As we reflect on Bradford Literature Festival (BLF) 2024, we wanted to share some unforgettable events caught on camera from this year’s festival. 2024 was a truly memorable year for BLF, with sold-out events, record-breaking audiences, international partnerships, plus BLF received the Yorkshire Post Tourism Award Culture Award 2024.
Take a look at the highlights of BLF 2024 here: Previous Festivals: BLF 2024.
We’d love to hear about your favourite BLF moments, too! Tag us on our social channels or leave BLF a review on Tripadvisor.
Immersive music at Sufiyana Kalaam
We were thrilled to welcome back the world-famous Orchestral Qawwali Project to BLF for a sold-out performance of Sufiyana Kalaam, following their performance at the Royal Albert Hall. The Orchestral Qawwali Project debuted at BLF in 2021, and now sell out music venues worldwide.
In conversation with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf joined us for three captivating events at BLF 2024: Great Books from Great Traditions, The Hamziyya of Imam Al-Busiri, and Places of Revelation. We were honoured to bring Shaykh Hamza’s insights from the popular Islamic Zaytuna Curriculum Series to this year’s festival and audiences in Bradford. All three of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf’s events sold out within 24 hours of being live on our website; it was amazing to see such a brilliant response from our audiences.
Thought-provoking discussion at Doha Debates
During BLF 2024 we were thrilled to host the UK’s first ever Doha Debates’ Town Hall event: Narrative Power: Is the West Promoting Social Justice? International students from the UK and Qatar had the opportunity to debate alongside panelists, Fatima Bhutto, Steve Clemons, and Konstantin Kisin, chaired by Remona Aly. As of December 2024, this episode of Doha Debates has over 29,000 views on YouTube.
Outdoor theatre in City Park
A crowd gathers in City Park ready to watch a live theatre performance during BLF’s Family Fun Days. Codswallop delighted families with four brilliant performances in the heart of Bradford’s city centre: Crash! Bang! Wallop!, Captain Sparklebeard and the Mysterious Merlion, Amelia and the Acorn, and Grizelda’s Mistake.
The Spirit of Togetherness: An Evening of Gospel
An incredible line-up of choirs and performers joined us for The Spirit of Togetherness: An Evening of Gospel. Joy and unity were at the heart of performances from The Celebration Choir, Hot Gospel, Huddersfield Community Choir, Mussanzi Family Choir, and the Krakow Gospel Choir, plus Chuks Ukor, Christella Litras, and Emem Archibong.
Discovering Roman Emperors with Mary Beard
We welcomed one of the UK’s favourite historians, Mary Beard, for an insightful conversation with Remona Aly on the emperors who ruled Ancient Rome, from Julius Caesar to Alexander Severus. Beard reminded the audience that “history is a conversation,” where only the voices of those alive are able to partake.
The best festival selfie with Miriam Margolyes
Without a doubt, the award for best festival selfie goes to Miriam Margolyes and Peg Alexander, plus over 1,000 delighted audience members at St George’s Hall. During her event, Margolyes shared heartwarming and hilarious stories from her life, and had the audience captivated with a monologue in character as Mrs Gamp from Charles Dickens’ Martin Chuzzlewit.
A celebration of poetry at Lyrical Mehfil
We loved this candle-lit reading from Jo Bell at this year’s Lyrical Mehfil, an annual Bradford Literature Festival event celebrating lyrical poetry. This year’s line-up of poets included Afra Atiq, joining us from Dubai, Palestinian poet Atef Alshaer, Carlos Andrés Gómez from the USA, and Yorkshire’s own John Siddique.
Husam Zomlot
Crowds waited in anticipation for the arrival of Husam Zomlot, Head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK, for his event at BLF 2024. Zomlot was welcomed with cheers and applause ahead of his talk with Channel 4 Foreign Affairs Correspondent Secunder Kermani in a wide-ranging debate on the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict, in which Zomlot reminded the audience of the importance of protecting the young.
Codswallop: Captain Sparklebeard with his theatrical pirate crew
Codswallop told legendary stories of pirates on the high seas during our Fantastic Folktales Family Fun Day – here we see Captain Sparklebeard and his crew in a search for the Mysterious Merlion.
BLF’s grand finale: Sacred Music
Sacred Music, held annually at Bradford Cathedral, provided a wonderful finale to Bradford Literature Festival 2024. Set against the beautiful cathedral interior, we watched amazing performances from The Celebration Choir, Al-Mustafa Nasheed Choir, Poulomi Chakraborty, Claire White-McKay, Abdullah Haqani, Terri Shaltiel, and Eeshar Singh.
Take a look at highlights from 10 years of BLF: Previous Festivals.