Grand Opera House York Appoints New Theatre Director

Grand Opera House York has announced a change in leadership, appointing Allie Long as Theatre Director. Allie joined ATG Entertainment in 2017 while studying at the University of York, starting in Front of House department before progressing through marketing, operational and management roles across the UK.

York Culture Strategy Launched At Reignite Xii: The Future Of Culture

York’s new Culture Strategy was officially launched last week at Reignite XII: The Future of Culture, bringing together more than 250 leaders from across culture, business, education and the public sector at the Yorkshire Museum, followed by continued networking and discussion at York Art Gallery.

The Clause Shine On Independent Venue Week

The network of small individual venues is vital for groups to gain their first experience of playing live, as evidenced by bands like Coldplay, Oasis, and the Kooks, who built their audiences through these performances.

The Dukes Announce A Vibrant Spring/summer Season And Start To Celebrate Turn 55 This Year!

Grab your ticket for a season of unforgettable nights of laughter, entertainment and applause as the Dukes announce a spring/summer season packed with the finest theatre, comedy and cinema. Audiences are invited to adventure into a world of thrills, comedy and excitement with the Dukes’ diverse selection of theatre shows.

Submissions Open For The Dorothy Parkinson Memorial Award 2026

Harrogate International Festivals is inviting submissions for this year’s Dorothy Parkinson Memorial Award. Established in 1982, this prestigious award provides a platform to some of the country’s best up-and-coming classical musicians and the chance to perform in the HACS Harrogate Music Festival.

To Kill a Mocking Bird

To Kill a Mocking Bird was inspired by Harper Lee’s own childhood experiences, and the novel is set in a small town in Alabama in 1934. A period in time riven by social and racial injustice. Atticus Finch (Richard Coyle) is the town’s lawyer defending Tom Robinson, a black man who has been falsely accused of raping a young woman.

Crime Writing Superstars’ And ‘New Faces’ Headline Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival

Harrogate International Festivals has announced the full line up of Special Guest headliners for the 2026 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the world’s largest and most prestigious celebration of crime fiction, taking place 23-26 July 2026.

Jools Holland Announces Autumn Tour

Renowned for his exuberant live shows, Jools Holland will once again be backed by the full power and finesse of his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, delivering an evening of blues music, swing music, boogie woogie and ska packed with musical virtuosity and joyful spontaneity.

Second Biggest Ever Independent Venue Week Is Launched

Today sees the start of the 13th edition of Independent Venue Week, the UK’s much-loved 7-day celebration of live music and culture. With 236 authentic, independently-owned venues set to participate (a 10% increase on 2025), fans can show support for this crucial part of the music ecosystem by coming out to enjoy some of the 700+ gigs and events being promoted during the week.

New Children’s Literature Festival In The North Celebrates Black Writers And Storytelling

Out of Many People has announced its first festival of Black literature for children and young adult readers in Yorkshire.

Britain’s First Live Storytelling Park Attracts

Performers from across the North East and around the UK have begun competing for roles at Kynren – The Storied Lands, a major new attraction set to redefine how audiences experience history, myth and legend.

In Conversation With Stephen Webb As The Rocky Horror Show Heads North

The Rocky Horror Show is coming back to the north to brighten up your winter with its fishnet-bedecked legs kicking high and feather boa swinging high as the Richard O’Brien risqué musical returns once again. Over 35 million theatregoers have witnessed The Rocky Horror Show, which tells the story of two impeccable college students, Brad and his fiancée, Janet.

Eurovision Song Contest Live Tour Announced

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced the very first official Eurovision Song Contest Live Tour will travel across Europe this summer to mark 70 years of the world’s largest live music event.

All Time Low Aim High In Manchester

For a band that has been heavily influenced by the likes of Green Day and Blink 182, before the imminent arrival of All Time Low at Co-op Live in Manchester, the contrasting sounds of the ELO track Mr.

Albums:How Did I Get Here? Louis Tomlinson

Tracks: Lemonade; On Fire; Sunflowers; Lazy; Palaces; Last Night; Broken Bones; Dark To Light; Imposter; Sanity; Jump The Gun; Lucid Label: 78 Productions Limited WithHow Did I Get Here?,Louis Tomlinson delivers the record that finally feels like a true arrival.

Albums: Robbie Williams Britpop

Bringing things more up to date Human is a ballad which is about artificial intelligence; the track contrasts with what so far has been a very rock-orientated ride. Featuring Mexican pop duo Jesse & Joy and Coldplay’s Chris Martin on one of the best tracks on the album as Williams steers away from Britpop territory.

