Bradford has officially launched its tenure as the 2025 UK City of Culture, with a year-long programme of around 1,000 events aimed at showcasing the city's diverse communities and creative heritage. The accolade, awarded by the UK government, seeks to challenge longstanding stereotypes of the northern English city as a grim post-industrial town.
Once a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution, Bradford was known as the “wool capital of the world” and boasted more Rolls-Royces per head than anywhere else on Earth by the 1920s. Today, its Victorian and Gothic architecture remains a reminder of that grandeur, alongside sweeping Yorkshire moorlands. However, in recent decades the city has been better known as the “Curry Capital of Britain” due to its large South Asian community, and has often been cited as the least sunny place in the country.
Bradford’s creative pedigree helped secure the title. It is the birthplace of artist David Hockney, composer Frederick Delius, playwright JB Priestley and Oscar-winning screenwriter Simon Beaufoy. The city was also named the world’s first UNESCO City of Film in 2009, and the Brontë sisters’ home in nearby Haworth attracts literary pilgrims. A branch of Waterstones housed in the former Wool Exchange has been described as “Britain’s most beautiful bookshop”.
The City of Culture programme, developed in consultation with local communities, includes events celebrating Bradford’s many traditions. “We wanted to ensure Bradford’s communities have ownership of the programme and are represented within it,” said creative director Shanaz Gulzar. Highlights include a show called RIDE! spotlighting Roma music, an exhibition on Polish and Ukrainian residents, and a touring venue called The Beacon that will pop up in parks across the district.
Bradford was also named one of BBC Travel’s 25 best places to visit in 2025. City officials hope the year will reshape perceptions, moving beyond its boom-and-bust past to highlight a vibrant, inclusive cultural scene. “We hope the City of Culture programme will change people’s perceptions,” said Lisa Brankin of Visit Bradford.
