What's On in Hebden Bridge
and the surrounding area - 2026
Calderdale Elections: Vote today
This year we have 3 votes instead of the usual one.
See details of the 18 candidates.
Dark Matter presents
Ben Tangle
Prolific psych-folk songwriter who conjures rich soundscapes with lyrical themes of transformation well known for documenting his musical adventures on his narrowboat
The Barnacles - psychedelic and cosmic space jam band
Golden Lion Todmorden 7.30pm
Springtime Concert by Cantorelli
In St.James, Hebden Bridge Parish Church.
Cantorelli was originally formed by a group of friends in Hebden Bridge in Calderdale in West Yorkshire over 30 years ago. The group has taken part in workshops with professional musicians and choral directors and has also performed regularly throughout West Yorkshire including in St James, Hebden Bridge Parish Church.
The music in the programme is mostly by English composers, and many with Norfolk connections as the group performed this programme on a visit to Norfolk a fortnight ago, including William Byrd, Henry Purcell, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Robert Pearsall, Ernest Moeran and Benjamin Britten but also a motet by J.S.Bach and French songs by Severac and Saint-Saens.
Admission is £12 at the door - under-18's are free.
Wainsgate Piano Weekend
A full weekend of piano music featuring internationally-renowned performers playing in this beautiful, acoustically-brilliant hilltop venue (which is now heated!). Food is being served from mid-day on Saturday and Sunday.
See the website for full details
Heptonstall Repair Cafe
Heptonstall Junior School
10-1pm
Friendly repairs carried out by skilled volunteers. For a donation. Hot drinks and cakes. Bring along your clothes, bags, electronics and electrical items, toys, furniture and knives and tools for sharpening. Tech help and support for mobiles, tablets and laptops. Waste less, save money and have a chat.
Folk With Eight Sides
In Heptonstall's historic Octagonal Chapel Sunday 10th May, doors at 6.30 for a 7pm start, there will be a folk music treat to feast your ears.
Starring Sarah Loughran (fiddle) and Paul Young (melodeon and guitar), a York-based duo performing their stunning arrangements of trad Irish and English tunes. Expect highly refined, warm, rich tunes by turns adventurous and familiar.
Opening the night is the new duo Calling Corvids, being John Manning, armed with a bag of whistles, wickedly quick fingers and profundity of expression, he will perform contemporary arrangements of traditional tunes with the addition of upright bass, Lloyd Degler. The duo exploits the contrast of the highest and lowest whilst joyfully exploring the middle ground.
Come along and hear some gorgeous sounds warming these beautiful old chambers and support the Friends' work to preserve this Grade II listed building and secure its future use and benefit to the public.
Tuck Shop, Zero Bar and ice cream available.
Tickets in advance or on the door
Risk the pence you no longer have
A concert for may day celebrating the general strike centenary
3pm
A concert with musicians from the Hallé and BBC Phil orchestra
Programme:
Poulenc, Sonata for Two Clarinets
EH Meyer - English Songs
Vaughn Williams - Six Studies on English Folk Songs E
H Meyer - Essay, for Viola Solo
Eisler - Kantate im Exil: Man lebt von einem Tag zu dem andren
Lawrence Dunn - New Work
Tickets are £15
BOOK LAUNCH AT SOUL HUB
Book Launch/ tea party for Techniques I Have Loved, a workbook for the inner world. Author: Madhuri Z K Akin. Place: Soul Hub, Burnley Rd, Sowerby Bridge. Time: May 10th, 5 pm. Healthy cake!
Dark Matter presents
Elf Traps
A new project Formed by Mercury Prize nominee Rob Turner (Mammal Hands, former–GoGo Penguin) and Liviu Gheorghe (former–Matthew Halsall / Gondwana) where beat-driven electronica collides with spiritual jazz and psychedelic, otherworldly, tones.
Support from kora player John Haycock and DJ Red Tin Dave
7pm, Golden Lion Todmorden
An evening of Americana: After the sold out show with renowned folk guitarist Martin Simpson, the next gig at Wadsworth Community Centre is an evening of Americana on Saturday, 16 May.
Mytholmroyd Repair Cafe
Mytholmroyd Repair Cafe is on at St Michael's Church Hall HX7 5DS
1pm to 4pm
We mend electricals, garments, bikes and will have a go at most things! Repairs by donation only.
Refreshments and our famous cakes!
All welcome.
Wadsworth Area Community Assets meetings
Funding the Hare and Hounds
Immediately after the AGM we are planning to hold an Information Event to explain how a Community Share Offer works. There will also be time for you to ask general questions about WACA's Hare and Hounds project. This meeting will start after a short pause following the AGM. Those wishing to come to the Funding Meeting but not attending the AGM should aim to arrive at 8:00 pm at Wadsworth Community Centre.
The General Strike of 1926
Join us at the Birchcliffe Centre to learn about the General Strike of 1926 on its 100th anniversary. Our lecture is presented by Professor Keith Laybourn (York St John University), an expert in the history of the labour movement and author of over 150 books and articles on British labour history.
Tickets £5 payable on the door
A talk from the local University of the Third Age
Space Eelevators: A Stairway to the Heavens
A talk by Adrian Nixon - Space Elevators - A Stairway to the Heavens to the Todmorden u3a Meeting at the Todmorden Learning Centre and Community Hub (Todmorden College) on the 21st May at 2pm
In this talk Adrian will explain what graphene is and how it will enable the ultimate civil engineering project - 'The Space Elevator' Adrian delights in explaining complex science in plain language, so you don't have to be an expert to enjoy this talk.
