Bradford’s theatres, museums and galleries have seen a significant rise in visits during the UK City of Culture 2025.
The Alhambra Theatre and St George’s Hall, both managed by Bradford Council, have each seen a leap in visitor numbers – the Alhambra up significantly from 248,000 in 23/24 to 340,000 in 24/25, and St George’s Hall up from 84,000 to 86,000 in the same period.
Additionally, more than 17,500 school children and students attended more than 50 events, drawing students from 13 different cities. The access and carers scheme attracted 18,100 attendees across 192 events. Impressively, 18 per cent of the bookings were from new bookers, totalling 82,200 tickets, with international interest reflected in bookings from 52 countries outside the UK.
Heritage programs engaged 5,000 people, while education and community programs reached 5,100 participants. The theatres also secured four of the biggest touring musicals – Wicked, Hamilton, The Book of Mormon, and Disney’s Aladdin.
The latest figures reveal also that the four museums and galleries managed by Bradford Council (Bradford Industrial Museum, Bolling Hall Museum, Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, and Cliffe Castle Museum and Park) saw a 12 per cent increase in visits during the first six months of this year.
Across all sites there were 86,992 visits in Jan – June 2024, compared with 97,368 for the same period this year.
Visits to the Cartwright Hall Art Gallery were up by more than a third, from 23,603 to 31,447 during the same period. National partnership exhibitions, notably the Government Art Collections ‘I Am Me’ and the British Library’s ‘Fighting to be Heard’ which both opened in January 2025 have proved a huge draw. There is expected to be a further surge when the gallery hosts the four artists shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2025.
Cllr. Sarah Ferriby, Portfolio Holder for Healthy People and Places said: “We are delighted to see so many people enjoying Bradford’s incredible cultural offer. The spotlight is on the city and district during this special year, and we are exceeding expectations.
“The impressive growth is testament to the diverse and vibrant cultural offering during Bradford’s year as the designated UK City of Culture that has played a pivotal role in attracting both local and international visitors to the city, eager to explore the rich heritage and diverse exhibitions.
“Bradford’s theatres, museums and galleries will all be building on this momentum with more impressive listings, designed to engage and inspire audiences and we are committed to continuing our efforts to make culture accessible to all.”
New and traditional curriculum-linked schools workshop packages have been met with enthusiasm by schools across the district with around 2,500 local school children experiencing a museum visit in June alone.
