Bradford Cathedral has enjoyed a bumper year for visitors thanks to the focus on Bradford this year with its City of Culture status.
The number of ‘drop-in’ visitors to the Cathedral has more than doubled that of any previous year since visitor records began, and the Cathedral has made the most of the focus on the city this year by putting on a variety of tours and events to cater for the large numbers of tourists, many of whom have visited Bradford for the first time.
Director of Education and Visitors Maggie Myers said, “We are delighted that so many thousands of people have come through the Cathedral’s doors in 2025, for such a variety of reasons and from so many different parts of the country and the world! We’ve recorded visitors from all over Britain and from at least 36 other countries. These are just the people who have written comments in the Visitors’ Book or interacted with our welcome team, so we know the actual total of visitors and their home counties and countries will be even higher.
In order to cater for the visitors who have come to Bradford this year, we have provided more tours, events and concerts than ever before, and many visitors to Bradford and the Cathedral have also taken the opportunities to attend services and to experience the spiritual and musical aspects of Bradford Cathedral.”
Since January, we have put on history, stained glass, textiles and architecture guided tours of the building at regular intervals, done large scale events for different audiences, such as music events, exhibitions, educational visits, family activities, 2 days of events for crafters and our Her-itage Open Day, with its focus on female-led creativity and design. Our outside Timeline of our history since Saxon times was also a big hit with visitors. There really has been something for everyone!”
The Revd Ned Lunn, Canon for Intercultural Mission and the Arts at Bradford Cathedral says, ‘The ‘Weaving Stories’ project has been a cornerstone of our 2025 programme, inviting visitors to contribute to a tapestry that reflects Bradford’s rich heritage and diverse community. This initiative, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, has complemented other major events at the Cathedral, such as the ‘Holocene’ performance during the New Music Biennial, which reimagined the contemporary brass ensemble with a bold and unconventional work exploring our current geological epoch. Additionally, the launch of the Cathedrals Cycle Relay from Bradford Cathedral in May marked a significant moment in our city’s cultural calendar. These events, alongside our regular tours, exhibitions, and concerts, have made 2025 a truly exceptional year for Bradford Cathedral, drawing visitors from across the globe and showcasing the vibrant tapestry of our city’s cultural life.’
