The Hottest Outdoor Shows across Yorkshire This Summer
Summer's al fresco entertainment includes huge festivals, outdoor theatre and open-air cinema screenings
Great Yorkshire Show
As show director Charles Mills comes to the end of his tenure visitors can expect to see the best animals in the country as well as enjoying good food and first-class entertainment to celebrate the best of farming and the countryside at the Great Yorkshire Show. Come and say hello to us at stand 284!
9TH–12TH JULY
Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate
greatyorkshireshow.co.uk
JLS
Summer shows are back at Scarborough Open Air Theatre with Tom Jones, Rick Astley and Madness all on the lineup – but we’ve got our eye on this JLS date. It’s a brand-new live show but we’re sure Aston, Oritsé, Marvin and JB won’t shy away from their hits Everybody in Love and Beat Again.
11TH JULY
Scarborough Open Air Theatre
scarboroughopenairtheatre.com
Sensation ABBA Tribute
Mamma Mia, you’ll want to save your Money, Money, Money for tickets to see this ABBA tribute band at Thorp Perrow’s party under the stars this summer! Perfectly capturing ABBA’s iconic sound, costumes and choreography, you’re advised to book tickets quickly to avoid disappointment.
13TH JULY
Thorp Perrow, Arboretum
thorpperrow.com
Adventure Cinema: Pretty Woman
Grab your popcorn, bring a blanket and settle under the stars for this open-air cinema at Raby. While Adventure Cinema are setting up here for various showings throughout July, we’ve got our eye on Pretty Woman because who doesn’t love Richard Gere and Julia Roberts? There’ll be music playing before the movie with a soundtrack of specially-curated songs.
14TH JULY
Raby, Staindrop
raby.co.uk
Hamlet
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men (an all-male theatre company) are heading to Newby Hall to perform William Shakespeare’s Hamlet al fresco. Celebrating 10 years of their company, bring a chair and a picnic and prepare to be entertained by Elizabethan costumes, music and dance.
16TH AUGUST
Newby Hall, Ripon
newbyhall.com
The Comedy of Errors
This summer Helmsley Walled Garden is welcoming Three Inch Fools to perform their take on Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors – a fun way to spend time with the family. Bring your chairs and/or blankets and dress for the Great British weather.
19TH JULY
Helmsley Walled Garden
helmsleywalledgarden.org.uk
Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory
As part of The Auckland Project’s all new Summer Fest, families will flock to Bishop Auckland for outdoor cinema. We imagine this showing of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on the bowling green lawn beside the castle will be popular.
20TH JULY
Auckland Gardens, Bishop Auckland
aucklandproject.org
Music Showcase Weekend
With Leeds’s own Kaiser Chiefs performing on the Saturday and S Club putting on a show on the Sunday, the Music Showcase Weekend returns to York Racecourse this summer. But the racing is just as thrilling as the live music headlined by a Pattern-quality contest on each day. Get dressed up and place your bets on a fantastic day out at the races!
26TH & 27TH JULY
York Racecourse
01904 620911
yorkracecourse.co.uk
Tramlines
Across five stages, Tramlines is bringing live music, comedy and performances to Sheffield – but you’ll want to act fast for tickets. The final tickets are now on sale for Friday (with an impressive line-up including Paolo Nutini, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and local comedian Lucy Beaumont). Those attending on the Saturday can look forward to Tom Grennan, Holly Humberstone and Annie Mac, whilst Snow Patrol, Ed Cosens and Jon Richardson join Yard Act and Maximo Park on the Sunday.
26TH–28TH JULY
Hillsborough Park, Sheffield
tramlines.org.uk
Deer Shed Festival
Bombay Bicycle Club headline this summer’s Deer Shed Festival when live music, comedy, spoken word, sports, science, cinema and theatre entertain at Baldersby Park. Highlights include a performance by The Horne Section, Simon Armitage in conversation, live music from Back Chat Brass, a flash mob, and there’s plenty for your children to get involved in too, including puppet making and making rockets out of paper cups.
26TH–29TH JULY
Baldersby Park, Topcliffe
deershedfestival.com
Romeo and Juliet
The Montagues and the Capulets are at war, but when a Montague son falls in love with Capulet daughter a chain-reaction of events leads to a devastating end. Outdoor theatre company Illyria last performed this play 10 years ago, and they’re looking forward to bringing it to Bolton Abbey this July.
27TH JULY
Bolton Abbey, Skipton
boltonabbey.com
The Gruffalo & Stick Man
Children won’t want to miss this double bill of Julia Donalsdon and Axel Scheffler creations when Adventure Cinema will play both The Gruffalo and Stick Man on a giant open-air screen in the grounds of the beautiful Castle Howard.
28TH JULY
Castle Howard, near York
castlehoward.co.uk
Underneath the Stars Festival
Kate Rusby and Bill Bailey are just two of the big names heading to the Underneath the Stars Festival this summer which invites you to discover new music, learn new skills and make new friends – and this year you can join them in celebrating their 10th anniversary.
2ND–4TH AUGUST
Cinder Hill, Barnsley
underneaththestarsfest.co.uk
Humber Street Sesh
Humber Street Sesh returns to Hull Marina once again showcasing more than 100 acts and providing a platform for local and emerging artists. The BBC Music Introducing stage is returning, Hull’s own shoegaze band (a subgenre of indie and alternative rock), bdrmm will headline and it’s one of the biggest festivals of independent music, so you’d be a fool to miss it.
3RD AUGUST
Hull Marina
humberstreetsesh.co.uk
Saltburn Folk Festival
From nationally-acclaimed musicians to dance performances and storytelling, Saltburn Folk Festival champions creativity. As we celebrate our 25th year of publishing, this festival also celebrates its 25th anniversary and they’ll be celebrating the past, present, and future of folk with a line-up including Ouseburn Folk Choir, Saltburn Smugglers and Holly and the Reivers.
9TH–11TH AUGUST
Saltburn
saltburnfolkfestival.com
The Hatchling
A ground-breaking outdoor theatrical performance will see The Hatchling (a dragon the size of a double decker bus) build herself a nest and then attempt to take flight. Follow her journey across the city on August bank holiday weekend with intimate interactions and city-wide performances. The Hatchling is one element of a jam-packed programme for Wakefield’s ‘Our Year 2024’.
23RD–25TH AUGUST
Wakefield City Centre
experiencewakefield.co.uk
