, thrilling funfair, magical Santa’s Grotto and cosy alpine café, is now open at York Designer Outlet, offering a fun-filled winter experience for all ages until Sunday 4th January.
With a 30ft high sparkling Christmas tree as its centrepiece, the ice rink is the largest in the North of England, and is surrounded by colourful illuminated trees, the rink-side café and a viewing platform, creating the perfect festive setting.
The funfair has something for everyone – a Waltzer and Twister for the thrill-seekers, vintage Dodgems for all the family, four children’s rides - Jets, Train, Muffin the Mule and Toy Set - as well as game stalls offering a prize every time.
Enjoy some winter-warming food and festive drinks in the Chalet après-skate café or the outdoor German Grill before following the snowy woodland walk and glittering light tunnel to Santa’s Grotto where a warm welcome and special gift awaits.
And York Designer Outlet is the perfect place to tackle your Christmas shopping!
Booking Information
Tickets for a 45-minute skating session are priced at £15.95 for adults and £14.95 for children and concessions. Family packages are available for families of three, four or five. Tickets for parents and toddlers aged 4 and under are priced at £15.95 from Monday to Friday during term time. Special packages are also available for parties, schools, clubs and youth groups, with discounts applying to groups of 20 or more. Autism/quiet skating sessions are on Tuesdays at 10.15am until 16th December, in line with York Designer Outlet’s Autism Friendly Hours.
Booking is recommended for the ice rink, either through www.yorkshireswinterwonderland.com or directly at www.ticketsource.co.uk/theicefactor. Online booking fee applies. Tickets can also be purchased on site, subject to availability. Penguin and Snowman skating aids can be hired on site for £5; pre-booking is not available.
Santa returns to his Grotto this year and reservations can be made at www.yorkshireswinterwonderland.com or directly at www.bookfatherchristmas.co.uk/York. Tickets are priced at £7 per child with £1.50 family booking fee. A reservation is required to visit Santa but can be made on the day, subject to availability.
Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland is situated at the rear (South Entrance) of York Designer Outlet, which is located to the south of York at the intersection of the A64 and A19. Follow the yellow directional signs! There is ample free parking adjacent to the event. The No.7 Park and Ride bus runs regularly from York city centre to the Designer Outlet.
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Berghaus has launched its 2025 Black Friday sale, offering up to 50% off selected outdoor gear from 12–27 November — perfect for upgrading your kit before winter.
English Heritage is offering 20% off new Gift and Annual Memberships this November, giving great-value access to Yorkshire’s castles and monuments just in time for festive gifting.
What's on in Yorkshire this week?
Yorkshire is buzzing with an exciting line-up of events to suit all tastes. Whether you’re looking for live music, comedy, sports nostalgia, or family-friendly entertainment, there’s something for everyone. Here’s what’s coming up in the next week:
- Bob Dylan at Leeds First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds on November 14th, 2025 6:00pm
- Afternoon Jump Horse Racing at Wetherby Racecourse – Saturday 15 November 2025
- Baxter Dury at O2 Academy Leeds on November 16th, 2025 6:00pm
- Gareth Malone at Grand Opera House, York, on November 17th, 2025 6:30pm
- The Simon & Garfunkel Story at Sheffield City Hall Oval Hall on November 18th, 2025 7:30pm
- Two Pints Podcast Live: November Nonsense at Victoria Theatre, Halifax on November 19th, 2025 7:30pm
- Amanda Owen – The Yorkshire Shepherdess at Scarborough Spa Theatre on November 20th, 2025 7:30pm
- The Comedy Store – Ilkley at King’s Hall on November 21st, 2026 8:00pm
- BSA Whitby: Christmas Show Spectacular at Whitby Pavilion Theatre on November 22nd, 2025 7:15pm
- The Last Dinner Party at Bridlington Spa Centre on November 23rd, 2025 7:00pm
Heritage and history
Dr Emma Wells explores Yorkshire's history:
- Fort Gregory in Grassington, a small Iron Age defended enclosure in Grass Wood - an important prehistoric settlement site and now a protected scheduled monument in the Yorkshire Dales.
- Greygarth Monument in Dallowgill, tracing its origins as a Jubilee tower and earlier landscape marker, and highlighting its enduring role as a much-loved viewpoint on Nidderdale’s moorland.
- Swinner Gill’s long history of lead mining in Swaledale, tracing its rise from Roman-era workings to an 18th–19th-century industrial hub whose haunting ruins still mark the landscape today.
Meanwhile, York’s stonemasons are carrying out roof restoration at Bootham Bar — uncovering a 46-year-old hidden note and adding their own time capsule as they work to protect the city’s medieval walls
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