The York BID

Annual General Meeting
2025-07-16 18:00 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Malmaison, York, 2 Rougier Street, York, YO90 1UU, United Kingdom
York BID’s Annual General Meeting is taking place from 6-9pm on Wednesday 16th July 2025 at Malmaison.
This year marks 10 years of York BID and we’ll be celebrating with an engaging and informative evening, featuring Stephen Toal, Head of Property Management Insights at Savills, a nationally recognised expert in retail and leisure performance.
Stephen is widely respected for providing industry leading insights into retail & leisure performance, consumer behaviour, occupier opinion and much more – knowledge that shapes decision-making across the UK. Drawing on national trends and data, Stephen will offer valuable commentary on how York fits into the broader UK landscape.
The evening will also include the official launch of our new business plan, outlining bold priorities for the next phase of York BID’s work.
Book your spot here: York BID AGM 2025 | Eventbrite

Flock
2025-08-02 12:00 - 17:00
York BID is delighted to announce a special event as Flock – a herd of baa-rmy dancing sheep – arrive outside York Minster to celebrate Yorkshire Day!
Experience an unforgettable encounter with Flock as Heidi, Henrietta, and their adorable lambs dance outside York Minster and through Goodramgate on Saturday 2nd August from 12pm to 6pm.
Event Details:

Where: Outside York Minster
When: Saturday 2nd August, 2pm to 6pm with performances at 12:30pm, 2pm, 3:30pm, and 5pm
Free event – no tickets required

Support York
2025-08-05 - 2025-12-01
Shop local, win big, and keep High Petergate thriving during the Bootham Bar essential conservation works.
Running until December, Support York encourages residents and visitors to support businesses on High Petergate through a monthly £50 York Gift Card giveaway, and it couldn’t be easier to take part:

From Tuesday 5th August, spend £10 or more in any participating business.
Send a photo of your receipt to info@theyorkbid.com.
Wait to see if you’re a lucky winner!

Find out more here: Support York – The York BID

York's Biggest Rugby Ball Hunt
2025-08-14 11:00 - 17:00 | Parliament Street, Parliament Street, York
To celebrate the Women’s Rugby World Cup arriving in York, we’re hiding 100 rugby balls across York City Centre – find one and you’ll not only get to keep it, but you could also win tickets to the World Cup!
That’s not all! Parliament Street is turning into rugby central with free face painting, a surprise special guest, and local rugby clubs showing kids how to get stuck in.
📍 Parliament Street
📅 Thursday 14th August
⏰ 11am – 5pm
🏷️ FREE – no tickets required

Free Bike Marking
2025-09-03 09:30 - 14:00 | York Minster, Deangate, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 7HH, United Kingdom
York BID have partnered with North Yorkshire Police and SecureCycle York to provide free BikeRegister marking on Wednesday 3rd September, from 9:30am to 2pm at Minster Yard, York Minster.
Registering your bike only takes 5 minutes but can help reduce the likelihood of cycle theft by 83%!
Pop along on your lunch break – there’ll be a ‘speed lane’ for marking for all levy-paying businesses from 12-2pm.
The BID Street Rangers will be working with North Yorkshire Police on other anti-cycle-theft activities throughout the day.

September Rejuvenation Days
2025-09-09 09:00 - 2025-09-18 13:00
Join York BID to help keep York looking its best by cleaning and repainting street furniture like bike racks, benches, bollards, and more.
The September sessions will take place on Tuesday 9th, Thursday 11th, Tuesday 16th, and Thursday 18th September. Each session will run from 09:00 to 13:00 and we ask that volunteers wear clothing they are happy to risk getting paint on.
Find out more and sign up here: Rejuvenation Days | Eventbrite

Ghosts in the Gardens
2025-09-19 - 2025-11-02
Ghosts in the Gardens returns from Friday 19th September to Sunday 2nd November, with nearly 60 ethereal sculptures taking their place across the city.
Crafted in partnership with York-based creative team Unconventional Design, the translucent wire-mesh figures range from soldiers to monks, each one evoking a different layer of the city’s haunted past.
Ghosts in the Gardens remains free to enjoy, making it accessible to all.
Find out more here: Ghosts in the Gardens | York BID

Live for St Leonard's 2025
2025-09-19 17:00 - 2025-09-27 21:00 | Parliament Street, Parliament Street, York
York’s homegrown music festival is back! Live for St Leonard’s takes place every day between 5pm – 9pm, from Friday 19th to Saturday 27th September.
Live For St Leonard’s is a vibrant, homegrown music festival bringing nine days of outstanding live performances to the heart of York. Taking place on stages in Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square, the festival offers free-to-attend live music every evening from 5pm to 9pm, as part of the York Food & Drinks Festival
Held in support of St Leonard’s Hospice, the event invites visitors to give generously to this vital local charity. Our friendly staff and volunteers will be onsite throughout the festival to collect donations by cash or card. In September 2024, Live For St Leonard’s raised over £6,000, contributing to an impressive total of more than £20,000 since its launch in 2021.

Martyn's Law - Business Engagement Event
2025-09-25 18:00 - 21:00 | Impossible, York, 3 St. Helen's Square, YO1 8QN
Join us for an informative evening to find out more about Martyn’s Law, the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, and what it means for your business.
The free event will take place on Thursday 25th September, from 6pm, at Impossible York.
At this event, you’ll hear from:

Figen Murray OBE, Mother of Martyn Hett and the driving force behind Martyn’s Law, sharing the journey of Martyn’s Law to Royal Assent
Nathan Emmerich, a key figure behind the campaign to introduce Martyn’s Law to Parliament, discussing how businesses should use the Act to proactively consider their internal and external communication functions to mitigate risk and reduce instances of hostile reconnaissance
Inspector Jen Stockwell, giving a local policing perspective and practical advice for York businesses

You’ll also have the chance to put forward any questions about how Martyn’s Law will affect your business.

Register your place here: Martyn’s Law | Eventbrite

Reignite X: Exporting Ideas
2025-10-01 18:00 - 21:00 | York Theatre Royal, St Leonards Place, York, YO1 7HD
Join us for Reignite X: Exporting Ideas to explore how creativity developed here reaches national and international audiences and what that means for growth, collaboration, and opportunity across every sector. The event takes place from on Wednesday 1st October, 6pm – 9pm, at York Theatre Royal.
Featuring:

Delma Tomlin, National Centre for Early Music – on attracting 1M+ BBC Radio 3 listeners
Tim Leigh, Stage One – the 2025 Serpentine Pavilion by Marina Tabassum
Paul Crewes, York Theatre Royal – reflecting on their 35‑night sell‑out Gary Oldman production, which captured national and international media
attention from outlets including The Guardian, Evening Standard and The New York Times.
Curator, Marie-Anne McQuay, Liverpool Biennial – insights from the 2025 edition, BEDROCK, and its global legacy

York Restaurant Week
2025-10-13 - 2025-10-26
Discover delicious dining on a budget with York Restaurant Week. Enjoy a huge variety of offers on food and drink, from over 100 eateries in York city centre, all temptingly priced between £5 and £30.

York Restaurant Week will run for an extended 2-week period from Monday 13th to Sunday 26th October, giving diners even more opportunities to explore some of York’s best venues and indulge with friends and family.

Click the here to discover more.

Treemendous
2025-10-25 14:00 - 17:00 | Coppergate Centre, Coppergate Centre
York BID are delighted to announce a special event as Treemendous arrives in the Coppergate Centre.
Experience an unforgettable encounter as these treemendous giant tree creatures tower over you at a staggering 9ft tall. Find treemendous in the Coppergate Centre on Saturday 25th October, with performances at 2pm, 3:15pm, and 4:30pm.
Event Details:

Where: The Coppergate Centre
When: Saturday 25th October, with performances at 2pm, 3:15pm, and 4:30pm
Free event – no tickets required

Ghosts: The Untold History
2025-11-05 18:30 - 2025-11-09 21:00
Step into the past with an intimate journey through one of York’s hidden gems to uncover the secrets hidden in the Snickelways and shadows.
Enjoy a small group 40-minute tour through St Anthony’s Gardens, in a uniquely atmospheric setting. Uncover previously untold stories behind your favourite ghosts from York’s Ghosts in the Gardens, from cross dressing Vikings and filthy Anglo Saxon riddles to Victorian morality and much more.
Book your tickets here: www.ticketsource.co.uk/york-bid
This event is suitable for audiences ages 15+.

Reignite XI: Culture Makes Places
2025-11-06 18:00 - 21:00 | Yorkshire Museum
We’ve partnered with Aesthetica to bring you Reignite XI: Culture Makes Places, bringing together all of the UK’s UNESCO Creative Cities for an inspiring evening of presentations, discussion, and collaboration. Guests are invited to explore York’s UNESCO City of Media Arts EXPO afterwards, where 40 brilliant local businesses will be exhibiting.
Reignite XI is all about collaboration – how cities can learn from one another’s successes, challenges, and ambitions.
Reignite XI takes place on Thursday 6th November from 6pm to 9pm at the Yorkshire Museum. Register your spot here: Reignite XI | Eventbrite

York Nutcracker Trail
2025-11-13 - 2026-01-04
The York Nutcracker Trail runs from Thursday 13th November to Sunday 4th January.
This year’s theme is a kid’s takeover! Each nutcracker has been designed by a school-aged child from York and re-created by talented local artist, MarcoLooks. Find all ten and collect their names on your trail map to enter the prize draw for a £250 York Gift Card. that’s not all – by answering the bonus question, you could win an art hamper filled with goodies from the artist.
Pick up a leaflet from the Visitor Information Centre or visit York Nutcracker Trail – The York BID to get started.

Winter Lights
2025-11-13 - 2026-02-08
York’s Winter Lights display is back! Enjoy a dazzling light display with 175,000 lights stretching 15km and illuminating more than 50 streets.
Keep an eye out for the giant illuminated post box in Museum Gardens and the projection of falling snow in St Helen’s Square – perfect photo spots!

Autumn Budget Business Brunch
2025-11-28 10:00 - 12:00 | York St John University, Lord Mayor's Walk, York, YO31 7EX, United Kingdom
We’re partnering with HSBC Bank UK and York St John University to bring you a post-budget brunch as part of the York Business Festival.
Hear expert analysis from HSBC’s Senior Economist, Chris Hare, on the Autumn Budget and it’s impact on your business, just a couple days after the announcement by central government. There’ll also be the chance to connect with others over brunch.
The event takes place on Friday 28th November, 10am to 12pm. Register your spot here: Autumn Budget Business Brunch | Eventbrite.

Reignite XII: The Future of Culture
2026-01-22 18:00 - 21:00 | Yorkshire Museum
Join us for the launch of York’s Cultural Strategy at Reignite XII: The Future of Culture.
The event takes place on Thursday 22nd January from 6pm to 9pm at the Yorkshire Museum, with a late event at York Art Gallery.
Attendees will hear from Laura Pye, Director of National Museums Liverpool, and Esme Ward, Director of Manchester Museum. Reignite XII will also see the launch of the York Culture Strategy, outlining the city’s vision for arts, heritage, and cultural development.

Shop York
2026-01-31 - 2026-03-22
Shop York is returning on Saturday 31st January to celebrate York’s high streets.
Delivered by York BID in partnership with Indie York, Shop York invites shoppers to spend £50 in 50 days, across more than 100 participating high street businesses.
Each time a shopper spends £10 in a participating business, they receive one sticker in their passport. Once five stickers have been collected, shoppers can enter the incredible prize draw, with the top prize of a £500 York Gift Card!
Pick up a Shop York passport from the Visit York Information Centre on Parliament Street or from participating businesses across the city from 31st January 2026.

