About the Festival

The Harrogate International Youth Festival of Performing Arts is Britain’s longest established and most successful youth music festival and takes place each Easter week in the historic spa town of Harrogate situated in the north of England. The Festival has featured performers from South Africa to Australia and the USA to China and offers visiting ensembles an opportunity to perform and meet with young people from across the world during their participation at this exciting event.

With guaranteed audiences at prestigious venues, the Festival offers your performers both a true cultural experience and ensures that your ensemble is linked with international excellence and creativity.

To view images and video of the 2008 Festival please visit the galleries.

In 2008 the Festival ran from 21st March – 28th March and venues in and around Harrogate resounded to the talent of several hundred young musicians from Canada, playing and performing together with the very best that the local area can offer. In a break with tradition, the 2008 Festival began with a major concert in the prestigious Harrogate International Centre on Easter Saturday, 22nd March. A feature of this event was the first performance of the Harrogate Festival Youth Band comprising top talent from local schools, youth bands and orchestras, and ably supported by our international guests - Woodlands, Chestermere and Central Memorial High Schools from Canada.

We were enormously proud to conclude this year’s event with the first major concert in the magnificent and recently refurbished Royal Hall on Thursday 27th March which featured our traditional conclusion of Massed Band, and Massed Choir - a truly wonderful finale to the Festival!

Tailor made stays at the Festival from 2 to 7 nights offer the ideal highlight for any UK tour incorporating full board accommodation, all concert, rehearsal and publicity arrangements and access to social events including Civic & Conductor Receptions hosted by the Mayor. In addition, our audience database continues to grow ensuring guaranteed and supportive audiences at every venue.

The Festival Programme