THRIDDINGSFEST 2026

A WEEK OF SUMMER MUSIC, POETRY, STORYTELLING AND DANCE TO CELEBRATE YORKSHIRE

Many people in Yorkshire take part in Yorkshire Day – this year Saturday August 1st, where everyone is encouraged to wear their white rose, and to join in civic and village celebrations.

However this year, those celebrations are going to extend for a full week- Sunday August 2nd -9th, and involve as many people as possible in a whole series of events run by local communities themselves in every part of the ancient three Ridings of Yorkshire.

ThriddingsFest- meaning a festival of the Ridings – is loosely based on the Welsh idea of an annual Eisteddfod, but it will not be in one place, but wherever people are prepared to work together throughout Yorkshire to celebrate all that is amazing and wonderful about this great Northern Region of England – its stunning landscape, its history, its people, its rich diversity, its future.

As in Wales, Yorkshire even has its own language, Yorkshire Dialect, which though a Regional variety of the English language, retains many words and phrases from both from Old English but also from our Norse ancestors, reflecting the fact that for almost century Yorkshire or Jorvik was a separate Anglo-Viking Kingdom with its capital in York.

Following a pilot project in 2025, in Ben Rhydding, Ilkley as part of Bradford’s City of Culture, a small group of volunteers from the Yorkshire Society are now encouraging communities in villages, market towns or even suburbs of Yorkshire to put on their own ThriddingsFest event.

Whilst support, advice and Region-wide publicity can be given, it is hoped in the true spirt of Yorkshire independence, poets, musicians, dancers, actors, storytellers, choirs, singers will organise their own event, indoors or outdoors, to celebrate what is special about their Yorkshire, to be part of the Yorkshire-wide week-long ThriddingsFest. It will be inclusive – people of every ethnic background, faith, gender, will be encouraged to celebrate their traditional culture and values in their long-standing, or maybe even relatively new, homeland.

Vicki Warner is the Yorkshire Society’s volunteer ThriddingsFest Co-ordinator. She writes:

ThriddingsFest isn’t just a festival; it’s a movement. We are reclaiming the unique identity of  Yorkshire’s thousand-year-old Ridings through music, words, poetry and dance, supporting a revival of the Yorkshire dialect (Tyke) and proud Yorkshire accents. We are looking for forward-thinking partners to help us keep Yorkshire’s heritage alive, vibrant, and inclusive.

Vicki would like to hear from any group or organisation prepared to put on a community event, indoor or outdoors, that fits the criteria. A crucial element is that this is all about volunteers – professional writers, musicians and entertainers can of course contribute, but for ThriddingsFest this must be a voluntary contribution to their community. Nor is it about competition. The spirit of ThriddingsFest is communal and individual co-operation not competition.

Whilst ThriddingsFest is seeking funding, currently no private or public grants or subsidies are available. All events and venues need to be self-supporting. However ThriddingsFest is looking for both Participating Groups and Partners. Once your event is registered, you will be able to use the official ThriddingsFest logo and be included in the Yorkshire-wide ThriddingsFest events programme publicity, together with any required ticket booking details and contact information.

If you would like to know more about ThriddingsFest and how your group might contribute, or would welcome advice, or if you would like to support us as a Partner, please contact Vicki as soon as possible at thriddingsfest@theyorkshiresociety.org, or Colin (ThriddingsFest Advisory Group Lead) at c.speakman@theyorkshiresociety.org with your suggestions and perhaps offers of help.