About

The arts, and Festivals have been hit incredibly hard by the pandemic, but a world without them is unimaginable.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many of our events are currents taking place online – with free access for all during this difficult time – but we remain optimistic about the year ahead and like you, we are very much looking forward to, and planning for, the return of live events.

For HIF, community has always been at the heart of our work, and we believe it is our responsibility as a 21^st century arts organisation to support our community, our audiences, and our artists in difficult times such as this, to ensure that there is a future for the arts. And, by reinventing our delivery during the pandemic, it has certainly proved – more than ever before – that we are more than a series of events, we are at the heart of cultural life in the North of England.

Whilst we await and plan for the return of live events, please visit our What’s On page to view our upcoming online events.

Bring the Festival to life on demand, by discovering our podcast, exploring You’re Booked or visiting HIF Player where there are over 125 events, including a host of performances and DJ sets from the Spiegeltent and children’s activities, available for you to enjoy for free, from the comfort of your own home.