Discover Summer in Wakefield
This summer in Wakefield - city and district - is one full of world class art, open air music and days spent under the sun (quite literally)
The season kicks off with a major milestone as The Hepworth Wakefield holds its 15th Birthday Party (22nd May). Since opening on the city’s historic waterfront, the award-winning gallery has become one of the UK’s most admired contemporary art spaces, championing Barbara Hepworth’s modernist legacy alongside ambitious new exhibitions. Its birthday celebrations promise a fitting tribute to a gallery that has helped shape Wakefield’s identity as the Sculpture Capital of the UK.
WX - Wakefield Exchange sets the stage for a season of unforgettable cultural moments. At the centre of it is Helios (12th June–6th September), Luke Jerram’s breathtaking illuminated sculpture of the Sun. Suspended within the space at WX, the seven-metre sphere brings extraordinary solar imagery vividly to life, allowing visitors to step beneath its glowing surface and experience the Sun in astonishing detail. Throughout the summer, Helios becomes a focal point for a vibrant programme of activity. Audiences can unwind during a restorative Sound Bath Under the Sun (26th July), roll out their mats for sunset Yoga Sun Salutations (6th August), or glide through Skate Under the Sun’s roller-skating workshops (8th August), all set beneath the warm glow of the artwork.
There’s plenty for families, too, with an exciting calendar of hands-on experiences. Take part in Astronaut Training Days (21st July–25th August), Creative DropIn Sessions (23rd July–27th August) inspired by space and the Sun, or settle in for Stories Under the Sun (29th July–26th August), where magical tales explore the wonders of space through storytelling.
A short drive from the city, Yorkshire Sculpture Park comes into its own during the summer. This outdoor gallery carved from rolling countryside offers a natural invitation to wander. Opening 13th June, Hold to this Earth presents a stunning collection of works by contemporary Indigenous North American artists from the Tia Collection – an exhibition unprecedented in Europe. Louise Lockhart’s Cake Crumbs and Lemonade brings playful optimism and colour to the landscape – don’t miss it before it closes on 2nd August. With cafés, walking routes and art woven seamlessly together, YSP is made for long summer afternoons.
Summer’s a great time for celebrations and Wakefield has a packed programme of festivals, music and open-air performance to keep the good vibes going.
Start the season at the National Coal Mining Museum. Bold As Brass (23rd May) is a battle of the bands with a difference that sees the North’s best brass bands compete against each other in a range of categories. While you’re there, make sure to see Jason and the Coal Mining Adventure, an exhibition that combines Wakefield’s proud industrial past with its status of the Sculpture Capital of the UK through the vivid, psychedelic artworks of Wakefield-born Jason Wilsher-Mills.
Proms at the Castle (20th June) returns with a magnificent evening of music and light as Pontefract Castle proudly presents the West Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra. The following evening, Tributes at the Castle delivers iconic 80s hits, from Madonna to Bon Jovi, dazzling costumes and all the retro vibes you love. Farmtrax at Farmer Copleys (25th–26th July) blends live sets with laidback rural atmosphere.
Back in the city, WX Live returns on 8th July, welcoming Heaven 17 to the stage, bringing their iconic synth-pop sound and decades of influential music – along with fan favourites like Temptation and Let Me Go – to a Wakefield audience. Clarence Park Festival (25th–26th July), Yorkshire’s longest running free music festival, returns with its eclectic mix of grassroots sounds, while Live at Tileyard North (21st–31st August) brings major names – including Sophie Ellis-Bextor, The Fratellis and The Vaccines – to Wakefield’s revitalised waterfront.
Bringing the silver screen to picturesque parkland, National Trust Nostell’s Adventure Cinema (25th–28th June) transforms the landscape into a movie night under the stars. Pontefract Castle has something more traditional in mind, hosting open-air theatre productions of classic stories The Three Musketeers (8th August) and As You Like It (20th August).
Pontefract Racecourse’s Ladies Day (5th August) offers the chance to dress up and experience the buzz of one of the season’s most glamorous fixtures, while a gentler event returns in the shape of the Northern Green Gathering (13th–16th August): a thoughtful eco-festival combining talks, workshops, live music and family-friendly activities focused on sustainability and community.
The talk of the summer, of course, is Pontefract Liquorice Festival (12th July), the annual confectionary-themed bonanza celebrating the town’s homegrown hero. The iconic Liquorice Parade makes its triumphant return with dancers, stilt walkers, brass band and local community groups progressing in spectacular style from Pontefract Town Hall to Pontefract Castle. The charming market town will also host the beloved food and drink market, live music, family activities, heritage talks, Liquorice Food & Drink Trail and much more!
When it comes to accommodation, indulge in award-winning fine dining at Wentbridge House, or enjoy Hotel St Pierre’s countryside location, a stone’s throw from Newmillerdam Country Park. Or find a home from home at stylish self-catering escapes like the Flockton’s converted Water Tower, or Farmer Copley’s The Farmhouse.
