Events

York Ice Trail, delivered by Make It York, is back on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th February 2026, from 10:30 am to 4pm. York BID is pleased to sponsor five sculptures, to spread footfall across the entire city. You can find the BID's Enchanted City sculptures at: Goodramgate Tower Street Micklegate Walmgate Bootham

Join York BID to help keep York looking its best by cleaning and repainting street furniture like bike racks, benches, bollards, and more on Tuesday 17th and Thursday 19th March. Each volunteering session runs from 9am to 1pm at King's Staith. To take part, register your place here.

The 13th edition of York's flagship cultural event series, Reignite, takes place on Wednesday 18th March at City Screen Picturehouse. This edition pulls back the curtain on some of York and North Yorkshire's most exciting creative businesses, demonstrating why York is a UNESCO Creative City. Event details: Date: Wednesday 18 March Time: 6pm onwards (doors…

Enjoy a spectacular free city-centre experience this spring as a giant inflatable octopus arrives for York BID's latest Family Friendly Saturday event. The giant octopus puppet is set to captivate crowds on Saturday 28th March 2026, with performances at 2pm, 4pm, and 6pm. Towering above onlookers, the friendly character features eight fully articulated tentacles and is…

Join us for our next Economic Snapshot Webinar on Thursday 23 April at 10:00am, where we will deliver a live demonstration of the new York Economic Data Hub and share practical guidance on how to make the most of its features. In this session, we will also unpack the key metrics shaping city centre performance in Q1 2026, benchmark York’s…

Reignite XIV will see the launch of the Creative Business Skills Academy, an initiative designed to bridge the gap between creative talent and commercial success, strengthening our region's role in the UK's £145 billion creative economy. Guests will hear from Mayor David Skaith and will gain insight into the future of York's creative economy. The…

Join the RNLI for this interactive session on throw bag training on Tuesday 12th May from 10am to 11am. The RNLI Waterside Responder scheme provides specialist training to hospitality staff, security staff, and waterside community members to help prevent drowning around rivers and waterways across the UK and Ireland. This training session is delivered by RNLI…

Join us for Reignite XV: Liftoff: Breaking In & Building Forward. The event takes place on 4th June from 6pm to 9pm at Temple Hall, York St John University. This year, we’re doing something different. In partnership with York St John Art & Design, Liftoff brings together over 150 new works from the next generation…

Meet Jumbo the Elephant in York! Standing at an incredible 2 metres tall and 1.3 metres wide, this life sized elephant puppet is a true show stopper. Fully roaming and wonderfully lifelike, don't miss this magical photo opportunity and memorable close-up encounter. Meet Jumbo the Elephant at the clock on Coney Street on Saturday 6th…