Welcome to the award winning Ilkley Chat!

Mrs Norton portrayed by Irene Lofthouse  The talk at Ilkley Manor House will celebrate past pioneers and today’s changemakers.   An engaging new interactive talk, Brilliant Bradford Lasses, will take place this Friday 6 March 2026, 5–6:30pm, marking International Women’s Day by shining a light on extraordinary women and girls connected to Bradford from the 19th century to the present day.   Audience members can expect a lively session that blends history, performance and part

A Charity Lunchtime Opera Gala at the King's Hall in April will invite audiences into the thrilling world of opera. Headlining is international soprano, Alexandra Lowe, renounced for her performances rich in drama, passion, and vocal brilliance. Alexandra weaves powerful storytelling with soaring melodies, bringing timeless operatic moments vividly to life. Alexandra will be joined by distinguished guest artists, Elgan Thomas (Tenor), and Katie Stillman (Violinist), accompan

PippaFest 2025 After a phenomenal debut last year, PippaFest is back and bigger than ever. The family-friendly music festival returns to Burley-in-Wharfedale on Sunday 3 May with an incredible 11-hour programme of live music, bringing the community together for a day of celebration, remembrance and fundraising. Held in memory of Pippa Simpson, a talented singer/songwriter who sadly passed away in 2024 from brain cancer, age 25. PippaFest was created to honour her wish of an a

Rehearsals are underway for The Animals Ilkley Players greenroom students return for their fourth National Theatre Connections Festival on 5th March with The Animals opening at Ilkley Playhouse. The Animals is a powerful new play set in a Youth Custody Unit where student teacher Sam introduces Philosophy to resistant young residents. Written by BAFTA‑nominated, Emmy‑winning playwright Sean Buckley (Responsible Child, Skins), the play explores fragile hope, fear of release, an

“Nellie” - a lovingly repurposed caravan that doubles as a working camera obscura, eco-friendly darkroom, and creative classroom on wheels is coming to Ilkley Manor House.  Across a 90-minute session in the Manor House courtyard, participants will step inside the camera obscura to see the world upside down, learn how a camera works from the inside out, and create a portrait using plant-based darkroom techniques designed to be gentler on the environment. Four sessions will run

The Coffee & Cake social is at Vitello Lounge Ilkley Pride & Diversity Group is inviting the community to come together for a relaxed and welcoming Coffee & Cake drop-in social on Saturday, 28 February, at Vitello Lounge, from 2:30pm. The informal gathering offers a friendly space for LGBTQ+ people, allies and supporters to meet, chat and connect over coffee and something sweet. Whether you’re a long-time supporter of the group or simply curious to find out more, everyone is

Photos from the 2025 International Women’s Day event The Clarke Foley Community Hub is getting ready to host its 2nd International Women’s Day Celebration. This free, community-focused event, is taking place on Sunday, 8 March from 11:00am to 2:00pm at the Cunliffe Road venue in Ilkley. The celebration returns bigger and better, featuring inspiring speakers, hands-on workshops, and live demonstrations designed to uplift, empower, and connect women across the community. Progra

Ladies of all ages are invited to join the Ilkley Soroptimists for an empowering and practical day dedicated to safety and well-being. Celebrating International Women’s Day, the event is being held on Saturday 7th March at  St John’s Church Hall in Ben Rhydding. It will include a chance to learn the latest on CPR, watch or take part in self-defence and hear tips and advice about staying safe online. The schedule is: 10:00am: Checking out the latest on CPR – life-saving skills

Real Markets on The Grove, which started on South Hawksworth Street [inset photo] Sunday 1 March sees 10 years of Real Markets at the heart of Ilkley, and there will be celebrations and a chance to win trader treats on the day. Originally the idea of a group of local residents including Paula Connor, Bernie Baldwin, Fiona Mann, Jeremy Benn and Lucy Allen, Real Markets in Ilkley has grown from a small monthly market behind The Black Hat Pub in 2016 to the current monthly marke

Ilkley Moornotes community choir’s opening concert for 2026 welcomes Spring with a programme packed with uplifting songs and readings to celebrate the wonderful landscape that surrounds us.  Water, Land and Voice is being held on 14th March 2026 at 7.30pm in All Saints parish church, Ilkley.   Light refreshments will be available in the interval. Kate Stevens, musical director of Ilkley Moornotes, said:   “Our first concert of the 2026 season is a celebration of nature, new b

