What's On in Hebden Bridge
and the surrounding area - 2026
Hobson's Choice for Hebden Bridge:
Hobson's Choice, is a darkly comic tale about a stubborn 1880s Salford based cobbler and his three headstrong daughters.
This northern classic, penned in 1916 by Harold Brighouse, is being staged at the Little Theatre from 15-20 June.
Passports, Assasins, Traitors and Spies
A talk by Martin Lloyd to the Todmorden U3A. 2pm
Todmorden Learning and Community Hub (Tod College)
In this talk Martin will reveal how three passports have played and influential role in the course of history. He will will explain about an attempted assssination which altered the regulations for issuing passports, the capture of a spy which caused a worldwide modification to the design of the document; and, for one person, the passport itself which turned into a killer.
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
Complicit: Britain's Role in the Destruction of Gaza
Calderdale TU Council & Halifax Friends of Palestine public meeting with
Peter Oborne
Arden Road Social Club, Arden Road, Halifax, HX1 3AG at 6.45pm
Free, donations welcome on the night
Peter Oborne is an award-winning journalist whose work appears in Declassified UK, Middle East Eye, openDemocracy and other outlets.
He will be discussing his recent book:
Complicit: Britain's Role
in the Destruction of Gaza.
Signed copies of the book will be available to buy on the night.
Palestine Action: Silent
Protest in Hebden Bridge
People are being asked to "bring a sign, hope and love" to a silent protest in George's Square, Hebden Bridge on Saturday, 20 June, at 11am. They are protesting the Appeal Court's decision to uphold the naming of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Read more in this HebWeb news item.
Rave In The Nave
St Thomas the Apostle Church, 2pm
Beats, lights & family vibes in a one of a kind church setting
Get ready for something truly special…
Momentum Collective presents: Rave in the Nave – a vibrant, family-friendly festival bringing music, community, and creativity together in the stunning setting of St Thomas the Apostle.
This is not your typical rave…
Think feel-good dance music, food and drinks, and a welcoming atmosphere for all ages.
Whether you're coming to dance, relax, eat, or just soak up the vibe, this is a day designed for families, friends, and the whole community.
Summer at Wainsgate
Wainsgate Chapel 11am-7pm
A big & bright midsummer celebration tor all ages
For Midsummer's Day, Wainsgate's doors will be thrown open for a joyful day of creativity, conversation, food, music and making.
Throughout the day there'll be workshops, performances, walks, family activities, delicious food and drinks, plants and Wainsgate goodies for sale, plus cocktails and tunes as the day winds down.
Book onto the events that catch your eye, or simply come along, soak up the atmosphere, enjoy the building and views, and be part of this lively midsummer celebration.
Waiting For Dawn and friends
An afternoon of acapella harmonies and acoustic music to welcome in the Summer Solstice.
Heptonstall Octagonal Chapel, Northgate, Heptonstall
Doors open 13.30
Concert 14.00 - 16.30
Tickets: £10, 18 concessions available on the door - cash or card
ALL proceeds for Heptonstall Octagonal Chapel and Medical Aid for Palestinians
John Billingsley Book Launch
Hebden Bridge Library 7pm
Join us for a FREE in conversation between local historian and folklorist John Billingsley and bestselling author Amanda Lees to celebrate the launch of John's new book, 'Magical Dispositions'.
This wide-ranging survey of esoteric, magical and supernatural beliefs encountered in the Calder Valley from prehistory to the present adds to John's work on local cultural traditions.
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
Owter Zeds: Live at Wadsworth Community Centre
An Evening of Ska, Rock & Reggae
Local legends Owter Zeds bring their signature danceable rhythms and grooves to the Community Centre for an unforgettable night, all in aid of Wadsworth Area Community Assets (WACA).
Formed in 1984 during the Miners' Strike, the Owter Zeds were born out of a desire to raise money for Yorkshire's striking pit workers and their families. Over 40 years and 80 musicians later, they continue to deliver their trademark blend of ska, rock and reggae - guaranteed to get you moving.
