Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture

Richard Hawley, Asian Dub Foundation, Bassline DJs and brass bands are all part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture

Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture (Bradford 2025), is set to electrify audiences next year with a packed music programme, featuring a blend of world-class talent and local legends. Tickets for the first wave of performances, including must-see events like The Big Brass Blowout and Bassline Symphony will go on sale from Thursday 7 November.

Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture

“Bradford 2025 is all about showcasing the incredible diversity and culture of our district, and our programme really sets the tone for what’s to come. From legendary acts like Asian Dub Foundation and Richard Hawley to the homegrown energy of our bassline scene and brass bands, we’re celebrating Bradford’s rich heritage whilst pushing boundaries with new creative collaborations. Our year-long cultural celebration will be truly special, and we can’t wait for you to join us.”

La Haine – Live, 15 January 2025

St George’s Hall

Asian Dub Foundation make a welcome return to Bradford to reprise one of their most acclaimed projects – their powerful soundtrack to cult classic French thriller La Haine, performed live to a screening of the film for one night only.

La Haine (‘Hatred’) chronicles 24 hours in the lives of three friends from a poor suburb of Paris, where tensions are at breaking point following the death of a local man at the hands of the police. Directed by Mathieu Kassowitz, the film celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025 – and with Asian Dub Foundation on hand to provide a live soundtrack, it’s never sounded better. Tickets currently on sale.

The Big Brass Blowout: 11 – 13 April 2025

Venues around the Bradford district

The Big Brass Blowout brings together a variety of class brass acts for three glorious days and nights of music across Bradford District. From traditional tunes to afrobeat rhythms, much-loved classics to one-off collaborations, expect the unexpected as Bradford 2025 spotlights the power, versatility and all-round brilliance of the great British brass band.

Celebrating Bradford’s bass scene, Yorkshire’s own Richard Hawley will join the Black Dyke Band for a special performance (12 April), BD1 Brass will score acclaimed archive film Echoes of the North (11 April), and City of Bradford Brass Band will soundtrack family favourite Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers (12 April). There will be Afrobeat from KOKOROKO (13 April), as well as an array of free events and activity taking place at City Park across the weekend.

Bassline Symphony: 9 May 2025

St George’s Hall, Bridge Street, Bradford BD1 1JT

4×4 legends Jamie Duggan, DJ Q and TS7 join arranger Katie Chatburn and the Orchestra of Opera North to celebrate the sound of Bradford in this one-night-only spectacular, curated by Tanya Vital.

Bassline is among the most thrilling musical subcultures of the 21st century and Bradford is a hotbed of the electrifying style, but it’s never sounded quite like this – with the trademark crackling rhythms and pulsing low end supercharged by Opera North’s magnificent orchestra.

Alongside new symphonic versions of classic cuts from our trio of headliners, a galaxy of guest vocalists and DJs will be bringing tunes both new and old to a special showcase set.

More music to come throughout Bradford 2025

Beyond these events, Bradford 2025’s music programme will continue to thrill audiences all year. From a BBC Introducing series spotlighting emerging talent at The Underground, to the New Music Biennial featuring the UK’s most exciting composers, the district will be alive with sound. Other highlights include Dialled In festival celebrating South Asian music and club culture, and a bold new collaboration between the Paraorchestra and Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller.

Tickets La Haine – Live are available now. Tickets for The Big Brass Blowout and Bassline Symphony will be available from 12pm, Thursday 7 November at bradford2025.co.uk.

Additional programme announcements and ticket releases will follow in the new year.

About Bradford 2025

Bradford becomes the fourth UK City of Culture in January 2025. The district was selected by the UK Government in May 2022 from a record-breaking 20 bids, following Derry~Londonderry (2013), Hull (2017) and Coventry (2021) to take on one of the most prestigious and transformative titles in UK culture.

Bradford 2025 takes place throughout Bradford District, which covers 141 square miles across West Yorkshire. It features performances, exhibitions, events and activities inspired by the extraordinary variety of this landscape, from the city’s historic centre to the breathtaking countryside that surrounds it. It pays homage to Bradford’s potent heritage as everything from a former industrial powerhouse to the world’s first UNESCO City of Film. Most of all, it celebrates the people of Bradford, from local artists and creative organisations to the diverse communities who call Bradford home.

Bradford 2025 is created for, with and by the people of Bradford – and it has young people at its heart. With more than a quarter of its population aged under 20, Bradford is one of the UK’s youngest cities. Bradford 2025 is proudly reflecting this youth across all aspects of its programme, from education, skills and training projects to new artistic commissions centred on the lives, concerns and ambitions of young people today.

Bradford 2025 is set to spotlight Bradford’s dynamic contemporary arts and culture, from dance and theatre to film, music and even food. At the same time, it will cement Bradford’s reputation as one of the most welcoming places in the UK for artists, producers and creative entrepreneurs, with international exchanges, development programmes and new cultural investment benefiting the entire district.

The impact of UK City of Culture will continue long after the end of next year. The district’s designation has already brought significant investment to the region, and Bradford 2025 is set to serve as a catalyst for development, regeneration and change – reshaping Bradford for the benefit of future generations.

Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture is supported using public investment from HM Government, Bradford Metropolitan District Council, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and through National Lottery funding from Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Lottery Community Fund, Spirit of 2012 as well as private investment and donations from a number of trusts, foundations and corporate sponsors.

www.bradford2025.co.uk

#Bradford2025

About the UK City of Culture

UK City of Culture is a UK-wide programme, developed in collaboration with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The competition is run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), inviting places across the UK to set out their vision for culture-led regeneration and takes place every four years.The City of Culture designation has attracted new inward investment, dramatically increased visitor numbers, greater participation in arts and cultural activities, created new jobs and new opportunities for skills development for young people and helped transform the reputation of the cities that have previously held the title with long-term benefits including increased employment, new investment, enhanced skills, renewed pride, greater cultural capacity and more opportunities to participate in arts and cultural activities. It will give rise to new collaborations, connections and creative conversations.

In the past, the UK City of Culture has been awarded to Derry~Londonderry (2013), Hull (2017) and Coventry (2021).

It’s On In Bradford

To find out about more events happening across the Bradford district check out It’s On In Bradford. It’s On In Bradford is a platform dedicated to engaging audiences with arts and culture activity across the district. The site is managed by Out of Place Studio with support from Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, Bradford Metropolitan District Council, The Leap and Bradford Producing Hub.

Arts Council England

Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where every one of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. From 2023 to 2026 we will invest over £467 million of public money from Government and an estimated £250 million from The National Lottery each year to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk