The King and Queen descended on Bradford in a striking celebration of its rebirth as the UK city of culture 2025, touring revamped historic landmarks and championing youth, literacy, and heritage in a packed royal visit.

 Bradford opened its arms to royalty on 15 May as King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived in the heart of the city to kick-start the much-anticipated Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture celebrations. The visit blended music, magic, poetry, and historic memory in a dazzling showcase of community pride and creative resurgence.

Their Majesties began the day at Bradford Live, a newly restored art deco gem in the city centre that once served as the grand Odeon Cinema. After lying dormant for decades, the building has undergone a dramatic £50 million transformation, reborn as a premier venue for music and live entertainment. On their arrival, the King and Queen were met with a rousing performance from Paraorchestra, an inclusive ensemble of disabled and non-disabled musicians — a moving tribute to the city’s spirit of unity and innovation.

Inside the venue, they witnessed a lively rehearsal of Sing, Dance, Leap, an ambitious educational programme delivered by the Royal Ballet and Opera in collaboration with Northern Ballet and Opera North. Young dancers and performers, full of energy and hope, gave the royals a glimpse into Bradford’s next generation of cultural stars.

During a reception, His Majesty mingled with artists and creatives shaping the City of Culture programme. He also connected with young people from the King’s Trust, including Bradford’s own Steven Frayne — better known to millions as the street magician Dynamo. Once a struggling youth, Dynamo is now a global name and proud alumnus of the Trust that helped launch his career.

Later, the King toured Impact Hub Yorkshire, an enterprise hub that helps local businesses tackle social problems through sustainable methods. He spoke with innovators, community leaders, and entrepreneurs, all working to ensure Bradford’s revival goes hand-in-hand with inclusion and resilience.

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla championed literacy as she attended a National Literacy Trust (NLT) event. As Patron of the NLT, she met volunteer Literacy Champions and watched an emotional poetry performance by local schoolchildren. In a particularly charming moment, she boarded the Bradford Stories Bus — a repurposed American school bus turned literary haven — now parked in the city to encourage reading and writing among children.

As part of the Share Your Story campaign, Her Majesty joined two local poets and pupils taking part in a live poetry workshop. This ambitious project collects stories from across the region to create a ‘story cloud’ — a living archive of voices, memories, and dreams, which will culminate in a powerful soundscape poem later this year.

The Queen’s visit concluded with a trip into the soul of literary Britain — the village of Thornton, where she officially opened the Brontë Birthplace. The modest terraced house on Market Street, where Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë first drew breath, has now become a centre for literary inspiration. Children involved in the Be More Brontë initiative greeted Her Majesty with readings and reflections, celebrating the legacy of three sisters who redefined storytelling.

From gleaming theatre halls to the quiet whispers of literary ghosts, the royal visit painted a vivid picture of a city poised to rediscover itself — not through spectacle alone, but through the voices, passions, and dreams of its people. Bradford, once overlooked, now stands ready to tell its story to the world.