BRADFORD has secured £50,000 of funding to stage tie-in events for this year’s Great Exhibition of the North.

The city narrowly missed out on hosting the event, with Newcastle and Gateshead securing the honour instead.

Now Bradford will use the grant, funded by pooled business rates from across the Leeds City Region, to stage its own celebrations. Between June and September, empty buildings and other spaces around Bradford will be transformed into venues for a programme of activities showcasing the city’s cultural creativity.

The Great Exhibition of the North is a two-month event in the tradition of the great exhibitions of the past. It will showcase the culture, design and technology achievements of the North of England. The Government is providing £5m in funding, with more financial support coming from other sources.