Shaggy Dog Storytellers
James Canvin presents Fur and Folds
The Dusty Miller, Mytholmroyd, 8pm (doors 7:30)
Join Shaggy Dog Storytellers visiting storyteller James Canvin as he tells Fur and Folds, pairing two tales in which animals help shape the fate of merchants, heroes, and kings. Filled with adventure and enchantment, these stories celebrate loyalty, courage, and unexpected wisdom. James is a storyteller based near Epsom, who shares tales wherever people are willing to listen.
Recommended donations of £5 pp please
Donations pay for guest storytellers and the modest admin expenses of running the group.
Venue: The Dusty Miller, Burnley Road, Mytholmroyd HX7 5LH
The pub is kindly allowing us the use of their function room: please support them! Meals, a great range of beers, also a wide range of non alcoholic beers and hot drinks are all available.
If the car park is full there is plenty of free parking nearby at Mytholmroyd Railway Station.
Balsam pulling in Nutclough Woods
Join CROWS Volunteers On 27th June at entrance to the woods from Keighley road 10am Only one field left to clear before Nutclough will be Balsam Free, the only one in the valley
Come for as much time as you can spare. Even 30minutes would be great
Hebden Bridge Open Studios - Window Trail
70 venues in Hebden Bridge
As part of Hebden Bridge Open Studios (3-5 July), artists are displaying their work in the windows of 70 local venues in the run up to, and during the event.
Todmorden Orchestra
Summer Concert
Before Dawn
Todmorden Orchestra with soloist Claire Marsden
Saturday 27 June, 7:30pm
Todmorden Town Hall
£14 adult / £12 concessions / £3 under 16s
Book here
Programme
Mendelssohn - Ruy Blas
Reinhold Glière - Horn Concerto
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherazade
Info
Two Russian works showcase the rich orchestral tradition of the late Romantic era.
Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade weaves tales from One Thousand and One Nights, while Glière's lyrical Horn Concerto features talented young soloist Claire Marsden.
A BBC Young Musician brass finalist studying at the Royal Academy of Music, Claire has performed with orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic.
Hebden Bridge Vintage Fair
Hebden Bridge Town Hall, 10.30 am
Vintage Fair featuring independent vintage fashion & homeware sellers with a café and live music!
£2 entry, under 16s free
Afterlight Exhibition Preview
In a Land Gallery, Linden Mill, 6pm
Afterlight is a collaborative exhibition that interrogates the boundaries of light, colour and dimension.
Through their respective practices the artists explore the quiet spaces of relational history, capturing the delicate tension between half memory and remembered light.
Open Studios
The Methodist Church in Hebden Bridge (near the Co-op on Market Street) will host 28 different artists this summer. In addition, visitors can explore 12 shared studio venues and 20 individual studios across Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd and Heptonstall.
National Meadows Day: Hebden Royd Town Council have announced a free, family-friendly day in celebration of National Meadows Day. Nature and conservation themed events are taking place on Sat 4 July 2026, at High Hirst Woodmeadow.
In a Land 1st Birthday
In a Land Gallery, Linden Mill, 12pm
Join In a Land for Open Studios and to celebrate our one year birthday, we will have cake!
In a land Gallery and studios hold monthly workshops and exhibitions so come and say hey and get involved!
Heptonstall Festival
From midday
HepFest isn't just another music festival, it's a celebration of Heptonstall's beating heart. Powered by local passion, HepFest brings together neighbours, artists, families, and friends for a day of live music, food, vibrant culture, and good old Yorkshire spirit.
From the historic Heptonstall Heritage Chapel to the cobbled charm of Weavers Square and the timeless beauty of St Thomas Church, our village transforms into a one-of-a-kind festival ground, filled with the sound of music, laughter, and togetherness.
Whether you come for the music, the atmosphere, or the sense of belonging HepFest is your festival. So bring your mates, bring your kids, bring your dog for one truly special day.
Heptonstall Spoken Word Festival
As part of Heptonstall Festival there will be a Free Spoken Word Festival at Heptonstall's glorious Octagonal Chapel on Saturday, 4th July!