Ilkley Fashion Show 2024 Organisers of the Ilkley Fashion Show have announced the return of the popular community fundraiser on Thursday 30 April 2026 at a brand-new venue: All Saints Church, Ilkley. The evening promises an upgraded experience while maintaining the feel-good mix of style, sparkle and local community spirit that has become an annual highlight in Ilkley.   The show starts at 7pm and will bring together Ilkley’s favourite fashion retailers for a lively night out

Calendar Girls The Musical opens on 22 nd  April The Spring Summer 2026 Season has arrived at Ilkley Playhouse and we hope there is something for everyone to enjoy over the next six months. Ilkley Playhouse has a long-standing reputation for performing modern dramas, classics, farce, comedy, musicals - all carefully selected by Ilkley Playhouse’s Casting Committee and all performed to the highest standard. This season six Wharfeside and Wildman productions, along with three f

Ilkley Manor House is gearing up for a vibrant Spring season, with a packed line-up of exhibitions, photography workshops, live music, talks, and family-friendly activities.   The Manor House reopens on Saturday 28 February 2026, after the winter break, with two new exhibitions launching on opening day:   Ilkley Hydros - exploring the origins and impact of Ilkley’s hydros through photographs and stories. Local historian Alex Cockshot will deliver short introductory talks on t

[Photos woodentops.org.uk] Once again, 2026 will see a strong field of fell runners from far and wide converge on our famous moor, for the Ilkley Moor Fell Race on Sunday 1 March - now in its 36 year. For the senior race , the competitors will line up at 11:30am at the start next to Darwin Gardens on Wells Road, following the usual route via the Cow and Calf, across the moor, via Backstone Back before dropping down near the Keighley Road. A short, challenging, steep, five

Ilkley Musical Theatre Society [IMTS] have announced that they are one of the first amateur societies in the region to be granted the rights to perform The Prince of Egypt this November — and excitement is already building. But as rehearsals gather momentum, the women of IMTS have just one dramatic question… where are all our Pharaohs? Adapted from the beloved DreamWorks film and featuring music by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin), The Prince of Egypt tells the powerful stor

Violinist Andy Long Ilkley Philharmonic Orchestra’s [IPO] Spring concert in March will feature popular works by Rossini and Mozart. The concert takes place in All Saints and will feature the violinist Andy Long, as IPO’s conductor, John Anderson, explains: “We are delighted to welcome back virtuoso violinist, Andy Long, to perform Mozart’s much-loved violin concerto no. 5 in A, nicknamed the ‘Turkish’. Turkish music was very much in vogue in Austria when Mozart was inspired t

Ilkley Pool & Lido Community Group has announced a new programme of full moon swims for 2026. The group's most popular events of the year offer a chance to swim into the evening, bathing in a magical combination of water and moonlight in one of the most beautiful pools in the UK. Last year the sell out swims attracted visitors from all over the country, with 70 percent of visitors travelling from out of the area to attend. Visitors came from as far afield as Birmingham and Ke

Tickets are now on sale for Yorkshire’s biggest week of the year, the Lexus Ilkley Open. Between 7 th  – 14 th  June, tennis players from across the World will be bringing their talent to the grass courts at Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club (ILTSC). With the event growing in popularity each year, fans are being urged to purchase tickets quickly so as not to miss out on the highlight of Ilkley’s Summer calendar. From centre court to centre stage, the week will not be short o

The Craiglands Hotel {Photo: Ilkley Civic Society] A new exhibition opens this month at Ilkley Manor House looking back at Ilkley's former health resort heritage. Visitors will be able to journey back in time and discover the fascinating story of how Ilkley became one of Britain’s most celebrated health resorts in the Victorian era. This exhibition is being curated by Ilkley Civic Society's Local History Hub and will explore the origins and impact of Ilkley’s Hydros through c

Following the royal family’s recognition of Pat’s Party last year, the annual event is now being inducted into Save the Children’s FUTURE100 - a powerhouse community of 100 fundraisers, building a better future for and with children.   Vic and Jackie Sedlak, Pat’s Party’s hosts and founding committee members, described why the team organise the event and raise funds for Save the Children:   “Pat’s Party is a community fundraising group established 22 years ago by our friend a