Bradford Literature Festival (BLF) is delighted to announce we have been shortlisted as a finalist in the Yorkshire Post Tourism Awards 2025 for Event of the Year.
The Yorkshire Post Tourism Awards celebrate the very best of the region and Yorkshire’s tourism sector, shining a spotlight on outstanding service and quality. A full list of the 2025 finalists can be read here: Yorkshire Post Tourism Awards Finalists.
The Event of the Year award honours outstanding events that enhance Yorkshire’s tourism offer and create memorable experiences for attendees.
Bradford Literature Festival 2025 welcomed 187,366 visitors from 34 countries across ten days of vibrant, eclectic and thought-provoking events, set in the heart of the newly regenerated city centre.
From panel discussions to workshops and live performances, 524 artists delivered 752 events, including John Cooper Clarke, Ash Sarkar, Jeremy Corbyn, Reeta Chakrabarti, Celia Imrie, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Lemn Sissay, Grace Dent and Steph McGovern.
99% of audiences at this year’s festival recommend visiting BLF, with 94% agreeing BLF improves the national reputation of Bradford and Yorkshire, and 93% agreeing that BLF contributes to the social, cultural, and economic regeneration of Bradford and Yorkshire.
Syima Aslam, CEO and Artistic Director at Bradford Literature Festival, said, “I’m absolutely delighted that Bradford Literature Festival has been shortlisted for Event of the Year at the Yorkshire Post Tourism Awards. 2025 has been an extraordinary year for Bradford and for BLF. The festival was founded to create an international destination festival; deeply local, confidently global, and reflective of the richness of our creativity, diversity, and global heritage. This recognition is a wonderful tribute to everyone who helps make BLF such a vital part of Yorkshire’s cultural landscape.”
Award winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 1 December 2025. BLF would like to wish all the shortlisted finalists the best of luck.
Thank you to BLF’s sponsors, partners, audiences, artists and the whole festival team for their support in making BLF the leading literary and cultural event that it is.