Festivals and Events in Harrogate

Visit Harrogate, the official tourism website for Harrogate & District, has an excellent website full of local events and exhibitions; keep up to date during your stay here: http://www.visitharrogate.co.uk/events.

The Harrogate Conference & Exhibition Centre

Holds events throughout the year, varying from comedians, bands and wine tasting! Check the website for future events.

Mother Shipton’s Cave – Unicorns and Dinosaurs

From: 25th May – 2nd July 2019

This Half Term trot to Mother Shipton’s for a day of Unicorn magic and have a roarsome time searching for Dinosaur footprints. Unicorns and Dinosaurs are in the park, follow the adventure trail and you never know what you might find!

Prophecy Lodge, High Bridge, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, HG5 8DD

1940’s Day

On: 23rd June 2019

The 1940s day will feature stalls selling vintage clothes, hats and uniforms. As well as wartime military vehicles there will be representatives from the Royal Air Force, the Army and vintage cars.

There will be a full programme of entertainment on the bandstand as well children’s activities, food trucks, tea, cake stall and tombola, a bar, Pimms tent or bring your own picnic, sit back and enjoy the entertainment.

32 Cheltenham Parade, Harrogate HG1 1DB

Harrogate Music festival

From: 1st July – 31st July 2019

The Hallé Orchestra return to Harrogate, bringing the quality and excitement they did under the baton of Sir Barbirolli, however, this time they’re accompanied by a new man in town. He likes it shaken, not stirred, and you will too as Casino Royale in Concert opens the season with Bond on the big screen supported by the full force of the Hallé. Bond may travel the world, but you don’t have to as this year we are bringing a programme of exceptional international artists to your doorstep right in the heart of Yorkshire. From the Leeds International Piano Competition winner Eric Lu, to the youngest ever joint winner of the Junior 1st Prize at the Menuhin Competition in 2018 travelling all the way from Australia, this summer we are set to ‘welcome the world’.

Great Yorkshire Show

From: 9th July – 11th July 2019

Over 130,000 visitors and 8,500 animals flock to the Great Yorkshire Showground every year for the three day show, making it one of the biggest in the UK.

Great Yorkshire Showground

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival

From: 18th July – 21st July 2019

The world class, award winning Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, now in its 16th year, celebrates the very best in crime fiction at the magnificent Old Swan Hotel each July. The Festival is a firm date in the literary calendar and has achieved international acclaim for the programming.

Mother Shipton’s Cave – Witches and Wizards

From: 24th July – 1st September 2019

Prophecy Lodge, High Bridge, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, HG5 8DD

The International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival

From: 7th August – 18th August 2109

The International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival returns for another year bringing the very best of professional and amateur Gilbert & Sullivan productions from around the world, including 4 new productions from the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company.

The Royal Hall, Harrogate

FEVA: Knaresborough’s Festival Of Visual Arts And Entertainment

From: 9th August – 18th August 2019

10-day annual festival of art, entertainment, music, shows, plays, dance performances, children’s attractions, a free picnic, exhbitions and other events that turn this market town magenta! See 80 different events, workshops – something for everybody.

Foodies Festival

From: 19th – 21st August 2019

Foodies Festival, the UK’s biggest celebration of food and drink, returns to Ripley Castle 19th – 21st August 2019 with a taste-bud-tickling feast for food lovers to tuck into.

Ripley Castle

Harrogate Flower Shows

The society organises and runs the twice yearly Harrogate Flower Shows, widely regarded as the biggest and most prestigious independent shows in the gardening year.

Great Yorkshire Showground

Harrogate Welcome The World

From 21st September – 29th September 2019

Harrogate will truly become the centre of the sporting world in September 2019 when the best cyclists of the world travel to Yorkshire to compete for the highest accolade road cycling can bestow – the title of World Champion, and the iconic ‘Rainbow Jersey’ that accompanies it.

Harrogate Comedy Festival

From: 7th October – 19th October 2019

The 8th annual Harrogate Comedy Festival (1st-16th Oct 2016) features handpicked acts from across the globe to the town. With acts from Australia, America, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and Europe it’s a comedy festival with an exciting international twist.

Mother Shipton’s Cave – Halloween

From: 26th October – 3rd November 2019

Prophecy Lodge, High Bridge, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, HG5 8DD

Harrogate Christmas Market

From: 14th – 17th November 2019

Harrogate’s popular Christmas Market returns this November to start the festive season in style.

Putting a distinctly Yorkshire stamp on the traditional Christmas market experience the Harrogate Christmas Market has a strong focus on regionally made products, bringing the best of home-made and fairly traded Christmas goods to the heart of Harrogate for 4 days of festive cheer, absolutely free for everyone!

Tour de Yorkshire

The Tour de Yorkshire returns for its fifth year and once again Harrogate and the surrounding towns are set to play a starring role on two of the four days of racing. With delicious local food and drink in every surrounding town and village you can get to the heart of what this great county is all about and immerse yourself in the excitement of the Tour de Yorkshire. Bring your bike and make a weekend of it!

Check our Walking & Rambling section for great locations to go cycling.