1940s Weekend 2026: Yorkshire railway line to be transformed into a living history experience with reenactors for wartime event at Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
The 1940s Weekend will return to Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and transform it into a living history experience with reenactors, live music and vintage displays.
The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway will once again recreate the sights and sounds of wartime Britain when its 1940s Weekend returns from Friday, May 15 to Sunday, May 17, 2026.
During its second year, the event will see the five-mile heritage line transformed into a living history experience, with each station hosting themed entertainment, reenactors, vintage displays and live music.
Steam trains will operate throughout the weekend, carrying visitors between Keighley and Oxenhope as the Worth Valley adopts the atmosphere of the 1940s.
The weekend begins on Friday evening with a 1940s Dance at Oxenhope Exhibition Shed. Guests will be entertained by Kitty La Mare and The Ashby Little Big Band, performing classic wartime favourites alongside live vocals.
The evening includes a light dinner, with doors opening at 6pm and dancing continuing until 10.30pm. Tickets are priced at £20 per person.
From 11am on Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17, the focus shifts to a full line-wide programme of activities.
Oxenhope’s Exhibition Shed will host live performances throughout the day alongside a vintage market and bar.
Haworth will feature reenactors and a traditional tea dance in the courtyard marquee. At Oakworth, visitors can explore living history displays recreating aspects of wartime life.
Ingrow and Keighley stations will also host period entertainment and refreshments, creating a consistent theme across the railway.
Passengers travelling on the trains can expect to observe reenactors sharing wartime stories during their journey, with an onboard bar operating across the weekend.
Performers and participants have been confirmed including Lady Lindy, Anthony Mason’s George Formby tribute, Blondies in Harmony, the Gas Light Trio, Haworth Home Guard, Police and ARP reenactors, Sir Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris and Lady Ann, a fairground organ and the Hebden Bridge Ukulele Group.
Visitors are encouraged to dress in 1940s-inspired costumes to elevate the atmosphere, although this is not essential.
The 1940s Weekend offers a varied programme combining heritage rail travel, live entertainment and historical interpretation, providing a family-friendly event that celebrates the social history of wartime Britain.