Running from 20th July to 31st August 2026, the retail hub will transform into a lively fairground installation complete with various interactive elements explicitly designed to keep children active and entertained while schools are out.

At the heart of the summer-long event are six themed Thursday workshops, giving young visitors a chance to learn distinct performance skills and step directly into the carnival story.

The programme launches with a Circus Skills Academy, where children can try their hand at plate spinning and juggling before taking home an official completion certificate. The following week, Clown College moves into the centre, offering playful training, lighthearted challenges, and a funny-walk competition where participants graduate with an official diploma.

In the third week, young guests step into the role of ringmaster by decorating colourful custom carnival flags to wave throughout the season. The Circus Skills Academy returns for week four, introducing diabolo tricks and beginner-level stilt-walking inside a highly safe, fully supervised environment.

Week five welcomes the Carnival Costume Studio, hosted by character Madame Magnifique, where children can design and assemble their own carnival crowns, masks, or hats. The six-week schedule then culminates in a joyful mini carnival parade, inviting the children to proudly showcase their handcrafted creations and newly acquired skills in an energetic procession around the shopping centre.

Ian Ward, General Manager at The Broadway, welcomed the summer launch: “We’re bringing a burst of carnival colour and creativity to Bradford this summer. Our six‑week programme is all about giving families memorable experiences during the school holidays, and we can’t wait to welcome children from across the city to join the fun and become part of the carnival magic.”

The entire six-week schedule is designed to inject positive energy and community spirit into the heart of the city, offering local parents a completely free, accessible, and structured way to maximise family fun over the summer holidays.

For more details regarding specific workshop times or to plan your visit, head to the official web portal at www.broadwaybradford.co.uk.

From a 1966 icon finishing out his playing days in West Yorkshire to current Three Lions superstars who cut their teeth wearing the claret and amber, the club’s ties to the national squad run surprisingly deep.

Here is a retrospective look at the five players with Bradford City connections who have carried England’s hopes on the world stage—plus one hometown hero who just narrowly missed out.

Jordan Pickford

• Position: Goalkeeper
• England Career: 2017–Present
• Bradford City Career: 2014–2015

The BCAFC Connection: Long before he became the undisputed England number one, a 20-year-old Jordan Pickford arrived at Valley Parade on a season-long loan from Sunderland. During the 2014–15 League One campaign, he made 33 appearances for the Bantams, becoming a massive fan favorite for his incredible reflexes and already world-class distribution.

The Wider Career: What hasn’t Pickford done on the international stage? Moving to Everton in 2017, he quickly cemented himself as the go-to goalkeeper for the national team. Pickford famously won England’s first-ever World Cup penalty shootout against Colombia in 2018, won the Golden Glove at Euro 2020, and remains the cornerstone of the England defense across multiple World Cup campaigns, including the 2026 tournament in North America.

Fabian Delph

• Position: Midfielder / Left-back
• England Career: 2014–2019
• Bradford City Career: 2000–2001

The BCAFC Connection: A true homegrown story, Delph was born and raised right here in Bradford. He began his footballing journey in the Bradford City youth academy during the 2000–01 season. While he was eventually snapped up by Leeds United’s academy, his footballing roots will always remain deeply tied to his hometown club.

The Wider Career: Delph evolved into a tireless, versatile, and highly intelligent midfielder. He enjoyed a stellar career with Aston Villa and Manchester City, winning two Premier League titles with the latter. Gareth Southgate heavily relied on Delph’s versatility during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he made four tournament appearances to help England secure an unforgettable run to the semi-finals.

Ray Wilson

• Position: Left-back
• England Career: 1960–1968
• Bradford City Career: 1970–1971

The BCAFC Connection: Wilson joined Bradford City in the twilight of his illustrious career, signing for the club in 1970. He played out his final season of professional football at Valley Parade and even briefly stepped up as caretaker manager for the Bantams in 1971.

The Wider Career: Wilson is genuine English football royalty. He was the starting left-back for Sir Alf Ramsey’s legendary 1966 World Cup-winning squad, famously lifting the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley alongside Bobby Moore. Spending the vast majority of his career at Huddersfield Town and Everton, Wilson is universally remembered as one of the finest defenders England has ever produced.

Chris Waddle

• Position: Winger / Attacking Midfielder
• England Career: 1985–1991
• Bradford City Career: 1996–1997

The BCAFC Connection: Nearing the end of his playing days, “Magic” Chris Waddle brought his immense talent to Valley Parade for a brief but highly memorable stint in 1996. He played a handful of games in claret and amber, offering Bantams fans a fleeting glimpse of one of the era’s most technically gifted wingers.

The Wider Career: Waddle was a staple of the England national team throughout the 1980s and early 90s, earning 62 caps. He was a crucial part of the squads that reached the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and the heartbreaking semi-final of the 1990 World Cup in Italy. At club level, he enjoyed massive success with Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Sheffield Wednesday, and Marseille.

