From the popular Rhubarb Festival and Roman Festival and exhibitions at The Hepworth to Guys and Dolls at Theatre Royal Wakefield and a day that will take you back to the 1940s, there’s something for everyone to enjoy this year.
Take a look at these 18 events already planned – and keep checking back as more are announced.
1. Hands Across Wakefield
An ambitious charity event will take place on March 7 that will see 2,000 people in a human chain stretching from Pinderfields Hospital to Wakefield Cathedral. The chain of people will symbolise unity, compassion, and support for healthcare in the community. The event coincides with the 125th anniversary of Pinderfields Hospital and is the first of its kind in the UK, setting a historic milestone in Wakefield. In a show of inclusivity, Hands Across Wakefield invites schools, community groups, and individuals to join the event virtually, widening participation and ensuring everyone has a chance to be involved. Photo: s
2. WX - Wakefield Exchange
WX - Wakefield Exchange: Opening early 2025, WX is the city’s new home for work time and free time, combining casual food and drink with remarkable encounters with innovation, craft and creativity. Enjoy coffee and cake, street food and beer, music, exhibitions and much more! Upcoming exhibitions include Sentinel, a beautiful light installation inspired by the district’s rich coal mining heritage, and Ship of the Gods which links Wakefield’s boat-building heritage to the Norse myth of Skidbladnir (a magical shape-shifting vessel large enough to carry all the gods but small enough to fold up and fit inside a pocket). Photo: Wakefield Council
3. NCM Tunnel
Coming in early 2025, the National Coal Mining Museum presents an all-new, breathtaking experience! Using cutting-edge digital technology, visitors will travel through time meeting mining characters from across the centuries. Explore a historic tunnel from ground level and experience the atmosphere, surroundings, sights and sounds of life underground from Victorian times right up to the 1970s. The new tunnel is fully accessible, too, so everyone can take part in the adventure. Photo: Wakefield Council
4. Rhubarb Festival 2025
The Rhubarb Festival returns! Celebrate everyone’s favourite pink vegetable in style on February 21-13, 2025. The food and drink market returns so you can sample and purchase local and regional delights, including gins, jams, pickles, cheese, baked goods and more! Families will love the variety of workshops on offer at the Rhubarb Festival, and the array of children activities available and lively street entertainment. Expect a whole new programme of chef demos and expand your culinary skills. Finally, extend your stay with the Rhubarb Food & Drink Trail around the city, showcasing restaurants and bars putting on rhubarb themed food and drink throughout the weekend! Photo: s