Please note: Event details can change, so please check with the organiser or venue before travelling. Need help finding something? Email info@harrogateuk.co.uk and we’ll be happy to help.

What’s On This Weekend in Harrogate, Knaresborough & Ripon – 20+ Events, Live Music, Heritage & Family Fun

Friday 11 – Sunday 13 September 2026

Looking for something to do this weekend? Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon are packed with events, from free Heritage Open Days and historic buildings to live music, theatre, family entertainment and a major wellbeing festival.

This weekend also marks the start of Heritage Open Days, running from 11–20 September, opening the doors to fascinating buildings and attractions across the district – with many events completely FREE.

📍 HARROGATE

🏛 Heritage Open Days Begin

Friday marks the start of ten days celebrating Harrogate’s history and heritage.

The 2026 programme includes the Odeon Cinema’s 90th anniversary, Harrogate Theatre heritage events, Valley Gardens walks, heritage plaque trails, cemetery walks, Commonwealth War Graves tours, churches and other historic buildings.

Many events are FREE, making this one of the best weekends of the year to discover a different side of Harrogate.

🎭 Dial M for Murder – Harrogate Theatre

📍 Harrogate Theatre, Oxford Street, Harrogate, HG1 1QF

Catch the classic crime thriller Dial M for Murder, running until Saturday 12 September.

Expect suspense, twists and plenty of drama in one of the best-known thrillers of the stage.

🎪 Planet Circus OMG

📍 Harrogate – check event information for the circus site at https://planetcircusomg.com/

Looking for something for the family? Planet Circus OMG is in Harrogate from 9–20 September, bringing big-top entertainment to town.

🎸 Josh Ozturk at Katie O’Brien’s

Friday 11 September – 8pm

📍 Katie O’Brien’s Irish Tavern, 2–4 The Ginnel, Harrogate, HG1 2RB

Start the weekend with live acoustic music from Josh Ozturk.

🎶 Dirty Ruby at The Blues Bar

Friday 11 September – 9pm

📍 The Blues Bar, 4 Montpellier Parade, Harrogate, HG1 2TJ

Live blues and roots music from Dirty Ruby at one of Harrogate’s best-known live music venues.

🌿 Harrogate Health, Healing & Wellbeing Festival

Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 September

📍 Pavilions of Harrogate, Great Yorkshire Showground, Railway Road, Harrogate, HG2 8NZ

A full weekend dedicated to health, healing, wellbeing and complementary therapies, with exhibitors and experiences to explore.

🕺 Top Banana 80’s Party Night

Saturday 12 September – 7pm

📍 The Bilton Club, Skipton Road, Harrogate, HG1 4LL

Get ready for an evening of 1980s nostalgia, music and partying in Bilton.

🎵 Blind Monkeys at The Blues Bar

Sunday 13 September – 9pm

📍 The Blues Bar, 4 Montpellier Parade, Harrogate, HG1 2TJ

Round off the weekend with Blind Monkeys performing live.

⛪ St Wilfrid’s Church, South Stainley – FREE

Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 September – 11am–5pm

📍 St Wilfrid’s Church, South Stainley, Harrogate, HG3 3NE

Visit as part of Heritage Open Days. Admission is free and no booking is required.

🌳 Take a Walk Through Valley Gardens

📍 Valley Gardens, Valley Drive, Harrogate, HG1 2SZ

Not everything needs a ticket. Valley Gardens is open throughout the weekend and is an easy addition to a day exploring Harrogate.

📍 KNARESBOROUGH

🌳 Knaresborough Forest Exhibition – FREE

Friday 11, Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 September – 10am–4pm

📍 Knaresborough Heritage Centre, 12 High Street, Knaresborough, HG5 0EQ

This free exhibition explores the fascinating story of Knaresborough Forest through audiovisual displays.

It’s easy to combine with Knaresborough Castle, the Market Place, Waterside and the riverside for a full day exploring the town.

🎸 Rust For Glory – Tribute to Neil Young

Saturday 12 September – 7.30pm

📍 Frazer Theatre, Off High Street, Knaresborough, HG5 0EQ

Fans of Neil Young can enjoy an evening celebrating his music as Rust For Glory takes to the stage.

