Bradford 2025: RISE at City Park

Bradford has been designated the UK City of Culture for 2025, meaning the year ahead will bring a packed programme of events spotlighting the best of the region’s dynamic contemporary arts scene, from dance and theatre to film, music and even food. Kicking it all off is RISE, an open-air spectacular inspired by the people and places of the district.

Bradford is holding nothing back with this opening event. Created by award-winning director Kirsty Housley with Bradford-born magician Steven Frayne (formerly known as Dynamo), RISE will feature a whopping 200-strong cast, including professional performers and the people of Bradford.

With one of Britain’s greatest magicians as part of the creative team, the show will incorporate a hearty dose of breathtaking magic, with Frayne’s recent Sky Original Christmas Special whetting the nation’s appetites ahead of his involvement in this live experience. There’ll also be aerialists, projections, music from a huge community choir and orchestra, plus live DJs and food stalls celebrating the best of Bradford’s indie traders. All amounting to a true festival vibe in the heart of the city.

It’s a historic moment for Bradford, whose 2025 is set to be a transformative year. From the rich variety of the district’s 141-square mile landscape to its rich heritage as everything from a former industrial powerhouse to the world’s first UNESCO City of Film, the programme will celebrate the city’s past, present, and future. And that future will be shaped right here in 2025, with the UK City of Culture designation serving as a catalyst for development, regeneration and change.

Don’t miss where it all begins: City Park on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 January. Tickets cost just £2, or free for under-16s and over-60s.