Places to visit in Bradford and West Yorkshire

Welcome to the UK City of Culture 2025! Bradford’s music, arts, dance and live performance scene will take centre stage all year round, with more than 1,000 free and low-cost events, festivals and shows. It will celebrate Bradford’s rich culture: from city streets filled with art and music, to contemporary spectacles at its heritage treasures and places of interest in Yorkshire. Prepare to be dazzled, entertained and surprised – and to see Bradford as never before…

Calling all movie lovers and telly addicts! The National Science and Media Museum explores how the media has transformed all of our lives, and delves into the nation’s best-loved shows, characters and innovations. It’s one of the most interactive attractions in West Yorkshire: try your talents on a mixing desk, play at being a radio DJ, get hands-on with animation and stop-motion – and much more. 

A city-centre hub for sizzling street food and local culture, Darley Street Market puts the best of Bradford on the menu. Its food stalls serve up everything from curries and noodles to proper pies, sarnies and seafood – alongside pop-up craft shops, free art exhibitions and live music. It’s buzzing at lunchtime, so grab a bite and enjoy the show. 

Celebrate the best of British-Asian cuisine by tucking into Bradford’s superb curry houses and restaurants – featuring Indian tandoori, Pakistani curries, Bangladeshi street food and much more. There’s a huge choice of restaurants throughout the city: the likes of MyLahore, Mumtaz Bradford and Karachi Restaurant are all open at lunchtime. Some of the tastiest places to visit in West Yorkshire!

Bradford’s old Wool Exchange, a magnificent gothic landmark, has been given a new lease of life as the home of its Waterstones bookshop. Discover its soaring vaulted ceilings, work-of-art windows, intricate sculptures – and best-selling books. You can cosy up in its reading nooks and admire the view from the balcony cafe, a real hidden gem.

When it reopens in 2025, Bradford Live is poised to become one of the finest entertainment venues in Yorkshire – hosting live music, comedy and hit shows amid art deco surroundings. It dates back to the 1930s but this landmark is now state-of-the-art. Their opening event, Yorkshire Calling, will celebrate all things Yorkshire with music provided by the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra. Don't miss this fitting cultural spectacular on Yorkshire Day (1st August 2025).

Immerse yourself in the world-famous art of David Hockney at Salts Mill, a restored Victorian mill that now serves as a gallery and cultural hotspot. Its independent shops showcase the region’s top designers and makers, while the artisan cafes serve sweet treats and frothy coffees. You can stock up on art materials, books and Hockney prints in the 1853 Gallery.

The cobbled streets of Otley are chock-full of craft shops, bakeries, antiques stores and award-winning delis – the perfect recipe for a morning of mooching. Three times a week, the market also rolls into town, stacked with farmers’ veg, fresh honey and local produce. For lunch, pop into Bloomfield Square, a cafe and print studio that serves house-made sandwiches, frittata and gingerbread amid quirky vintage curios and artworks. 

It’s a short drive to Ilkley, a former spa town in the Wharfe Valley – one of the most picturesque attractions in West Yorkshire. It’s a hotspot for eclectic shopping, featuring vintage emporiums, gourmet delis, indie bookshops and the Tinker Gallery, which showcases local artists’ work. There’s also a twice-weekly farmers’ market – and don’t leave without a bag of macarons from Betty’s Café Tea Rooms.

If the weather’s fine, do as the locals do and head for a dip at Ilkley Lido – a huge outdoor swimming pool surrounded by gardens. It’s a fantastic spot for picnics (or scoffing those macarons), and there are also tennis courts, a putting green and bowls area. One of the most refreshing places to visit in West Yorkshire.

Think of the ultimate glamping experience, all cosied up in a super-stylish log cabin – and then add a little extra. An in-room spa massage perhaps, or a gourmet dinner delivered right to your door? Faweather Grange, your recommended base for tonight, offers all of those things and much more – a rural retreat that’s also close to key attractions in West Yorkshire

Start the day with a leisurely stroll around Haworth, near Keighley, a charming village that was once home to the Brontë family. Their house has been transformed into the Brontë Parsonage Museum, which explores the sisters’ lives and their remarkable literary legacy – as well as hosting storytelling workshops, poetry readings and craft classes. While you’re in Haworth, don’t miss the Cabinet of Curiosities: it’s modelled on a traditional Victorian apothecary, packed with candles and toiletries. 

The town of Hebden Bridge has long been an artists’ and hippies’ haven, famous for its independent galleries, art studios and craft shops. Spend an hour hunting for one-off souvenirs before heading to The Wavy Steps for lunch (and maybe some live music) overlooking the river. Be warned: like all pretty towns in England, Hebden Bridge will have you lingering in the estate agents’ windows!

Fans of the hit TV series Gentleman Jack will recognise Shibden Hall instantly: as well as being home to the real-life Anne Lister in the 1700s, it was also used as a filming location for the BBC production. Follow the famous lesbian diarist’s footsteps through the elegant interiors, explore her beloved gardens, and discover the stories of the Lister family. For LGBTQ+ culture, this is one of the top places to visit in West Yorkshire. 

Praised by the Michelin Guide for its hearty and flavoursome dishes, the 17th-century Shibden Mill Inn is your dinner date for tonight – and it also has 11 stylish bedrooms. It’s just 2 miles from Shibden Hall, and serves an accomplished modern-British menu: think miso-glazed pork belly, basil gnocchi with black garlic, and pie of the day with mustard mash.