Holmfirth Arts Festival 2025

Holmfirth Arts Festival returns for another exciting year with a Big Free Weekend, Eco Expo and eclectic programme of ticketed events. 

Holmfirth Arts Festival returns this summer 2025, with an action-packed programme running across the Holme Valley, from May to September including its ever popular Big Free Weekend in June.

This year’s Festival is inspired by the beautiful Holme Valley landscape, its heritage, and a need to care for our environment. It will be a vibrant multi-arts festival that celebrates the communities, local creatives as well as professional artists from further afield.

The Festival kicks off in May with a series of community co-created events including walks, art installations, events in care homes, and a series of township events that form part of the Graveship of Holme Project. These participatory events invite local communities to celebrate their history and creativity through literature, music, arts, crafts and performance, culminating in a pageant on the Big Free Weekend.

The Big Free Weekend takes place outdoors in Holmfirth town centre on the 14 & 15 June and features world class street theatre alongside creative activities for families and people of all ages, including the Graveship of Holme Pageant, live music, Word Weave by Holmfirth Writers Group, Bollywood dancing workshops, Pop Up Opera, and outdoor theatre from DIY Theatre Company, PifPaf, and Highly Sprung Performance. New to the Big Weekend programme this year is the Eco Expo with Yorkshire-based artists, activists, and scientists presenting a range of models, interactive art-works, and performances in an exploration of climate sustainability.

Following on from the Big Weekend is a series of ticketed events happening throughout the Holme Valley each week until the end of September. Our ever popular Accessible Amble is back on 25 June, and then throughout the summer there will be various events including Opera for the People described as ‘Victoria Wood meets Pavarotti’, contemporary folk music with Spafford + Campbell, soul music from The Voice finalist, Rachel Modest, and much more. The festival usually has one big-name comedy event and this year the fantastic Marcus Brigstocke will be coming to the Civic Holmfirth on Friday 12 September with his new show Vitruvian Mango.

Festival director Bev Adams said:

“This year we are especially excited to welcome our two new patrons, actors Jessica Gunning and Kieran Hodgson; both born and educated here in Holmfirth. We are delighted to have them on board and thank them both for being part of our festival family.”

She adds: “If you already know Holmfirth and the Holme Valley, this is your chance to see it in a new light. If you’ve not yet discovered this beautiful part of Yorkshire, Holmfirth Arts Festival is the perfect time to visit.”

The annual event, a firm favourite on the Yorkshire festival scene, takes almost a year of preparation and would not be possible without the generous support of funders – the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, Big Give Arts for Impact, The Graveship of Holme, Kirklees Council and Creative Minds, Holme Valley Parish Council with donations from individuals and local businesses, Stotts Coach Travel and Bike Shed Media.

It is also made possible thanks to the scores of volunteers and local organisations who help to run the events and welcome people during festival weekend. 

Holmfirth Arts Festival takes place from 25 May – 20 September 2025. The full lineup of events can be found on the Holmfirth Arts Festival website: https://www.holmfirthartsfestival.co.uk/what-s-on