Opening the day at midday will be the glorious voices of the Vocal Highs Choir followed by an extravaganza of 18 Spoken Word performers. Come and celebrate the power of voices words, poetry, and storytelling.
See this HebWeb news item for more info
Norman Lamont and the Heaven Sent
he Trades Club, 7.30pm
Singer songwriter Norman Lamont (not the former chancellor of the exchequer!) brings his 5 piece band to the Trades. Expect clever original songs influenced by Dylan, The Beatles, Cohen, Incredible String Band... I could go on. A rare opportunity to see a brilliant performer not often seen outside Edinburgh.
Seated 14+ show
7:15 for a 7:30pm start
The Coiners Room, Dusty Miller Inn, Burnley Road, Mytholmroyd HX7 5LH
Four excellent poets:
Anne Caldwell
Helen Kay
Jazmine Linklater
Lydia Macpherson
Hat passed round for poets. Books to buy
Car park at rear - bus stop outside - station 5 minutes walk
Free. All Welcome
Heptonstall Hilltoppers Summer Concert
St. James The Great, Church Lane, 2-4 pm
Heptonstall Hilltoppers Community Choir will be singing a summer concert to support Shared Harmonies in a relaxed family-friendly and dementia-friendly atmosphere.
Tickets available at the door. Under 16s free.
Quiz and Sausage Night
Wadsworth Community Centre, 7pm
For one night only, original Hare and Hounds (Old Town) Quiz Master Dave is back for quiz and sausage night.
Gather your team and sharpen your brains! Expect laughs, bragging rights and plenty of sausages. Ticket price, £7, includes sausages (meat, vegan and veggie). Buy tickets here
All proceeds go to running costs for "Wadsworth Area Community Assets" community benefits association (current projects are the Hare and Hounds community buy out campaign and Pecket Well playground improvements).
Michael Crowley Book Launch
Hebden Bridge Library, 7pm
Remember Me to My Comrades is a series of uniquely personal accounts by International Brigade volunteers during the Spanish Civil War (1936–39) alongside a historical narration of their involvement.
Thursday, July 16th, is also the 90th anniversary of the beginning of the Spanish Civil War.
Author Michael Crowley and researcher Tony Fox, through the generosity of descendants, have quarried letters and diaries from a fascinating selection of the 2,500 British Brigade volunteers who fought Franco's army against overwhelming odds. Material that, through their own words, transports us into the hearts and minds of the combatants, including those who never returned. Letters about the decision to volunteer, the rigours of the journey, battalion life, and the explanations to loved ones back home. The persuasive not to worry letters, the upbeat letters that begin, 'Revolutionary Greetings from Barcelona' and those that end, 'Remember Me to My Comrades.' There is a wealth of historical material here, but above all, this is a compelling and highly poignant publication.
Copies available from Barnthorn Publishing
Book your free spot at the talk
More info: 01422 288040
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.
South Africa. How the ANC was won for gay, lesbian and bisexual rights
Speaker: Peter Tatchell
Hebden Bridge Little Theatre, 3pm
Peter Tatchell reveals how he was an anti-apartheid activist in the 1980s and challenged the homophobia of the African National Congress of South Africa. He tells the inside story of how he persuaded the ANC to recant and embrace gay, lesbian and bisexual rights in 1987; later working with South African activists to draft the protection against sexual orientation discrimination that was enshrined in the post-apartheid constitution.
Peter has been a patron of Happy Valley Pride for 10 years, he has been campaigning for human rights for 58 years.
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
Wilde Volk Exhibition Preview
In a Land Gallery, Linden Mill, 6pm
You are invited to the preview of Wilde Volk, curated by Sooxanne Rolf. This exhibition is a celebration of the more esoteric, the rural, animalistic and masked traditions of Northern and Eastern Europe, explored through photography, film, sculpture and sound.
Wilde Volk invites visitors to consider how these modern-day horned and animalistic traditions continue to resonate today, not as relics of the past, but as living, evolving expressions of identity, place and collective imagination.
Throughout the weekend there will be mask making, performances, talks and much more! Come and get involved.
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