This year’s Keighley Festival will concentrate several activities at single venues during its headline events to cut costs.

The ‘Festival goes to...’ theme will act as a blueprint for future years when organisers must make the best use of reduced budgets.

Chairman Malcolm Hanson said this year the festival was operating with £16,000 provided by Bradford Council, but in future years the Council would give only £8,000.

He said: “In the past we might have had a day with six events throughout the town. Now we will theme each day with events in one place. It saves us about 50 per cent of the costs. We already have more events than last year and it’s costing less money so it’s better value.

“We still plan to have 60 events next year.”

Mr Hanson said the money was being spent locally, much of it in small grants to local groups.

This year’s festival, dubbed The greatest show on Worth, will run from July 5-13 and offers arts, sport, music, dance or community events. The flagship events are:

  • a medieval day on Sunday, July 7, at Cliffe Castle Park with many family fun activities
  • East Riddlesden Hall will host historical and entertainment attractions on Tuesday, July 9, offering free admission to local people
  • Festival Goes to the Flicks the next day will mark the Picture House cinema’s 100th anniversary with films from 1913, specially-composed music and photographs
  • An Even More Amazing Night is this year’s concert at Victoria Hall on July 11, featuring songs and dances by hundreds of children
  • the festival finishes at Central Hall on Saturday, July 13m with a showcase for voluntary organisations and businesses, along with a singing workshop.

A leaflet with details of all festival events will be published soon.