From June to September there will be an event somewhere in the district almost every week in Bradford's Big Summer.

The four-month calendar of entertainment is set to make Bradford the place to be as the weather hots up further.

Events range from world-class classical concerts to Europe's biggest market festival.

The calendar brings together the traditional Bradford Festival and Mela but also festivals held in Ilkley, Keighley, Saltaire, Bingley and Haworth.

Peel Park will host the first major event in June in the shape of the Bradford Mela, Europe's largest and longest-established event of its type. Then in July the Bradford Festival is spread across three weekends and features local and international artists and performers.

The Big Summer also includes the annual Bradford Book Festival and Ilkley Literature Festival, the Music at Myrtle and Party in the Park weekend in Bingley and a series of events as part of the Illuminate project. It celebrates the lives of three of the district's cultural icons, composer Frederick Delius, artist David Hockney and the literary Bronte sisters.

Jane Glaister, director of Arts, Heritage and Leisure, said: "The Big Summer will bring something different to Bradford this year. For the first time, all of the city's events have been looked at holistically, in an attempt to appeal to as many people as possible.

"We hope that the Big Summer will have something for everyone in the family. Some of this year's events will be truly spectacular so we hope that people from all across Yorkshire decide to come and get involved.

"In fact, we are expecting to get visitors from all over the country, which will hopefully give our city a real boost, particularly as the city is undergoing major regeneration.

"We expect to see thousands of people in Bradford this summer, visiting our events, who will bowled over at the quality of the products and the exciting entertainment we are staging here in the city centre."

  • Further details of the dozens of events are available by contacting (01274) 432443 or logging on to www.bigsummer.info.
  • e-mail: jo.winrow@bradford.newsquest.co.uk
A SUMMER FULL OF DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
  • June 17 to 18 - Bradford Mela: music, dance, food and fun for everyone with six performance stages and themed zones.
  • June 24 - Bradford Carnival: formerly Bradford South Carnival it is a day-long event held at Avenue Road Playing Fields in West Bowling.
  • June 29 to July 16 - Bradford Book Festival: celebrating the written word with readings, storytelling, performances and workshops.
  • July 1 to 8 - Delius Festival: devoted to celebrating one of Bradford's most eminent sons with performances from Tasmin Little, Julian Lloyd Webber, Yvonne Kenny and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
  • July 1 to 17 - Bradford Festival: cutting-edge art, street parties, world-class music and fun in the heart of the city. It includes the Lord Mayor's carnival parade.
  • July 3 to 16 - Keighley Festival: Two weeks of celebration in Keighley, including an attempt to make the world's largest curry.
  • July 14 to 16 - Urban Youth Festival: In the city centre with extreme sports, urban music, art, dance, workshops, fashion shows and a market.
  • July 21 to 22 - Experience TV: the new £3 million interactive gallery opens at the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television.
  • July 22 - Bradford classic motor event: dozens of classic cars on display in and around Centenary Square.
  • July 30 to August 6 - Hockney Festival: celebrating a new retrospective of the work of David Hockney From Bradford to Hollywood and back again sees the city centre turn itself into an artspace.
  • August 1 to 31 - Ilkley Summer Festival: now in its fourth year, with Viva Elvis, a three-day street market and outdoor concerts.
  • August 25 to 28 - Bradford International Market: a mile of market stalls from across Europe and beyond.
  • August 31 to September 3 - Haworth Arts Festival: live music, art exhibitions and street entertainment, including an outdoor screening of Wuthering Heights.
  • September 2 - Music at Myrtle: at Myrtle Park in Bingley.
  • September 3, Party in The Park: The Pulse party in Myrtle Park, Bingley.
  • September 7 to 17 - Saltaire Festival: the fourth festival including a Celtic music concert, a festival ball, a continental market, a local produce market, street entertainment, Morris dancers and a CAMRA beer festival.
  • September 15 to 22 - Radical Brontes: celebrating the family of amazing literary talent.
  • September 22 to 28 - Bite the Mango Film Festival: The UK's leading festival of world cinema at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television.
  • September 29 to October 15 - Ilkley Literature Festival: more than 100 events over 17 days.