Stephen Warnock

• Position: Left-back
• England Career: 2008–2010
• Bradford City Career: 2002

The BCAFC Connection: Long before he became an established Premier League defender, Warnock was a young Liverpool academy prospect in need of senior experience. In 2002, he arrived at Valley Parade on loan, making 12 appearances for Bradford City and even scoring his first-ever senior professional goal while playing for the club.

The Wider Career: Warnock went on to have a highly successful top-flight career, making significant impacts at Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, and Aston Villa. His consistently strong performances at club level earned him the attention of Fabio Capello, who selected Warnock for the final 23-man England squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Honourable Mention: Tom Cleverley

• Position: Midfielder
• England Career: 2012–2013
• Bradford City Career: 1998–2000

While he never officially made it onto the pitch at a World Cup tournament, Tom Cleverley absolutely deserves a mention on this list. Born in Basingstoke but raised in Bradford, Cleverley spent two years in the Bradford City youth academy between 1998 and 2000 before being scouted by Manchester United.

Cleverley went on to win the Premier League under Sir Alex Ferguson and earned 13 caps for the England senior team. He was heavily involved in the national squad’s qualification campaigns and was placed on the standby list for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, just narrowly missing out on the final squad selection.

But why?

The answer takes you back to 14th-century Bradford, when much of the land was thick medieval forest owned by John of Gaunt, son of Edward III and Lord of the Manor. The woods around Cliffe Wood (where the cathedral now stands) were home to a ferocious wild boar that had been terrorising local people, blocking access to the well they depended on for water.

John of Gaunt put up a reward: kill the boar and bring him the head.

Many tried. Many failed. Until a man named John Northrop finally succeeded, killing the beast but finding its head too heavy to carry on foot. So he cut out the tongue as proof and went to claim his reward.

Then things got complicated.

A traveller passing through the forest stumbled on the dead boar. Seeing an opportunity, he loaded the head onto his horse and arrived at the Manor House before Northrop, ready to claim the prize for himself.

He was just about to receive it when Northrop walked in.

And presented the tongue.

John of Gaunt examined the boar’s head, found it tongueless, and awarded the reward, and a plot of land, to its rightful winner.

That tongueless boar’s head has sat atop Bradford’s coat of arms ever since. Look closely next time you see it. The BBC went in search of Bradfordians who knew the story and found that many didn’t, including a man who had lived in the city since 1961.

An 18-year-old Bradford College student named Falek Ahmed put it simply: “There used to be loads of boars in medieval times. Lots of the land round here was forest.” (BBC News)

She’s right. And Bradford has been honouring the man who killed one of them for nearly 700 years.

Source: BBC News

Running throughout the school summer holidays from 18th July to 31st August 2026, the interactive experience is heavily inspired by the museum’s current temporary exhibition, Setting the Stage: 70 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest. The curated activities are designed to bring the magic of performance, music, and stagecraft to life, giving visitors of all ages the chance to step directly into the spotlight.

The headline interactive feature is the Recycled Remix Lab (tickets priced at £2 per child, under-5s and adults free). In this hands-on workshop, children can give old electronic devices a new lease of life while experimenting with physical vibrations, acoustics, and simple circuits to create their own unique musical beats.

A wide variety of completely free activities are also included alongside general museum admission. Families can take part in neon silent discos, dive into dressing-up stations, and capture memories at dedicated pop star photo opportunities. A self-guided Pop Academy trail will also run across the entire venue, allowing visitors to hunt down historic musical objects from the museum’s permanent collections.

For those looking to test their musical trivia, a free Setting the Stage interactive game show will run daily, led by the museum’s expert team of Explainers. The show ties directly into the main exhibition, which highlights the broadcast technology that has powered the Eurovision Song Contest over the last seven decades.

Extending the musical theme, Pictureville Cinema’s popular Kids’ Club will get a Pop Academy makeover. Special Saturday editions will feature high-energy sing-along screenings of family favourites like Frozen and Moana. An extended program of daily family films will also run all summer, keeping holiday entertainment budget-friendly with all Kids’ Club tickets priced at just £3.

Beyond the music schedule, visitors can still explore the museum’s permanent interactive spaces. This includes the hands-on light and sound experiments in Wonderlab, and the Sound and Vision galleries, where guests can try their hand at live radio broadcasting or explore the history of practical special effects for film and TV.

Other summer highlights include the return of the retro gaming zone Power Up (entry £3), featuring classic consoles from the 1970s arcade boom up to modern releases, and daily documentary screenings on Yorkshire’s largest IMAX screen.

General museum admission remains completely free, though entry slots must be pre-booked online ahead of arrival.

City Road Pharmacy is a well-established, standard-hours community pharmacy that dispenses an average of 8,784 prescription items per month. Alongside traditional dispensing, it provides a comprehensive range of NHS and private services, including Pharmacy First treatments, vaccinations, emergency contraception, and a free local delivery service.

Occupying a prominent corner position on City Road, a major arterial route directly into Bradford city centre, the pharmacy sits on a busy local shopping parade, benefiting heavily from surrounding independent businesses that help drive strong daily footfall.

The business had been owned and operated by Rekha Taheem for over 20 years and was brought to market to allow her to transition into retirement. To ensure a seamless handover, Rekha will remain working within the business on a part-time basis for approximately one year to support the incoming management team.

Following a confidential sales process managed by Jon Booth at Christie & Co, the pharmacy was purchased by Siddique Pharmacy Limited for an undisclosed price. The buyer is a prominent, family-owned business that already operates two existing branches in Bradford—both located within less than two miles of City Road, alongside two additional branches in Halifax. This latest acquisition directly supports the group’s strategic expansion plans, with owner Mo Siddique and his three pharmacist children actively looking to grow their regional portfolio.

Rekha Taheem, the former owner, commented: “After over 20 years as a pharmacy contractor serving the local community in Bradford, it was a difficult decision to retire. It is great to see the business moving into the hands of a local family who are experienced operators, and I wish them the greatest of success in taking over the business I have loved for so many years!”

Mo Siddique, the new owner of Siddique Pharmacy Limited, added: “We are delighted to acquire City Road Pharmacy from former owner, Rekha. We are committed to maintaining the same high standard of service Rekha has provided to all customers. We will ensure continuity throughout our ownership while maintaining the trust and relationships Rekha has built over the years.”

Jon Booth, Director of Pharmacy at Christie & Co, noted that while Bradford has historically been a challenging market for pharmacy sales, localised expertise helped secure a fantastic result. He welcomed the transition of the community asset into the hands of an established family group where a second generation of pharmacists is successfully driving company growth.

The team is dropping a mind-blowing 10 tonnes of unopened, unclaimed packages rescued straight from major online shopping sites. Instead of these orphaned parcels sitting in a landfill, you get to buy an unopened mystery parcel in Bradford and dig for whatever goodies are hidden inside.

The catch? It’s a race against the clock. Shoppers get a strict 10-minute time slot to scramble through the mountain of boxes and pick their absolute favourites. Everything is sold purely by weight at a flat rate of £2.50 per 100 grams. You won’t have a clue what you’ve actually bought until you pay and rip the box open. Previous hunters across Europe have struck absolute gold, walking away with genuine gold bars, luxury Rolex watches, and high-end Prada accessories alongside everyday gadgets, clothes, and bizarre impulse buys.

The pop-up will set up shop directly in front of Next on the main floor. Doors are open from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. General entry is completely free, but because these events attract massive crowds of over a million people, organisers strongly advise snagging a £15 fast pass online ahead of time to skip the crazy queues. Teens under 16 will need an adult supervisor with them to join the hunt.

Killian Denis, CEO and Co-Founder of King Colis, said:

“We are thrilled to bring King Colis to Yorkshire for the very first time. Every single package has a story. Some contain practical everyday items, while others reveal extraordinary finds. We can’t wait to see what treasures shoppers in Bradford discover!”

Ian Ward, General Manager at The Broadway, Bradford, added:

“We are delighted to host King Colis’ first-ever Yorkshire pop-up and bring this exciting and sustainable shopping experience to Bradford. The launch has generated a great deal of anticipation, and we look forward to seeing what hidden treasures our visitors uncover.”

The exhibition takes visitors behind the scenes of seven decades of broadcasting history, from the early Marconi Mk III cameras that made the first transnational broadcasts possible to the modern high-tech headsets used for today’s high-energy routines.

Attendees can get hands-on with interactive displays, including a Nil Points Jukebox that explores the famous voting system, a projection-mapped dress showcasing digital innovation, and a dedicated performance space where guests can take to the stage themselves.

Beyond the technology, the display features iconic outfits, archive footage, and memorabilia from the global fan community. The exhibition’s launch coincides with a Big Family Party this Saturday, 16th May, featuring live music, a silent disco, and crafts to kick off the museum’s summer programme.

The project, titled REPLAY, transformed iconic props from the show’s 15-year history into an adventure playground. Materials originally used for physical challenges, including rolls of red and blue carpet, rugby posts, locker-room seating, and light sticks, were reimagined as tunnels, climbing walls, and imaginative play structures. This initiative followed the show’s final episode in December 2025, after which over 5,600 items were donated to various UK organisations.

The donation, valued at £50,000, was managed by sustainable production experts PropUp Project in partnership with Sky and CPL Productions. The project highlights a growing shift toward sustainability in the TV industry, ensuring that expensive materials find a second life in community spaces rather than ending up as waste.

Fiona Ball, Group Director of Sustainability at Sky, said: “A League of Their Own has always been about big characters and big moments – so it feels fitting that some of its most memorable props are now bringing joy in completely different ways. Seeing items that once lit up the studio go on to support local communities is a brilliant example of how the legacy of a show doesn’t have to end when the final episode airs.”

Kate Allan, Co-Founder of PropUp Project, added: “This collaboration demonstrates that sustainability and community impact can go hand in hand. The props we see on screen every day can become vital resources for people and truly have the power to change lives.”