1966
First Harrogate Festival of Arts & Sciences with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra. Young Musicians Concerts & Harrogate Festival Orchestra established. Yorkshire Post Literary Luncheon. Sir Bernard Lovell lecture ‘The New World of the Ultra Large’.

1967
Daniel Barenboim and Jacqueline du Pré, Mstislav Rostropovich.

1968
Academy of St Martin in the Fields and Sir Neville Marriner, Paul Tortelier and Mstislav Rostropovich. World Premiere of Festival Commission by Alan Cuckston of the Harpischord Sonata by Ronald Stevenson.

1969
John Williams, Peter Pears, UK Premiere: Karlheinz Stockhausen ‘Kurzwellen’. Masterclass with Fanny Waterman.

1970
English Chamber Orchestra and Hans Werner Henze, Vladimir Ashkenazy. Festival Commission: Wilfrid Mellers, ‘The Poem by Ronald Duncan’. Radu Lupu, Judi Dench & Edward Woodward.

1971
Sir Michael Tippett with the Leicestershire Schools Orchestra, Barry Tuckwell, Pinchas Zukerman, Melvyn Bragg, Young Musician: Julian Lloyd Webber.

1972
Black Dyke Mills Band, English Chamber Orchestra & Daniel Barenboim.

1973
Sir Charles Groves & the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, The King’s Singers, Steeleye Span, Grimethorpe Colliery Band & Malcolm Arnold, Harrison Birtwistle & Elgar Howarth, Dame Janet Baker.

1974
Jessye Norman, Alfred Brendel, Swingle II.

1975
Claudio Arrau, The King’s Singers, Julie Felix.

1976
Montserrat Caballe, English Chamber Orchestra and Dame Janet Baker. Young Musician: Raphael Wallfisch.

1977
Anthony Rolfe Johnson & the Scottish National Orchestra, Barry Tuckwell & the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, James Galway. ‘Writing for Television’ with Melvyn Bragg and Stan Barstow.

1978
Yo Yo Ma, Hinge & Bracket. World Premiere of Wilfred Joseph’s specially commissioned children’s opera ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’.

1979
Paco Peña’s Flamenco Company, Oscar Peterson, Rowan Atkinson with Richard Curtis and Howard Goodall. Young Musician: Steven Isserlis.

1980
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra & Galina Vishnevskaya, Alicia de Larrocha.

1981
Elisabeth Söderström, Nigel Kennedy, Philharmonia Orchestra with Simon Rattle.

1982
Young Vic Company ‘Waiting for Godot’, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson with Beyond the Footlights Revue, Prunella Scales.

1983
Cécile Ousset. Hugh Grant. James Galway and the London Concert Orchestra.

1984
Moscow Virtuosi & Vladimir Spivakov, Academy of St Martin in the Fields with Sir Neville Marriner with Andew Marriner.

Arts Council withdraw their grant funding; until this point the Festival received the largest Arts Council grant of any Festival in England.

1985
Richard Stilgoe, Mstislav Rostropovich & Elena Rostropovich, Johnny Morris.

1986
Festival Commission: Dominic Muldowney, ‘Suite “1984”’, Peter Donohoe, David Baddiel, Young Musician: Evelyn Glennie.

1987
Barry Tuckwell, Victoria Wood, Pasadena Roof Orchestra, RPO with Sir Yehudi Menuhin KBE and Julian Lloyd Webber, Harrogate Spring Music established.

1988
Sir Yehudi Menuhin KBE & English String Orchestra, Stéphane Grappelli, Harrogate Festival Founder Clive Wilson dies.

1989
London Mozart Players & Jane Glover, Mitsuko Uchida, Guildhall String Ensemble.

1990
Hosted phenomenen of the year with Nigel Kennedy with his Vivaldi Four Seasons. Willard White. Festival Composer in Residence: Wilfred Josephs. World Premiere: Harrogate Festival Overture by Wilfred Josephs.

1991
Festival Composer in Residence: Malcolm Arnold, George Melly, Artur Pizarro, Emma Johnson, English Sinfonia & Sir Charles Groves.

1992
Festival Composer in Residence: Richard Rodney Bennett, Richard Hickox, Tatiana Nickolayeva, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Eddie Izzard.

1993
Festival Composer in Residence: John Tavener, Halle Orchestra with Kent Nagano, City of London Sinfonia with Richard Hickox.

1994
Michael Nyman Band, John Nettles & Black Dyke Band, Premiere: John McCabe ‘Tenebrae’, Harrogate International Street Theatre Festival established.