Albums: Mika Hyperlove

With Hyperlove, Mika returns to the piano as his creative compass, using it as the starting point for every song. From there, he embarks on a daring reinvention, merging the warmth of analogue imperfections with the pristine pulse of electronic pop. Crafted entirely with analogue and vintage outboard gear, the album feels tactile and alive—a living, breathing landscape full of vulnerability, grit, longing, and euphoria. It’s playful and dramatic but also emotionally grounded, balancing the joy Mika is famous for with a hard-earned sense of perspective.

Classical Music: In Her Hands Piano Trios

The richness and warmth of tone, combined with a thoughtfully curated programme, make this an appealing disc. Enhanced by Chandos's excellence in recording quality, it has much to commend it in the exquisite phrasing and dynamics.

Albums: If You Go There, I Hope You Find It, The Paper Kites

Much of the album was written at a friend’s farm in the Yarra Valley, and that setting quietly shapes the sound throughout. There is a sense of space and stillness in the music, as though it were written with the doors open and the landscape in view. Even the album title carries that feeling. Co-founder Christina Lacy first wrote the phrase on a fogged-up bus window, a fleeting moment that grew into something more meaningful — a reflection on distance, devotion and the hope that the people you love find what they are looking for, even if you cannot follow them there.

Classical Music: MacDowell Volume 2

The centrepiece, however, is MacDowell's striking Second Piano Concerto. Cooke writes that this would remain the composer's most popular large-scale orchestral work, and among its many memorable later performances was one given by MacDowell himself in London in 1903, shortly before his final decline. MacDowell's reputation as a virtuoso pianist is evident in the work.

Classical Music: Listen. It is Here

The poetry ranges widely: from Hildegard of Bingen's mediaeval mysticism through Rilke's metaphysical yearning to the spare modernism of Harold Pinter and the contemporary voice of Selima Hill. Such diverse sources cohere into a convincing artistic statement, which speaks to both the composer's literary sensibility and his ability to find his own idiom while honouring each poet's character.

Harry Styles - Aperture

Harry Styles’ Aperture arrives not merely as a comeback, but as a statement of intent. After a period of silence that felt deliberate rather than absent, the long-awaited return proves immediately fruitful, asserting itself with quiet confidence and emotional precision from the very first listen. As the lead single from the intriguingly titled Kiss All The Time.

The Wait Is Over: Harry Styles

From the moment he closed his last tour, the pop world has been holding its breath, scanning socials and setlists for any hint of what Harry Styles might do next. Now, the wait is officially over.

English Touring Opera To Open Tour In Sheffield For First Time

English Touring Opera marks a significant milestone this spring as it opens its first season based in Sheffield, unveiling two contrasting new productions that showcase the breadth of the operatic repertoire.

Joe Hill Appointed As New Director And Chief Executive Of Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) has announced the appointment of Joe Hill as its new Director and Chief Executive. His appointment marks the organisation entering a pivotal phase looking ahead to its 50th anniversary in 2027.

Top Hat And Tails In Sheffield

There maybe moonlight, music, love and romance, but there’s also a brilliant cast, superb costumes, amazing rotating sets and clever lighting designs, and to pull everything together to make a wonderful show, there is Irving Berlin’s iconic musical score, which includes such well-known songs as Putting on my White Tie, Top Hat and Tails and Puttin’ on the Ritz.

The 2026 Writers' Award Is Open For Entries!

The Creative Future Writers' Award, 2026 competition open and is the only free to enter national competition for all underrepresented writers: those who face barriers due to mental health challenges, physical or learning disability, neurodiversity, carers, survivors, and those from LGBTQIA+, working class and/or Black, Asian and global majority backgrounds.

Soul Power Weekender – A Bracing Experience In Skegness

Anyone who associates Butlins with the 'Hi-De-Hi' phrase and the traditional Redcoats might change their opinion after experiencing the music weekends that the holiday company has recognised as a major attraction for music fans.

Albums: Kid Kapichi - Fearless Nature

Kid Kapichi release its fourth album, where you could be forgiven for thinking that this was not the same band that melted pop, punk and rock into an energetic ball of uplifting songs.

Imitating The Dog To Premiere Audacious And Timely Retelling Of H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds.

This year, imitating the dog, one of the UK’s most original and innovative theatre companies is set to push their inventive storytelling to new heights when they stage a contemporary retelling of H.G Wells’s iconic science fiction tale The War of the Worlds. Created by imitating the dog’s co-artistic directors Andrew Quick, Simon Wainwright and Pete Brooks, imitating the dog’s retelling…

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