📍 RIPON

Ripon has an exceptionally busy weekend, with Heritage Open Days and the Ripon International Festival providing everything from historic buildings and hidden tours to classical music and live entertainment.

Best of all, many of the heritage attractions are FREE.

Friday 11 September

• ⛪ Holy Trinity Church Heritage Open Day – 10am–4pm – FREE
  📍 Kirkby Road, Ripon, HG4 2EY
• ⛪ St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church – 10.30am–3.30pm – FREE
  📍 Coltsgate Hill, Ripon, HG4 2AB
• 🏰 Clifton Castle Tour – 11am–12pm – FREE
  📍 Clifton Castle, near Masham, Ripon, North Yorkshire
• 🏛 The Gazebo – 1pm–4pm – FREE
  📍 Park Street, Ripon, HG4 2AX
• 📚 Afternoon Tea with Miranda Mills – 4pm–6pm – £10
  📍 The Little Ripon Bookshop, 13 Westgate, Ripon, HG4 2AT
• 📜 Markenfield Hall Archives Talk – 7.30pm–9pm
  📍 Markenfield Hall, near Ripon, HG4 3AD
• 🎶 The Music of ABBA by Candlelight – 7.30pm–10pm
  📍 Ripon Cathedral, Minster Road, Ripon, HG4 1QT

Saturday 12 September

• ⛪ Medieval Chapel of St Mary Magdalen – 9.30am–5pm – FREE
  📍 Magdalens Road, Ripon, HG4 1HX
• 🔧 Ripon Repair Café – 10am–1pm
  📍 Ripon – check organiser information for the latest venue details
• 🏛 Chapel & Hospital of St Anne – 10am–4.30pm – FREE
  📍 High St Agnesgate, Ripon, HG4 1QR
• 🔑 Ripon Town Hall Open Day & Hidden Tours – 10.30am–3pm – FREE
  📍 Ripon Town Hall, Market Place South, Ripon, HG4 1DD
• ⛪ St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church – 10.30am–3.30pm – FREE
  📍 Coltsgate Hill, Ripon, HG4 2AB
• 🏛 The Gazebo – 1pm–4pm – FREE
  📍 Park Street, Ripon, HG4 2AX
• 🎶 Yorkshire Voices Choir at Newby Hall – 1.30pm
  📍 Newby Hall & Gardens, Skelton-on-Ure, Ripon, HG4 5AE
• ⛪ Holy Trinity Church – 2pm–5pm – FREE
  📍 Kirkby Road, Ripon, HG4 2EY
• 🎻 Wild Men of the Baroque – 7.30pm – £25
  📍 St John’s Church, Sharow, Ripon, HG4 5BJ
• 🎵 Live Music at Ripon Bowling Club – 8pm–10.30pm
  📍 Ripon Bowling Club, Bondgate Green, Ripon, HG4 1QW

Sunday 13 September

• 🚂 Ripon & District Light Railway – 10am–4pm – FREE
  📍 Check Heritage Open Days event information for the exact access point
• ⛪ St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church – 10.30am–3.30pm – FREE
  📍 Coltsgate Hill, Ripon, HG4 2AB
• 📰 The Portly Post: Experience Life at the Ripon Gazette – 1pm–4pm – FREE
  📍 Ripon – check Heritage Open Days information for the event location

⭐ DON’T MISS: Heritage Open Days

If you’re looking for one reason to get out and explore this weekend, Heritage Open Days should be high on the list.

From historic churches and hidden buildings to guided walks, exhibitions, railway heritage and behind-the-scenes tours, there are opportunities across Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.

And the biggest bonus? Many of them won’t cost you a penny.

📅 Coming Up on Monday

🎭 Lempen Puppet Theatre – The Golden Princess

Monday 14 September – 2.30pm

📍 North Stainley Village Hall, The Square, North Stainley, Ripon, HG4 3JT

Part of the Ripon International Festival, this family-friendly puppet theatre performance falls just outside our Friday-to-Sunday weekend guide but could be a great choice for anyone extending their weekend into Monday.

Please check directly with individual venues and organisers before travelling, as dates, times, prices, addresses and availability can change.