Newsletter: Friday 7th November 2025

Welcome to Yorkshire

Inspiration • November 7th, 2025

The nights may be darker, but Yorkshire has never looked brighter.

This week, Yorkshire is alive with things to see and do — from Hockney’s art illuminating the Bradford sky to candlelit concerts in York and festive teas in the Dales. Bonfires crackle, lights switch on, and winter markets begin to sparkle into life. This is the season to experience the county at its most atmospheric:

The Hawthorn in Haworth has been named the second best place in the UK for a Sunday roast by Enjoy Travel, with York’s Impossible Restaurant & Wonderbar and The Royal Oak in Great Ayton also making the top 20 — showcasing Yorkshire’s unrivalled roast dinner credentials.

Celebrity chef James Martin has revealed his secret to perfect Yorkshire puddings — using eight eggs and beef dripping for extra lift, flavour, and a soft, tall rise — with his simple overnight batter method promising golden success for any Sunday roast.

Soanes Poultry, a family-run business from Middleton-on-the-Wolds, has won Best Sustainable Product at the Deliciously Yorkshire Taste Awards 2025 for its Higher Welfare Chicken, also earning a Highly Commended for its Grain Fed Whole Chicken — celebrating nearly 80 years of ethical, high-quality Yorkshire farming.

The York Board Games Convention 2025 drew record crowds at St Peter’s School, with hundreds of games to try, family-friendly activities, and inclusive spaces — making it a huge hit for gamers of all ages and securing its spot as one of the UK’s most welcoming gaming events.

Eighty-three-year-old great-grandmother and Rotary Club of Ripon President Alys Allardyce conquered her fear of heights by completing a 60mph zipline challenge in North Wales, raising over £2,000 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance — the charity that once came to her aid.

Chopstix opens at Frenchgate Shopping Centre, Doncaster on Monday 10 November 2025, celebrating with 1,000 free spring rolls and free noodle boxes for the first 100 customers, marking the brand’s latest Yorkshire launch and creating 20 new local jobs.

Candice Brathwaite, the Sunday Times bestselling author of Manifesto, brings her empowering ‘in conversation’ event to the Leeds Playhouse on 11 November 2025, offering an inspiring evening of discussion, audience Q&A, and book signing as part of the Rooted programme celebrating Black arts and culture.

Yorkshire performance company Northern Rascals bring their powerful mental-health-focused show Sunny Side to Bradford’s Kala Sangam on 12 November 2025, blending dance, theatre, and spoken word to spark vital conversations about youth anxiety and male vulnerability.

Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture will light up the skies above Saltaire on Friday 14 November 2025 with Painting the Sky — a free David Hockney drone show featuring 600 choreographed drones recreating the artist’s most iconic works in a breathtaking celebration of Yorkshire art, technology, and imagination.

The Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes has launched a Festive Cheesy Afternoon Tea running from 17 November 2025 to 4 January 2026, featuring seasonal Yorkshire-inspired dishes, local cheeses, and a special Gromit’s Afternoon Tea for kids — the perfect Christmas treat for cheese lovers in the Dales.

Physicist-turned-magician Kevin Quantum brings his electrifying show Unbelievable Magic for Non-Believers to Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre on 18 November 2025, combining real science, high-voltage stunts, and jaw-dropping illusions in a one-night-only performance.

Bradford Cathedral will host Re:Imagine Global Peace on Friday 21 November 2025, a thought-provoking evening of dialogue led by David Porter, Kersten England CBE, and Canon Ned Lunn, inviting audiences to explore new ideas about peace, reconciliation, and community in a changing world.

The Bradford district is bursting with autumn and Christmas events this year — from the BD:is LIT light festival to festive markets, cultural exhibitions, and performances like We Are Still ASAFO — making it a brilliant time to explore the city’s creativity and community spirit.

A new MGM+ series starring Sean Bean as the Sheriff of Nottingham has reignited interest in the legend of Robin Hood, with historians suggesting Yorkshire’s own Robert of Wetherby may have been the real-life inspiration behind England’s most famous outlaw.

Demolition has begun at the former Kellingley Club site in Knottingley, marking the start of a £6 million Wakefield Council regeneration project to create a brand-new community and sports facility set to open in early 2026.

A proposed £40 million investment by Active North Yorkshire aims to transform leisure centres in Selby, Skipton, Pickering, and Whitby, upgrading gyms, pools, and community spaces to boost health, wellbeing, and access to fitness across the county.

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Yorkshire Choice Awards, giving the public until early December to celebrate local heroes, inspiring individuals, community champions, and businesses.

This Christmas, the Candlelight Concerts series brings festive magic to Leeds City Museum and York’s National Centre for Early Music, where live string quartets perform Christmas classics and film favourites by the warm glow of thousands of candles.

Elf The Musical returns to Wakefield’s Unity Hall from 2–7 December 2025, as Diva Productions brings back the hit festive show with original star Michael Markey as Buddy the Elf — promising even more sparkle, laughter, and Christmas cheer for all the family.

The hit Irish concert A Fairytale for Christmas returns for 2025 with its biggest tour yet — bringing festive music, dance, and Irish cheer to Scarborough Spa, York Grand Opera House, Hull City Hall, Doncaster’s Cast Theatre, and Bradford’s St George’s Hall this November and December.

Burton Constable Hall in East Yorkshire will host a year-long series of nine rotating exhibitions by East Riding Artists from February 2026 to January 2027, transforming its Stables Gallery into a vibrant showcase of local creativity.

Scottish favourites Deacon Blue will headline huge outdoor shows at The Piece Hall and Scarborough Open Air Theatre, joined by indie-pop legends Lightning Seeds, as part of the TK Maxx presents summer concert series celebrating 40 years of hits.

Leeds Millennium Square will host a huge Sound of the City 2026 weekend featuring Yorkshire music legends — with The Human League and ABC headlining a massive 1980s party on Friday 10 July, followed by The Cribs bringing indie anthems to the square on Saturday 11 July.

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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: