Local news

Entries for the 2026 Ilkley Half Marathon and Ilkley 5K will open next Monday [20th October], promising another unforgettable weekend of sport, community spirit, and scenic running in the heart of Wharfedale.

The finalists have been announced for the Telegraph & Argus Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Awards and three local businesses are in the running.

Northern is inviting Ilkley passengers to experience the magic of Leeds Light Night with a special £2 train fare into the city.

Ilkley Youth Choir Seniors had the honour and pleasure of opening for Italian piano virtuoso Mauro Bertolino at his concert in Bradford Cathedral last week as part of his global tour.

Ilkley Concert Club has announced its fifth series of afternoon concerts show-casing talented students from the Royal Northern College of Music [RNCM].

The Rotary Club of Ilkley Wharfedale have announced the date for the rescheduled Recycle Day cancelled earlier in the month due to the weather.

The Pumpkin Trail returns to Strid Wood at Bolton Abbey from Saturday 25th October to Sunday 3rd November 2025

A group of professional dog walkers from the Ilkley area have launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Emma Nelson, owner of Merry Paws in Burley, after rare, irreversible side effects from cancer treatment left her unable to safely run her business alone.

Last Saturday the centre of Ilkley was ringing with the amazing sound of almost one hundred voices joining together in song for ‘Come and Sing’.

Ideal Extraction Ltd in Ilkley has been announced as a finalist in the category ‘Builders of Tomorrow - Construction, Property and Engineering’ at the prestigious Yorkshire & Humberside Family Business Awards 2025.

Opening on Thursday 30th October in the Wharfeside Theatre at Ilkley Playhouse is The Unfriend by Steven Moffat. 

Almost half of the homes at a highly sought-after new Ilkley development by renowned Keighley based builders R N Wooler & Co, have already been reserved and sold - and a brand-new show home has just opened its doors.

Ilkley Literature Festival enters its final week with highlights including Hugh Bonneville, Sir Tony Robinson, and Jay Rayner.

The Sewing Shed in Ilkley is celebrating its 15th Anniversary this October.

One of Ilkley’s most popular charity events – the Over 90’s Party – treated many of the area’s oldest residents to an afternoon of music, nostalgia, and good food once again in September.

A planning application has been submitted to Bradford Council to create a new Banking Hub in the site of the former HSBC on Wells Road.

Fans of retro fashion and homeware will descend on Ilkley on Saturday 25th October for the Ilkley Vintage Fair.

Officers from the local Neighbourhood Policing Team are holding contact points in Ilkley and Addingham this week. 

Can Ilkley’s homes become warmer, greener and cheaper to run?

Ilkley local heroes are in the spotlight this month as a new campaign goes live to celebrate the people and organisations who give back to their community, with the chance to win a share of £1,500 in Ilkley Gift Cards.

Addingham Allotments & Gardens Association has partnered with the village Primary School once again this year to host PUMPKINFEST.

The Clarke Foley Community Hub has announced its inaugural Autumn Food & Drink Festival sponsored by The Ilkley Cow, bringing together a delectable array of local vendors and artisans for a celebration of food, drink, and community.

Ilkley Preschool, Ilkley’s longest standing provider of early years education since 1968, has relocated to new premises at Ilkley Cricket Club on Middleton Avenue.

Ilkley Cricket Club is marking 175 years of cricketing history with a spectacular Gala Ball on Friday 28 November 2025 at the Craiglands Hotel in Ilkley.

Local businesses gathered at The Craiglands Hotel last night, Wednesday 8th October, for the highly anticipated launch of the Ilkley Business Awards 2026.

Ilkley Manor House will host a new exhibition this November that spotlights the intimacy and resonance of textile art. 

One of the district’s most “precious heritage assets” will soon undergo major repairs to help secure its future.

Addingham Scouts, the team that ran the Ilkley Scare Trail from 2015 to 2020, and now run the massively successful Leeds Scare Trails are returning to Ilkley this year with The Ilkley Pumpkin Trail!

Rainfall from Storm Amy, which hit parts of Yorkshire over the weekend, resulted in a further boost to the region’s reservoir levels – meaning they have now increased for four weeks in a row.  

The Ilkley Pool and Lido Community Group has launched its 2026 fundraising calendar helping to ensure the future of this great community asset.

Ilkley Town Council has expressed strong objection to the decision of Bradford Council’s Executive Committee regarding proposed parking changes in Ilkley — including the limited compromise to retain approximately 160 one-hour free parking spaces near the town centre.

Ilkley Grammar School [IGS] brings its popular musical showcase back to the King’s Hall on Friday 7th November 2025, presenting an evening of diverse performances by talented students.

Outside the Box (OTB) joined the UK’s biggest poetry and performance festival recently hosted by the BBC in Bradford as part of the 2025 City of Culture celebrations.

‘Iconic Ilkley’ has launched this week, a new campaign showcasing the town’s breathtaking landscapes and creative community through high fashion, art, and sustainability, aimed at redefining Ilkley’s image and attracting a new, younger audience.

Ilkley Literature Festival continues as this week and highlights include Alan Davies, Mary Portas, and Simon Armitage.

Dame Jilly Cooper DBE, who grew up in Ilkley, has died at the age of 88. The much-loved author passed away Sunday morning after a fall, her publisher has confirmed.

Ilkley Musical Theatre Society [IMTS] has announced exciting things are happening within the group, a brand-new President, Gary Holmes – El Presidente, a new full committee and an influx of new members - the society is buzzing with creativity and energy.

Ben Rhydding based, Bramhope Beauty Clinic, has announced it will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most spray tans applied in 3 minutes on 26th October to raise awareness of skin health.

Ilkley & District Round Table is inviting community groups, charities, and local organisations across the area to apply for one-off grants to support their work.

The Friends of Ashlands Primary School have announced that Ilkley’s much-loved Bonfire & Fireworks Spectacular will return on Saturday 8 November 2025, taking place in the grounds of the school on Leeds Road.

Returning to the Clarke Foley Community Hub in Ilkley on Saturday October 11th is an unusual exhibition designed to appeal to all those with an interest in the pre-digital age.

Ilkley resident and property professional, Paul Wilson, will cycle the entire 127-mile length of the Leeds Liverpool Canal next Thursday [9 October] for The Principle Trust Children’s Charity.

Met Office Yellow warnings have been issued as Storm Amy will bring very strong winds and heavy rain to the Ilkley area over the next few days.

A Burley-in-Wharfedale nutritionist is celebrating five years in practice this October, after turning her own health struggles into a new career.

Ilkley Town Council has announced the return of the popular lantern parade as part of its annual Christmas Lights Switch On event, taking place on Saturday 22nd November 2025.

The Penny Bun in Askwith near Ilkley is one of the 20 cosiest pubs for autumn according to The Times newspaper.

Free one-hour parking will be scrapped on all but three streets in Ilkley as Bradford Council's Executive committee approve 'amended' parking plans.

Steel City Media and Humble Bikes are bringing back 'Bike Night' to Burley-in-Wharfedale on 25 October, in partnership with the Burley In Wharfedale Community Trust. 

Last call for £2 tickets! Northern's Flash Sale ends today - including routes to and from Ilkley.

The comment from an Addingham Moorside resident as she shines a light on the Community Day Services at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice – a team dedicated to helping people with life-limiting conditions to live well every day. 

Stagefright Comedy return to Ilkley Playhouse in November, Caroline Mutton takes a look ahead at the line-up and what else is coming soon for Your Ilkley.

St Margaret’s Church in Ilkley is inviting local community groups, charities, and schools to take part in the much-anticipated Ilkley Christmas Tree Festival 2025.

The Ilkley Beer Festival will return on Friday 13th and Saturday 14th February 2026, bringing two packed days of great beer, cider, gin, food, music, and entertainment to the King’s Hall and Winter Garden.

Ilkley Literature Festival opens this Friday 3 October with Nick Clegg and his latest book, How to Save the Internet.

Run Bolton Abbey 2025 is set to return this autumn.

Northern has launched a Flash Sale with three million tickets for journeys across the North of England available from just £2.

After 6 years since the initial idea and two years fundraising by the Burley-in-Wharfedale Community Trust and Parish Council, it been announced that a top quality pump and balance bike track will start construction early in 2026.

Ilkley District Councillor Andrew Loy has commented after Bradford Council announced last week that it had “listened to residents’ concerns” about parking proposals which include removing the 1-hour free street parking, and has offered an alternative.

Friends of Ilkley Riverside Parks have planted a memorial tree to honour the memory of their much-loved volunteer, Paul Timson.

The Addingham Beer Festival returns for its 13th year at Addingham Memorial Hall this weekend, Friday 3rd and 4th October 2025.

The Inspiring Ilkley textile exhibition is on display at Ilkley Manor House, celebrating Bradford UK City of Culture 2025.

Ilkley Grammar School is to hold an open day and evening on Wednesday, 1st October.

Ilkley MP Robbie Moore has visited Addingham Moorside to celebrate the latest round of tree planting delivered by the White Rose Forest, part of England’s Community Forests network.