Yorkshire in 2023: What's happening in culture, sport and politics in the year ahead

A year-long showcase of arts, culture and entertainment will take place in Yorkshire’s largest city. Leeds 2023 starts this month with The Awakening - a special opening ceremony celebrating the city’s past, present and future, at Headingley Stadium on Saturday, January 7. Punctuated by 12 major signature projects throughout the year, the Leeds 2023 programme - developed after the city was excluded from bidding for the European Capital of Culture following Brexit - will include hundreds of events and activities developed in partnership with local, national and international partners.

Flying Scotsman turns 100

One of the world’s most famous steam locomotives, Flying Scotsman, turns 100 on February 24. It first left Doncaster Works in February 1923 and has become synonymous with the

golden age of rail travel - a national treasure renowned as a feat of design and engineering. Today the National Railway Museum in York is home to Flying Scotsman - where it is a working museum exhibit and where a centenary celebration will take place between April 1 and 16 - but during the anniversary year it will be hosted at numerous locations, including at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway between May 1 and 24.

North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales Dark Skies Festival

The region’s proud reputation as a spot for stargazing will bring in plenty of people next month during the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales Dark Skies Festival between February 10 and 26. Both national parks are designated International Dark Sky Reserves and during the festival, organisers will put on night walks, owl photography sessions and activities at locations like Sutton Bank, Dalby Forest, Castle Howard, Whitby, ‘Heartbeat Country’ and, over in the Dales, the likes of Ingleborough torch hikes and canoeing, stargazing and pizza nights.

Picture House reopens

It may be small, but Hyde Park Picture House’s following is huge - and it is set to reopen in April 2023. The Grade II-listed building in Leeds dates back to 1914 and is the country's only surviving gas-lit cinema, but closed in March 2020 amid the pandemic, ahead of long-planned multi-million-pound renovations which started in April 2021. When it reopens, visitors can enjoy its safeguarded heritage features, improved accessibility and a new second screen with 52 seats.

Rob Burrow Marathon

Ex-Leeds Rhinos rugby player Rob Burrow has become a tireless campaigner for awareness and funds for research into motor neurone disease (MND) after he was diagnosed himself in December 2019. Burrow and former team-mate Kevin Sinfield have captured the nation’s hearts with their efforts on behalf of those living with MND and keeping the Government to account on their promise for more funding. On Sunday, May 14, more than 10,000 participants will take part in the very first Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon, which starts and finishes at Headingley Stadium.

New council and elections test

It will be a new era for local politics as North Yorkshire Council becomes the new single entity for nearly everyone in that area from April 1, replacing the current county council and seven district and borough councils, but with City of York Council remaining as it is.

Then on May 4, the country goes to the polls for local elections to elect councillors. However, the event is seen as a bellwether for showing how the electorate sees the national Government and an opportunity to send a message to Ministers. As of December 16, Politico has Labour at 46 per cent ahead of the Conservatives on 27 per cent in a poll on national parliament voting intention.

Eurovision

The 67th Eurovision Song Contest final will be held in the UK on behalf of last year’s winners Ukraine and hosted at the Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool on May 13.

The Merseyside city was announced as the host because the UK was the runner-up in 2022 with Sam Ryder, and Ukraine, which won with Kalush Orchestra, could not host due to the Russian invasion.

Alongside its hosting duties, Liverpool will look to reflect Ukrainian culture, music and communities as well as celebrate the diversity of British creativity.

King’s coronation

After the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, the coronation of King Charles III will take place on Saturday, May 6. It will be held at Westminster Abbey, eight months after the monarch’s accession and his mother’s death in September last year. The Palace has said the ceremony will be “rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry” but also “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future”. To mark the occasion, an extra Bank Holiday will take place on Monday, May 8.

Sheffield DocFest

The 30th edition of Sheffield DocFest will take place in the South Yorkshire city from June 14 to 19. It is known as a leading documentary festival and one of the world’s most influential markets for such projects too, championing the form across film, television, immersive and art genres. It screens more than 130 feature, mid-length and short films and its 2022 programme included works from 55 countries, with 58 languages represented.

Ashes and Wimbledon

A brilliant summer of sport will be upon us when the Ashes and Wimbledon come around once again. In the Ashes, England’s men and women will take on their Australian counterparts on UK soil for the two trophies. The men's series will be contested across five Test matches in June and July, while the winner of the women's Ashes will once again be decided by performances in a multi-format series encompassing a five-day Test, three IT20s and three One Day Internationals.

Meanwhile, Wimbledon will take place July 3 to 16. Thousands of fans flock to the south-west London neighbourhood every year to see some of the sport’s top stars in action during tennis’s oldest tournament. Strawberries and champagne, open-air match screenings with picnics and Pimms can be found in the capital and in living rooms and gardens across the UK too.

Great Yorkshire Show

The ultimate showcase of agricultural life in the region will return when the 164th Great Yorkshire Show takes place in Harrogate from July 11 to 14. The event pulls in around 140,000 people to the 250-acre Great Yorkshire Showground as the four-day spectacle celebrates agriculture, food, farming and country life. Visitors can expect show jumping, with some of the best riders in the country competing, with competitions in judging rings also including cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, pigeons and poultry.

Freedom Festival

Hull’s Freedom Festival returns to the East Yorkshire city between August 25 and September 3. Named after the city’s association with the abolition of the slave trade as well as other activism, the event has risen in prominence over the years. It has championed local acts but also brought artists such as Pixie Lott, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and The 1975 to the region. This year’s line-up is yet to be revealed.

Bradford Live

The transformation of the former Bradford Odeon into a live music venue is due to be complete this year, with an opening expected in the autumn. The city centre building close to the Alhambra opened in 1930 and has been a cinema and theatre in previous years but has stood empty for more than two decades. The Bradford Live project, however, is turning it into a 3,800-capacity live music venue. It is hoped the venue will attract 300,000 visitors each year and host a calendar of more than 200 music, comedy and family entertainment events, as well as providing the city with conference, meeting and banqueting spaces.