Bradford City of Culture at the half way mark

The City of Culture's live-action production of The Railway Children (July 15-September 7) is presented in a railway shed on the line used by the famous movie and features a real railway engine

We are at the half-way mark and Bradford City of Culture 2025's organisers reckon over 1.1 million people have experienced projects celebrating the district so far.

From sculptures in public parks to artistic interventions in old mills and unexpected outdoor spaces, from live music in the streets and on the moors, events have taken place in every Bradford ward - covering 141 square miles of West Yorkshire from the city centre to the moors.

Over 40,000 local people have participated in activities so far, involving more than 500 local artists and organisations.

Major exhibitions and performances still to come include a site-specific adaptation of The Railway Children as well as large-scale free outdoor-art festivals and the Turner Prize exhibition.

Over 100 primary and secondary schools, many home educators and over 11,000 pupils have benefited from the year's education programmes - such as 1,600 teenagers gaining hands-on experience in areas such as audio storytelling, 360-degree video, games design and projection mapping.

Around 37,000 people have visited exhibitions David Hockney: Pieced Together and YOU:MATTER at the National Science and Media Museum, which partially reopened in January and has undergone a £6.8m transformation.

Dan Bates, who is executive director of Bradford 2025, and creative director Shanaz Gulzar, said: “It’s been incredible to see how audiences have embraced Bradford 2025.

"The UK City of Culture designation has marked a step-change in how Bradfordians see themselves and how they interact with creativity. We’ve seen culture become a catalyst for pride, connection, opportunity and growth – and at six months in, Bradford’s time is just getting started.”

More info and the year's events here