Things to do in West Yorkshire

Polly Checkland Harding

Last Updated 2 September 2021

West Yorkshire is a northern county particularly packed with cultural attractions, from the award-winning market town of Hebden Bridge on its western edge, to the incredible Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle in the east of the area. There’s so much going on in West Yorkshire, in fact, that we’ve dedicated two separate guides to Bradford in the north – including Ilkley and Saltaire – and to the wonderful city of Leeds. Here, though, we explore the siren call of Hebden Bridge, Halifax, Huddersfield and Wakefield, all of which call this great county their home.

Discover the thriving cultural scene in Hebden Bridge, driven by a tight-knit community and spanning the legendary Trades Club, Picture House, bustling market and annual arts festival. Explore Halifax, the former heart of the English wool trade, where the oldest remaining cloth hall in Europe has been transformed into a hub for heritage, shopping and culinary delights – or Shibden Hall, filming location for BBC One series Gentleman Jack. Or perhaps Huddersfield takes your fancy: why not, when the town is home to the UK’s largest international festival of contemporary music, an award-winning literature festival and the UK’s first eco spa. For more of the best things to do in West Yorkshire, including Wakefield‘s £35m art museum The Hepworth, and the outstanding locations in the surrounding area, read on.

Discover our top picks

Exhibitions Until 8 January 2023, from £0.00

Robert Indiana: Sculpture 1958-2018 at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

A major exhibition of Robert Indiana’s sculptures and two-dimensional work will adorn the rolling hills and Underground Gallery of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Activity Until 1 December 2022, FREE

Stone carving at West Riding Stonecarving Association

The West Riding Stonecarving Association is dedicated to keeping the art of hand-carving stone alive and bringing it to the general public.

Exhibitions Until 5 June 2022, from £0.00

David Nash: Full Circle at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s brand new exhibition of David Nash’s works on paper is a celebraton of trees as seen through the eyes of the renowned artist, who has dedicated his artistic career to trees as a subject and wood as a medium.

Exhibitions Until 25 September 2022,

Sheila Hicks: Off Grid at The Hepworth Wakefield

The Hepworth Wakefield presents the work of Sheila Hicks, one of the world’s foremost artists working with textiles, fibre, colour and form.

Exhibitions Until 5 June 2023,

Silence – Alone in a World of Wounds at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Stop and spend an hour or two with this special creation, nestled within a stand of birch trees beside Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s Upper Lake.

Exhibitions Until 31 May 2023, FREE

Damien Hirst at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Experience YBA artist Damien Hirst’s towering and provocative outdoor sculptures at Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Exhibitions 11 June–23 October 2022, FREE

Janine Burrows: Table to Tide: A Yorkshire Conversation at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Table to Tide: A Yorkshire Conversation is Janine Burrow’s very intimate exhibition created especially for Yorkshire Sculpture park.

Exhibitions Until 4 September 2022, from £10.00

Emii Alrai: Future Collect Commission at The Hepworth Wakefield

Emii Alrai will present a new commission at The Hepworth Wakefield that imitates archaeological artefacts and intertwines Iraqi oral histories and mythologies from the Middle East.

Exhibitions 18 June–30 October 2022, FREE

Jaume Plensa: In small places, close to home at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Yorkshire Sculpture Park presents two complementary installations of drawings by Jaume Plensa, in which she brings together seemingly opposite elements.