Harrogate International Festivals

Harrogate International Festivals is your home of the arts in Yorkshire.

The Harrogate International Festivals has fired up hearts and minds since its inception in 1966, revolutionising the cultural landscape of the North Yorkshire spa town. A charitable organisation, our passion, ambition and innovative eye maintains our position as an arts organisation delivering Festivals of national importance, as well as a key cultural provider for the North throughout the year.

Established with a reputation for delivering the world’s most enthralling performers to our doorstep, we create distinctive cultural experiences through our year-round delivery of festivals and events, as well as nurturing local young talent. Our diverse portfolio dramatically increases the cultural and tourism offer for Harrogate and the surrounding area. As well as entertaining audiences, we bring internationally acclaimed artists to work with young people and communities all year-round. Our outreach and education work taps into the arts to change lives.

By championing the best up-and-coming young talent, celebrating the work of established artists and commissioning unique and surprising performances, Harrogate International Festivals remain a cultural force to be reckoned with.

Schools, young people and our local community can enjoy the Festivals year-round through our extensive programme of educational workshops, talks, projects and inspiring activities through our HIF+ programmes.

Whilst our line-up has changed and adapted over the years, our ethos has stayed the same – to deliver distinctive and inspiring cultural experiences for all. In 2019, the Festivals delivered over 300 distinct events and attracted over 90,000 people to its portfolio of activities.

During the pandemic the Festival radically changed its remit, moving to digital support through our HIF Player platform and podcasts, focused on reinvention and delivery creating hours of free content and engagement for families and the community within their streets.

2022 has seen the Festival return to it’s full programme of events, including the return of the much loved Spiegeltent, Carnival, Berwins Salon North, Harrogate Music Festival, Fire & Light Experience, Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival to name but a few!

As a charitable organisation, we are funded almost entirely by ticket sales, sponsorship and donations, with just 2% of our income coming from public funding. We rely on the support of a great many national and regional sponsors, funders and partners to secure our international profile and position as a leading cultural festival in the North of England.