Colour & Light
2026-02-04 18:00 - 2026-02-22 21:00
Colour & Light is back and bigger than ever! For the first time, two of York’s landmark buildings will be illuminated together, as York Castle Museum and Clifford’s Tower become a combined canvas for a fully choreographed show, transforming the Eye of York.
The free event will take place from 4th to 22nd February 2026, with the show running every 10 minutes from 6pm to 9pm.
Colour & Light 26 is brought to you by York BID, in partnership with York Museum Trust, English Heritage, and Double Take Projections. It is made possible thanks to funding from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.

York Ice Trail
2026-02-07 10:30 - 2026-03-08 16:00
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

York Restaurant Week
2026-03-09 - 2026-03-22
York Restaurant Week returns from 9th to 22nd March 2026, giving diners a full two weeks to enjoy exclusive offers across the city.
More than 100 venues are taking part this March, offering everything from casual lunches and sweet treats to global cuisines and fine dining experiences. Offers are priced between £5 and £30, making it easier than ever to dine out on any budget. With two weeks to explore, diners can take advantage of great deals while experiencing the very best of York’s hospitality scene.
York Restaurant Week offers can be found and downloaded at www.yorkrestaurantweek.co.uk from Monday 23rd February.

Rejuvenation Days
2026-03-17 09:00 - 2026-03-19 13:00 | King’s Staith, King's Staith, York, YO1 9SN, United Kingdom
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.

Reignite XIII: Production & Creative Technologies
2026-03-18 18:00 - 21:00
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 open 5.30pm)
Venue: City Screen Picturehouse, York
Book Your Free Tickets Here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/reignite-xiii-production-creative-technologies-tickets-1982494342947?aff=oddtdtcreator

Giant Inflatable Octopus
2026-03-28 14:00 - 18:30 | King’s Staith, King's Staith, York, YO1 9SN, United Kingdom
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 brought to life by a skilled puppeteer, creating a striking spectacle and memorable photo opportunity for all ages.
The event will take place at King’s Staith and surrounding area. If King’s Staith is inaccessible due to high river levels, performances will move to the Eye of York – the open space in front of York Castle Museum and Clifford’s Tower.
This is a free event with no tickets needed.

Tommy Treebark's Wild Adventure
2026-04-10 - 2026-09-13
Tommy Treebark’s Wild Adventure has returned from 10th April to 13th September 2026, with new animals to discover around the city.
Track down 55 wild Yorkshire animals hidden on brightly coloured benches throughout the city centre.
Pick up a trail leaflet from the Visit York Information Centre on Parliament Street to get started. Find all 55 animals and return your completed leaflet to claim a free prize – with a choice of a Tommy Treebark badge, soft toy, or mini beast viewer (while stocks last).

York Art Trail
2026-04-20 - 2026-09-30
As the weather’s getting warmer, it’s the perfect time to discover the York Art Trail! These striking murals are here to help animate York’s shopping streets, adding a pop of colour and breathing new life into city centre spaces.
Find out more here: York Art Trail – The York BID

Economic Snapshot Webinar
2026-04-23 10:00 - 11:00
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 results against national trends, and explore what these insights mean for your business.
Sign up here: Economic Snapshot Webinar

Reignite XIV
2026-05-05 18:00 - 21:00 | York St John University, Lord Mayor's Walk, York, YO31 7EX, United Kingdom
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 event takes place on Tuesday 5th May, 6pm-9pm, at York St John University. Register your place here: Reignite XIV: Creative Entrepreneurship Tickets, Tuesday, May 5 • 6 PM – 9 PM | Eventbrite

Waterside Responder Scheme
2026-05-12 10:00 - 11:00 | Revolution York, Coney Street, York, YO1 9NA, United Kingdom
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 and coordinated by York BID through York PubWatch.
Register your free place here: Waterside Responder Session