1995
Festival Composers in Residence: Sir Michael Tippett & Steve Martland. Dankworth Generation Big Band, Emma Johnson, Julian Lloyd Webber & John Lill.  Craig Ogden, Evelyn Glennie & Black Dyke Band. Festival Commission: Derek Bourgeois, ‘Concerto for Percussion and Brass Band’.  Laffs At The Baths (Comedy Festival) established. Oddsocks first play at the Festival.

1996
Black Dyke Band & Joanna MacGregor, Humphrey Lyttelton, The Julian Joseph Big Band, Academy of Ancient Music & Christopher Hogwood ‘Albert Herring’ with the Northern Sinfonia. Harrogate Festival’s Fiesta established.

1997
Festival Composer in Residence: Django Bates. Felicity Lott, BBC Big Band, Fred MacAuley.

1998
Artist in Residence: Lesley Garrett, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Israel Chamber Orchestra, BB King.

1999
Opening Night Parade, Berlin Philharmonic Virtuosi, Blind Boys of Alabama, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Ross Noble, Frankie Boyle, Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

2000
Phil Jupitus, Willard White, Melvyn Tan, Courtney Pine, Young Musician: Jamie Walton.

2001
Two premieres from the George Piper Dances starring Michael Nunn and William Trevitt and Alan Bennett’s Hymn, Jazz Jamaica All Stars, George Piper Dances. Artist in Residence; Michael Nyman.

2002
Orchestra Baobab, The African All Stars, Craig Ogden, Denys Baptiste, Danish National Symphony Orchestra.

2003
Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz @ Lincoln Center, Clare Teal, Mariza, Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival established: Val McDermid, Mark Billingham, Colin Dexter, Reginald Hill.

2004
Amy Winehouse, Wynton Marsalis, Heinrich Schiff and Roger Vignoles, Dame Stella Rimington, Karin Slaughter, Festival takes over running of NYMAZ, the North Yorkshire Youth Music Action Zone, hot-housing this vital county-wide music service for young people.

Festival nearly bankrupt & loses 50% of Harrogate BoroughCouncil grant.

2005
Nicola Benedetti, Julian Bliss, Boris Berezovsky, Young Musician: Benjamin Grosvenor, Van Morrison Youssou N’Dour. Knaresborough Edwardian Christmas Markets established. Anthony Horowitz, Ruth Rendell, NJ Cooper, Alexander McCall Smith, Michael Connelly.

2006
José González, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Alfred Brendel, Dame Felicity Lott. Green Space Festival of Street Arts established. Musical Mums established. Kate Atkinson, John Harvey, Ian Rankin, Martina Cole, PD James, George Pelecanos.

2007
Jacques Loussier, Wayne Shorter Quartet, Gwyneth Herbert, John Lill. Young Musician: Jamie Walton.
Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Val McDermid.

2008
The Festival’s spiritual and historic home of the Royal Hall re-opens. Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Black Dyke Band & Evelyn Glennie, John Lill, Zuckerman Chamber Players, Sa Dingding,  The H2O Festival launched in partnership with Yorkshire Water celebrating the beauty of landscape and arts in a series of late night shows. Peter Robinson, Robert Crais, Andy McNab, Tess Gerritsen, Jeffery Deaver.

2009
Roberto Fonseca, James Taylor Quartet, Julie Fowlis, Joanna MacGregor, Berliner Symphoniker,  Festival launches Young Musicians in Residence scheme. John Banville, Reginald Hill, David Simon, George Pelecanos, Mark Billingham.

2010
Artist in Residence: Alex Wilson, Arcadi Volodos & Alan Bennett, Toby Faber, Sir Willard White, A Masterclass with Dame Fanny Waterman DBE, Norman Lebrecht, Australian Youth Orchestra with Sir Mark Elder. Christopher Brookmyre, Karin Slaughter, Jeffery Deaver, Jeff Lindsay, Crime Programming Chair: Stuart MacBride. HIF commissioned work: Richard Jacques, Alex Wilson.

2011
Paloma Faith, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, John Wilson’s first appearance, Abdullah Ibrahim, Lord Robert Winston, Soweto Kinch, András Schiff, Alastair Campbell, Lord Melvyn Bragg, Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Sir Michael Parkinson, Guest Curators: Clare Teal and Soweto Kinch. Artist in Residence: Aquarelle Guitar Quartet. Lee Child, Martina Cole, Dennis Lehane, Howard Marks, Crime Programming Chair: Dreda Say Mitchell. Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival and the Harrogate Children’s Festival established. HIF Commissioned work: Soweto Kinch.

Harrogate International Festivals removed from the Arts Council National Portfolio, resulting in no long-term funding.

