Leeds Heritage Open Days 2026: Here's everything you need to know
“We want to shout from the rooftops and make everyone aware of this fantastic opportunity to learn more about your city and its heritage”
England’s biggest free celebration of history and heritage, returns to Leeds from Friday, September 11 to Sunday, September 20, with a packed programme of events.
The national festival, coordinated by the National Trust, sees thousands of events take place across the country, with Leeds Civic Trust coordinating the local programme.
2026 is a special one as Leeds celebrates Leeds400, alongside the national Heritage Open Days theme of Everyday Histories.
With more than 150 events registered across the Leeds area, the week celebration will be biggest city programme to date.
And for the fourth-year running, Leeds Civic Trust has supported organisers through its Heritage Open Days grants.
Heritage Open Days with something for everyone, from historic churches, buildings and heritage displays to talks, walks, exhibitions, creative workshops and family activities. And it is all free.
Trust officials have welcomed new organisers to the festival this year, including Northern School of Contemporary Dance, who are celebrating their 40th anniversary.
For the fourth year running, Leeds Civic Trust has supported organisers through its Heritage Open Days grants. This year, 20 new events have been supported, with organisers encouraged to celebrate Leeds 400 and Everyday Histories, while finding new ways to engage families and children.
The grants have helped bring some fantastic new events to the programme. At The Heart Centre in Headingley, families can get creative with a heritage zine-making workshop. Hyde Park Picture House are introducing their tiniest audiences to the magic of silent film through fun and interactive activities, while at Left Bank, artist Abbie Mooney will lead a creative workshop inspired by Leeds transport.
Leeds Civic Trust are also supporting the development of a new heritage board game celebrating Windrush, telling the story of passengers travelling to the UK from the Caribbean aboard the Empire Windrush in 1948.
These are just a few of the new events taking place across the city, alongside the many returning organisers who make Heritage Open Days such a fantastic celebration of Leeds.
Jodie Stott, head of heritage and engagement at Leeds Civic Trust, said: “This year is the biggest number of events in the Leeds area to date! We want to shout from the rooftops and make everyone aware of this fantastic opportunity to learn more about your city and its heritage.
“It’s not just about yesterday’s heritage, but also the places, people and organisations that are creating our future heritage. We also really want people to embrace the festival and get involved.
“This year, through our grants, we asked organisers to really think about family engagement and they have produced some fantastic events! So grab the online listings guide, start planning and get out there and enjoy Heritage Open Days!”
This year, Leeds Civic Trust has created a handy online Leeds listing guide, making it easy to browse the events taking place across the city. The guide takes you directly to the full event information on the national Heritage Open Days website, run by the National Trust.
Event dates, times, locations and booking information can be found through the Leeds Heritage Open Days online listing guide, with each listing linking through to the full event information on the national Heritage Open Days website. Some events are drop-in, while others require advance booking, so visitors are advised to check individual listings before attending.