More details about NDF
THE ENGLISH NATIONAL DIALECT FESTIVAL COMES TO BRADFORD – AND THE WEST RIDING
The English National Dialect Festival is an annual event, and in 2026 on the weekend of October 16th to 18th, it returns to Yorkshire, in this instance to Bradford, where of course in 1897 the Yorkshire Dialect Society, the world’s first Dialect Society, was established. The Festival will be based at the luxurious and historic Midland Hotel, Cheapside, Bradford (next to Forster Square Station) BD1 4HU
For this, the 16th Festival, there will be delegates from all over England – – Northumberland, Lincolnshire, the West Midlands, the West Country, Cornwall, East Anglia, perhaps even the South East and as always, a strong delegation from our neighbours in Lancashire.
But the event is also open of course to all members of the Yorkshire Dialect Society, and you are welcome to come along and take part or just listen and enjoy the events and performances as a spectator.
There will actually be Competitions you can enter for :
- Writing in any English dialect
- Writing in any Yorkshire dialect East, North and West Riding
- Performance of any dialect piece (No piece to be longer than 5 minutes)
- Song, story and prose accepted
If you’d like to enter any of the competitions please contact sid@sidcalderbank.co.uk or 07778 933879 for more info.
The cost of a full residential weekend ticket will be £239 for one person for single room occupancy or £370 for two people with double room occupancy: to include 2 nights Dinner B&B and, Saturday lunch and two tea/coffee breaks. Depending on numbers (maximum 54) diners will be together in a private dining room and therefore menu selections will need to be made as soon as possible in advance, when the hotel will request final payment. Once you have booked the hotel will contact you directly.
However, the Saturday day and evening visitor ticket will be £31 and will include lunch and tea/coffee breaks. Dinner on Saturday can be with the group at £30 as above, if numbers allow or as a separate arrangement in the restaurant. Pre-booking is necessary.
To reserve your place, please contact the hotel directly with your requirement (single, twin or double), being prepared to place a £50 deposit. Telephone: 01274 735735 and select EVENTS team quoting The National Dialect Festival.
As a special offer exclusively for YDS members, you may join the group for the Delegate welcome talks and entertainment at the Hotel on Friday evening 7.30pm – 10pm (small charge – details on request). On Sunday morning there will be a free guided walk around Bradford’s historic city centre visiting the new garden and green areas as the city emerges from its industrial past to become a vibrant Regional centre of culture and the arts. This walk will start outside the Midland Hotel main entrance at 10am – and end around 1130 at the National Media Museum with an option to visit the Museum or visit one of many pubs and cafes close by.