Graphene was first isolated in 2004 and the Nobel Prize in physics was awarded in 2010 to the two researchers who performed the work at the University of Manchester UK. Since then graphene has been steadily developing and a whole landscape of two dimensional materials has been discovered. Graphene has been found to be the strongest, lightest material known, it is now manufactured at industrial scale.
The meeting start at 2pm at Todmorden Learning and Community Hub (Tod College) and is open to paid up members of the Todmorden u3a, but if you would to attend you can enquire by going to www.u3a,org.uk or by contacting membership@u3atod.org.uk
Body Medicine
Movement class combining somatic movement and dance, designed to help you feel good in your body. 10:30am - 11:30am, 23rd May, £10. I'm a dance and movement psychotherapist, yoga teacher, breathwork practitioner.
Suzi Ruffell
in conversation about her book, Am I Having Fun Now?
Hebden Bridge Town Hall Tuesday 26th May 7:30 - 9:00 pm Bar opens at 6.30pm until late. Followed by a book signing.
Tickets £10 online at hblitandsci.org.uk and at Hebden Bridge Town Hall Mon to Fri (cash/chq only)
Join comedian Suzi Ruffell for the launch of her new book, an honest and funny memoir, with signing and audience Q&A.
Georgian Ensemble: Lalkhori
Birchcliffe Centre, Birchcliffe Road, Hebden Bridge HX7 8DG
6 – 7.30pm Workshop to learn Georgian Songs
8-9pm Concert by Lalkhori
Immerse yourself in the culture of the country of Georgia, with the Lalkhori enaemble from the wild, remote Svaneti region. Amazing harmonies, dances and rituals.
All welcome to attend both the singing workshop and the concert, or just one event. Previous experience and ability to read music are not needed for the workshop as songs will be taught by ear.
Sliding scale of prices based on what you can afford to pay:
Workshop only £18/15/12/10
Concert only £18/15/12/10
Combined £30/25/20/15
Healthy Lunch for People + Planet
The Celt Kitchen - Calderdale Ecological Land Trust
Annie F festival and events catering
12-2pm, monthly
Wadsworth Community Centre
pay as you can, £12 suggested
Shaggy Dog Storytellers present:
Stories from the floor
8-10pm, The Dusty Miller, Mytholmroyd, function room
It's time to gather again for old fables, fairy tales, folk tales, myths, legends, and just good old yarns.
Whether you've got a story to tell, or simply like to listen, join us for an enjoyable evening.
Recommended donation £5 p/p
Ambient Bowling
Delighted to announce the first Ambient Bowling gathering of 2026, on Saturday 13 June, 2-8pm.
Come try your hand at crown green bowls, have a drink from the Blue Pig bar, unwind to the ambient sounds emanating from the pavilion, and wonder at the idyllic location.
All welcome, including well behaved dogs on leads.
Suggested donation £3 (cash only venue).
All proceeds go towards the upkeep of the green and pavilion.
Hebden Bridge Bowling Club (along Hebden Water past the archery and cricket clubs).
what3words address: ///eventful.seasonal.disbelief https://w3w.co/eventful.seasonal.disbelief
Charlestown Open Gardens
A group of local gardens opening for charity 11 am - 4 pm
Refreshments are available in some gardens, and visitors are encouraged to travel by foot and by bus.
Full details and a map of the gardens can be located at charlestownopengardens.wordpress.com
Healthy Lunch for People + Planet
The Celt Kitchen - Calderdale Ecological Land Trust
Tezza B of Nelsons Notoriety
12-2pm, monthly
Wadsworth Community Centre
pay as you can, £12 suggested
Mytholmroyd Repair Cafe
Mytholmroyd Repair Cafe is on at St Michael's Church Hall HX7 5DS
1pm to 4pm
We mend electricals, garments, bikes and will have a go at most things! Repairs by donation only.
Refreshments and our famous cakes!
All welcome.
Classic and vintage cars weekend
Hebden Bridge Vintage Weekend is the Hebden Bridge Rotary Club's main fundraising event and is held at Calder Holmes Park in Hebden Bridge. It features classic and vintage cars, live entertainment, stalls of every description, a children's play area, food court and much more.
Running over the first full weekend in August, this event provides great entertainment for all the family attracting visitors from all over the North as well the residents of HX7 and surrounding area.
See website for more info
Mark Thomas:
40 In Stand Up Years
8pm Trades Club
What?! Mark Thomas has been 'standing up' for 40 years? Impossible!! But how old does that make you…? Alas it is true; one of our oldest surviving alternative comics celebrates 40 years at the mic as he takes his brand-new show on the road this autumn.
So, here's what he has done so far in numbers; performed comedy for 40 years, won 8 awards for performing, 4 for human rights work and 1 he invented for himself, made 6 series of the Mark Thomas Comedy Product (Channel 4), written 6 books and 5 play scripts, made 5 series of the Manifesto for Radio 4, made 3 Dispatches for Channel 4, sued the police (and won) 3 times, curated and authored 2 art exhibitions with artist Tracey Moberly and had 1 Guinness World Record for holding 20 protests in 24 hours.
If that's not enough, he's also walked 724km around the length of the Israel Wall in the West Bank, been credited with changing the law on tax avoidance, started a comedy club in Palestine with Dr Sam Beale and campaigned successfully for things like trade union recognition for cinema workers and getting multinationals to change their practices. You're right, there's more, but your attention is running out and we're running out of space. So, let's just say he's generally mucked about trying to have fun and upset the right people…which he is really, really good at.
This is a taster menu of political and personal mayhem, jokes, rants and a state of the nation broadcast as he tries to turn 'what the hell is going on' into a cogent evening of stand-up.
Graphic: Tracey Moberly and Greg Matthews