2012
Noriko Ogawa, Curtis Stigers, Bellowhead, Melvyn Tan, Nile Rodgers, John Wilson Orchestra, Penguin Café, Sophie Raworth, Craig Charles, Eliza Carthy. Guest Curator: Dennis Rollins. John Connolly, Kate Mosse, Ian Rankin, Peter James, Harlan Coben, Jo Nesbo, Crime Programming Chair: Mark Billingham. The Festival Big Screen with Movies on Montpellier is launched and the Spiegeltent is introduced to Harrogate. HIF Commissioned work: Dennis Rollins.

2013
We celebrated a decade of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival with Crime Programming Chair: Val McDermid, Ruth Rendell, Jeanette Winterson OBE, Peter James, Ian Rankin OBE, Lee Child and Sarah Millican. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Craig Charles, Mikhail Rudy, Lesley Garrett CBE, Michael Palin CBE, Richard & Judy, Sir Tim Rice, Joanne Harris MBE, Stuart Maconie, Brenda Blethyn, Lesley Garrett, Jacqui Dankworth, Lianne La Havas, Guest Curator: Zoe Rahman. Harrogate History Festival established & Salon North introduced to Harrogate audiences. HIF Commissioned work: Zoe Rahman.

2014
JK Rowling OBE holds her only worldwide event to launch The Silkworm under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. Artist in Residence: James Rhodes, Guest Curator: Gabby Young. Harrogate Festival Orchestra reborn. Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Kate Adie OBE and Frank Gardner OBE. Val McDermid, Lynda La Plante CBE, John Harvey, Mark Billingham, Olivia Colman and Jodie Whittaker, Crime Programming Chair: Steve Mosby. HIF Commissioned work: Tavener, Gabby Young.

2015
Matt Haig, Michael Morpurgo, Gregory Porter, Polyphony Foundation, Alfred Brendel, Alan Johnson, Julian Lloyd Webber, Jenny Éclair, Bill Oddie, Noddy Holder, Armonico Consort and Mahan Esfahani. Eddie Izzard, M.C Beaton, Sara Paretsky, Lisa Gardner, Arnaldur Indridason, Crime Programming Chair: Ann Cleeves. The Big Write is established working with schools across the region to improve literacy levels.

2016
Van Morrison, Gypsy Queens, James Naughtie, Peter James, Stephen Isserlis, Black Dyke Band, John Wilson Orchestra, Guest Curator: Sir Willard White, Jay Phelps. Linwood Barclay, Martina Cole, Jeffery Deaver, Tess Gerritsen, Gerald Seymour, Crime Programming Chair: Peter James. HIF Commissioned work: Howard Skempton, Jay Phelps. We lit the town on fire with Cie Carabosse. TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall attended a celebratory event to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Festival.

Future 50 Appeal launched aiming to raise £1m to safeguard the future of the Festivals. 

2017
Cemented Harrogate as one of the country’s leading literary destinations with Paula Hawkins and Dan Brown holding UK exclusive launches of their new books here in Harrogate. Agatha Christie exhibition. Kamus Quartet, Sir Bryn Terfel, John Wilson, Oz and Armonico Drink to Music, Sir Chris Bonnington, Peter Snow. Ian McMcillan, Gould Piano Trio, Alex Mendham, Victoria Hislop, Sophie Kinsella. Arne Darl, Joseph Finder, Dennis Lehane, Peter May, Kathy Reich, Crime Programming Chair: Elly Griffiths. HIF Commissioned work: Gareth Williams.

2018
Luminarium by Architects of Air took Harrogate by storm. We stepped into take over the running of the community event 1940’s day to ensure it’s future within the town. Laura Mvula, The Hallé Orchestra with Sir Mark Elder, Fairey Band, Emma Johnson MBE, VOCES8, Graeme Park, Guest Curator: Ayanna Witter-Johnson. Jo Swinson, Gill Simms, Dr Jane Hawking, David Starkey, Nick Hewer. John Grisham, Don Winslow, Lindwood Barclay, Denise Mina, Nicci French and Crime Programming Chair: Lee Child. HIF Commissioned work: Ayanna Witter-Johnson.

2019
We celebrated the foundations of Harrogate with #Harrogate 1571, brought the moon within reach with Museum of the Moon, and brought colour to our town by being UCI Fairies. Carnival, Casino Royale in Concert with The Hallé Orchestra, Eric Lu, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Graeme Park, House of Burlesque, Venki Ramakrishnan, Philippa Perry, David Cameron, Jamie Barlett. Ian Rankin, Harlan Coban, James Patterson, Val McDermid, Nicola Sturgeon, M.C Beaton, Jed Mercurio, Crime Programming Chair: Mari Hannah. HIF Commissioned work: James Bawn and Eddie Roberts lighting installation, James Bawn Harrogate 1571.