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Otley is now bidding to become the UK’s first-ever Town of Culture in 2028

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall - 1st April 2026

Otley has announced its intention to bid to become UK Town of Culture 2028.

Entering into the national competition launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the West Yorkshire town is hoping to be the first-ever town to claim the title.

The Town of Culture competition invites towns across the UK to showcase their cultural story and develop ambitious programmes that celebrate local heritage, creativity, and communities.

The winning town receives a £3 million grant from the Government to deliver a major year-long cultural programme in 2028 designed to boost civic pride, attract visitors, and provide everyone with the opportunity to participate in cultural activities.

Their bid is focused around the Otley 800, a year-long programme that will mark the 800th anniversary of the granting of the Royal Market Charter in 1227 and the bridge over the River Wharfe in 1228.

These two historic moments transformed Otley into the bustling market town that it is today, so it deserves to be recognised.

Work has been going on behind the scenes for the past two years, with the council and Otley BID working with residents to put plans in place for the special year.

More than 70 organisations have been involved.

Mayor of Otley Cllr Paul Carter said: “Otley has always been a town that punches above its weight. This bid is about celebrating our history, but also about investing in our future — creating opportunities for our community, raising our profile and making sure Otley continues to thrive for the next 800 years.”

The shortlist for UK Town of Culture 2028 is set to be announced later this year, with each chosen town receiving £60,000 to help deliver their full bids for the competition. Fingers crossed!

Read more: Permission granted for new ‘Corn Exchange Pavilion’ to be built in Leeds city centre

Featured image - Wikimedia Commons

News

Permission granted for new ‘Corn Exchange Pavilion’ to be built in Leeds city centre

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

The green light has been given for a brand-new pavilion to be built outside the Corn Exchange in Leeds city centre.

Yesterday, Tuesday 31 March, the planning committee of Leeds City Council officially gave the green light to plans submitted by CX Leeds Ltd.

These include plans to build a pavilion outside the Corn Exchange, one of Leeds' most iconic city centre landmarks.

The new building will go where that rather underwhelming patch of astroturf currently lays, in front of the Cornucopia mural and next to the bus shelter.

It lies between New Market Street and Crown Street.

DEN Architecture state that the materials selected will create an intriguing single-storey structure that compliments the surrounding area.

They stated: “The scale of the building and roof form of the proposal pays tribute to the previous tram and bus shelters that once occupied the site.

"While retaining the appropriately subservient nature of any new building in close proximity to the Corn Exchange. This will also provide greater visibility of the Cornucopia Mural.

“The building has been designed following extensive and thorough analysis, with a clear understanding of the built environment and the area’s historic significance.”

It's not yet been decided upon what the building's use will be, although Leeds city council suggests it could be used for "outdoor functions, shops and cafes".

When first put forward to the council back in December 2024, the plans were met with three objections from the public.

So, what would you like to see go into this new space?

Read more:

Featured image - DEN Architecture



News

A boutique house and disco music festival is coming to the grounds of Harewood House this summer

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

After welcoming around 4,500 attendees in its first year, the intimate house and disco festival is coming back.

Goodlife, held in the beautiful grounds of Harewood House, has fast established itself as one of the region’s most exciting new music events.

After its huge success last year, Goodlife will be back this year even bigger and better than before with a capacity ready to welcome 12,000 festival-goers.

The festival will take place on Saturday 6 June, and the lineup is already stacked.

The Main Stage will host an incredible line up of house music heavyweights including Armand Van Helden, Groove Armada, Alison Limerick, Roger Sanchez and Inner City (Live).

The Downtown Disco Stage will once again bring its signature blend of soulful house to the fields of Harewood House with artists announced including The Shapeshifters, Craig Charles, Michael Gray and Ian Ossia.

This year sees a brand-new stage being thrown into the mix called The Goodlife Tavern that will celebrate Yorkshire’s thriving DJ scene, showcasing local artists and shining a spotlight on regional talent.

Artists performing at The Goodlife Tavern will include Darren Cross, Smudged Soul, Alex Malam, Emiiyuu, Kavita, PJ Gardner and Lee Wright.

Liam Hardy, co-founder of New Vision Events, said: "The response to Goodlife’s first year was incredible and we’ve been stunned by the extremely high demand for tickets for this years’ event so far. We always believed there was room for a dedicated house and disco festival in the region, but the atmosphere and support from the crowd last year completely exceeded our expectations.

“For 2026 we wanted to take things up a notch and create something even better. Introducing a third stage allows us to bring more artists to the festival and showcase some amazing local talent, while the increased capacity means even more people can enjoy the Goodlife experience."

Goodlife Festival takes place on Saturday 6 June and you can buy your tickets here.

Read more: Leeds Festival announces second wave of artists including Skepta b2b set

Featured image - Supplied

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