Exploring the City of Bradford

By:: University of Bradford
Published: 21 August 2024
Tagged under:: City; Discover Bradford; Parents and carers

Discover what Bradford and the surrounding area have to offer for your young person.

A student standing in front of the 19th century Bradford City Hall and looking at the camera

The youngest city in the UK, as well as one of the most diverse, Bradford is packed with fun activities, exciting culture, great food and lush parkland.

Whether your young person grew up in Bradford or will be coming here from halfway around the world, Bradford has plenty of ways to have fun, make friends and explore new interests. What’s more, many of them are within walking distance from campus.

Bradford City of Culture 2025

We’re counting down to Bradford 2025 City of Culture which promises to be “12 unforgettable months of creativity, culture and the arts”. The first big event will take place this September, when they launch their events calendar. You'll be treated to new details about the 1,000+ shows, exhibitions and events taking place throughout 2025.

Food

Bradford lives up to its nickname as ‘"Curry Capital of Britain" and has lots of great places for your young person to eat. Whether they want a sit down meal to catch up with friends or need to grab a quick takeaway, Bradford’s got them covered.

Some of Bradford’s top student favourites include:

MyLahore British Asian Kitchen (Indian eclectic)
Sushi Home Town (Japanese)
Mowchi (Bubble tea and Asian fusion)
Aleppo (Syrian/Lebanese)
Heavenly Desserts
Pepe’s Piri Piri (Flame-grilled chicken)
The Cake ‘ole (Tearoom)
Mumtaz (Kashmiri Indian)
Pizza Pieces

Your young person will also find many familiar high-street eateries dotted around Bradford’s city centre.

Fun

When it’s time to relax, Bradford has lots of activities to help your young person unwind and have fun with friends. Whether they want to play games, take in some culture, see a film, or watch the big match, there’s something for every mood and interest.

A night photo of the front of Bradford National Science and Media Museum

Culture

Bradford has a number of cinemas and film buffs can experience it all: IMAX blockbusters, documentaries, classic movies and arthouse films. The National Science and Media Museum, filled with galleries exploring photography, television, animation and gaming, also celebrates Bradford’s place as the first UNESCO City of Film.

If your young person enjoys live theatre, Bradford has everything from big touring West End productions to local amateur theatre groups. Venues offer up musicals, live comedy, pantomime and music too.

Fun and games

Whether your young person has a bit of a competitive streak or just wants to have fun, Bradford has loads of fun things they can do with their friends:

Sport

Football fans can watch Bradford City AFC, The Bantams, play at what's now called the University of Bradford Stadium, thanks to our recent partnership with the club. Students are sometimes offered free tickets to Bradford City matches too!

Fans of rugby can watch the Bradford Bulls at Odsal Stadium, as well as cheering on our varsity University Rugby Team. And, with more and more people getting into ice hockey, the Bradford Bulldogs play their home games at Bradford Ice Arena.

Parks

Bradford’s parks have something for everyone. If your young person likes watching the world go by, Centenary Square is the place to be. With lots of seating around the mirror pool fountains and City Hall, a splendid Grade I listed architectural gem, the square is the picturesque heart of the city.

Our campus is one of the greenest areas in the city centre, but for even more wide green spaces, Bradford also has two large parks: Horton Park and Lister Park. Both are lush, tree-filled spaces with lots of pathways, playing fields, and water features. Horton Park is within walking distance of campus, and both parks are reachable by public transport from campus.

Shopping

Bradford's city centre is a short walk from campus and has loads of great shopping for your young person, no matter their mood, taste or budget. The Broadway is an indoor shopping centre filled with high-street retailers and eateries. Nearby is a beautiful Waterstones bookstore, housed in the historic Wool Exchange building.

Further up the hill is the Kirkgate Shopping Centre, an eclectic mix of quirky independent shops and high-street chains. And later this year, the state-of-the art Darley Street Market is set to open, with a variety of independent traders offering food, drink and more.

A student in Bradford city centre smiling at the camera while touching the top rail of a chair.

Beyond Bradford

Living in Bradford gives your young person easy access to day trips that range from invigorating walks around Yorkshire's famous countryside, nearby villages, market and spa towns, and a variety of nearby cities.

Bradford Interchange Station is the primary rail station that connects Bradford to London, Manchester, Leeds, York and various other local destinations. Forster Square Station links to Saltaire, Ilkley and Skipton, beautiful Yorkshire towns that also serve as gateways to stunning countryside walks.